1
|
Seghier ML, Boudelaa S. Constraining current neuroanatomical models of reading: the view from Arabic. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02827-y. [PMID: 38969935 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02827-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in imaging understudied orthographies to unravel their neuronal correlates and their implications for existing computational and neuroanatomical models. Here, we review current brain mapping literature about Arabic words. We first offer a succinct description of some unique linguistic features of Arabic that challenge current cognitive models of reading. We then appraise the existing functional neuroimaging studies that investigated written Arabic word processing. Our review revealed that (1) Arabic is still understudied, (2) the most investigated features concerned the effects of vowelling and diglossia in Arabic reading, (3) findings were not always discussed in the light of existing reading models such as the dual route cascaded, the triangle, and the connectionist dual process models, and (4) current evidence is unreliable when it comes to the exact neuronal pathways that sustain Arabic word processing. Overall, despite the fact that Arabic has some unique linguistic features that challenge and ultimately enrich current reading models, the existing functional neuroimaging literature falls short of offering a reliable evidence about brain networks of Arabic reading. We conclude by highlighting the need for more systematic studies of the linguistic features of Arabic to build theoretical and neuroanatomical models that are concurrently specific and general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed L Seghier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- Healthcare Engineering Innovation Center (HEIC), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
| | - Sami Boudelaa
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Radner W. Toward an internationally accepted standard for reading charts. Prog Retin Eye Res 2024; 101:101262. [PMID: 38574851 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2024.101262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Patients who suffer from sight-threatening eye diseases share a desire to regain a comfortable reading ability. In light of the modern advances achieved in ophthalmic diagnosis and therapy, and because a significant lack of comparability between reading charts still exists, there is an increasing need for a worldwide standard in the form of a norm for diagnostic reading charts. Already, applied advancements such as digital print, which allow a calibration of the print sizes of reading charts in correctly progressing geometric proportions by using the actual height of a lower case "x" in millimeters (x-height), and psychophysically standardizing reading charts and their test items by applying modern statistical methods have significantly contributed to establishing a norm for reading charts. In 2020, a proposal of the British delegation was accepted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) group "Visual Optics and Optical Instruments," and a working group was established. Bearing in mind the efforts of the ISO with regard to an international norm, this review article is intended to (a) give an overview of the historical background and related normative approaches for diagnostic reading tests used in ophthalmology and optometry, (b) explain psychophysical and technical concerns, and (c) discuss the possibilities and limits of concepts that seem relevant to developing a modern standard for reading charts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Radner
- Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500, Krems, Austria; Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital St. Pölten, Dunant-Platz 1, 3100, St. Pölten, Austria; Austrian Academy of Ophthalmology, Mollgasse 11, 1180, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kershner JR. Early life stress, literacy and dyslexia: an evolutionary perspective. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:809-822. [PMID: 38436668 PMCID: PMC11003919 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02766-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Stress and learning co-evolved in parallel, with their interdependence critical to the survival of the species. Even today, the regulation of moderate levels of stress by the central autonomic network (CAN), especially during pre- and post-natal periods, facilitates biological adaptability and is an essential precursor for the cognitive requisites of learning to read. Reading is a remarkable evolutionary achievement of the human brain, mysteriously unusual, because it is not pre-wired with a genetic address to facilitate its acquisition. There is no gene for reading. The review suggests that reading co-opts a brain circuit centered in the left hemisphere ventral occipital cortex that evolved as a domain-general visual processor. Its adoption by reading depends on the CAN's coordination of the learning and emotional requirements of learning to read at the metabolic, cellular, synaptic, and network levels. By stabilizing a child's self-control and modulating the attention network's inhibitory controls over the reading circuit, the CAN plays a key role in school readiness and learning to read. In addition, the review revealed two beneficial CAN evolutionary adjustments to early-life stress "overloads" that come with incidental costs of school under-performance and dyslexia. A short-term adaptation involving methylation of the FKBP5 and NR3C1 genes is a liability for academic achievement in primary school. The adaptation leading to dyslexia induces alterations in BDNF trafficking, promoting long-term adaptive fitness by protecting against excessive glucocorticoid toxicity but risks reading difficulties by disruptive signaling from the CAN to the attention networks and the reading circuit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John R Kershner
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Resources, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Appel M, Hasin D, Farah R, Horowitz-Kraus T. Greater utilization of executive functions networks when listening to stories with visual stimulation is related to lower reading abilities in children. Brain Cogn 2024; 177:106161. [PMID: 38696928 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Narrative comprehension relies on basic sensory processing abilities, such as visual and auditory processing, with recent evidence for utilizing executive functions (EF), which are also engaged during reading. EF was previously related to the "supporter" of engaging the auditory and visual modalities in different cognitive tasks, with evidence of lower efficiency in this process among those with reading difficulties in the absence of a visual stimulus (i.e. while listening to stories). The current study aims to fill out the gap related to the level of reliance on these neural circuits while visual aids (pictures) are involved during story listening in relation to reading skills. Functional MRI data were collected from 44 Hebrew-speaking children aged 8-12 years while listening to stories with vs without visual stimuli (i.e., pictures). Functional connectivity of networks supporting reading was defined in each condition and compared between the conditions against behavioral reading measures. Lower reading skills were related to greater functional connectivity values between EF networks (default mode and memory networks), and between the auditory and memory networks for the stories with vs without the visual stimulation. A greater difference in functional connectivity between the conditions was related to lower reading scores. We conclude that lower reading skills in children may be related to a need for greater scaffolding, i.e., visual stimulation such as pictures describing the narratives when listening to stories, which may guide future intervention approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Appel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - IIT, Haifa, Israel
| | - Daria Hasin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - IIT, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rola Farah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - IIT, Haifa, Israel; Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion - IIT, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - IIT, Haifa, Israel; Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion - IIT, Haifa, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kim H. Material-common and material-specific neural activity during encoding of words and scenes: A neuroimaging meta-analysis. Brain Res 2024; 1829:148794. [PMID: 38301950 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the extent to which neural activity during memory encoding demonstrates material-commonness or material-specificity. A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies was conducted to compare the brain regions associated with subsequent memory effects for word and scene stimuli. The main results were as follows. First, significant subsequent memory effects for both words and scenes were primarily observed within the dorsal attention network. This finding aligns with the perspective that temporal fluctuations in attention modulate the intensity of encoding activity, influencing the success and failure of encoding. Second, multiple prefrontal cortex regions, particularly the left inferior frontal cortex, exhibited stronger subsequent memory effects for words compared to scenes. Conversely, multiple visual processing regions revealed an opposite pattern, with heightened subsequent memory effects for scenes relative to words. These findings suggest that words are more strongly encoded through semantic processing, whereas scenes are primarily encoded through visuo-perceptual processing. In conclusion, these results clarify the material specificity and commonness of encoding-related neural activity, emphasizing the significant role of attention and the distinctions between verbal and pictorial information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongkeun Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Psychology, Daegu University, 201 Daegudae-ro, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 38453, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Carrasco CD, Bahle B, Simmons AM, Luck SJ. Using Multivariate Pattern Analysis to Increase Effect Sizes for Event-Related Potential Analyses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.07.566051. [PMID: 37986854 PMCID: PMC10659264 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.07.566051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Multivariate pattern analysis approaches can be applied to the topographic distribution of event-related potential (ERP) signals to 'decode' subtly different stimulus classes, such as different faces or different orientations. These approaches are extremely sensitive, and it seems possible that they could also be used to increase effect sizes and statistical power in traditional paradigms that ask whether an ERP component differs in amplitude across conditions. To assess this possibility, we leveraged the open-source ERP CORE dataset and compared the effect sizes resulting from conventional univariate analyses of mean amplitude with two multivariate pattern analysis approaches (support vector machine decoding and the cross-validated Mahalanobis distance, both of which are easy to compute using open-source software). We assessed these approaches across seven widely studied ERP components (N170, N400, N2pc, P3b, lateral readiness potential, error related negativity, and mismatch negativity). Across all components, we found that multivariate approaches yielded effect sizes that were as large or larger than the effect sizes produced by univariate approaches. These results indicate that researchers could obtain larger effect sizes, and therefore greater statistical power, by using multivariate analysis of topographic voltage patterns instead of traditional univariate analyses in many ERP studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brett Bahle
- Center for Mind & Brain, University of California, Davis
| | | | - Steven J Luck
- Center for Mind & Brain, University of California, Davis
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yablonski M, Karipidis II, Kubota E, Yeatman JD. The transition from vision to language: Distinct patterns of functional connectivity for subregions of the visual word form area. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26655. [PMID: 38488471 PMCID: PMC10941549 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Reading entails transforming visual symbols to sound and meaning. This process depends on specialized circuitry in the visual cortex, the visual word form area (VWFA). Recent findings suggest that this text-selective cortex comprises at least two distinct subregions: the more posterior VWFA-1 is sensitive to visual features, while the more anterior VWFA-2 processes higher level language information. Here, we explore whether these two subregions also exhibit different patterns of functional connectivity. To this end, we capitalize on two complementary datasets: Using the Natural Scenes Dataset (NSD), we identify text-selective responses in high-quality 7T adult data (N = 8), and investigate functional connectivity patterns of VWFA-1 and VWFA-2 at the individual level. We then turn to the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) database to assess whether these patterns replicate in a large developmental sample (N = 224; age 6-20 years), and whether they relate to reading development. In both datasets, we find that VWFA-1 is primarily correlated with bilateral visual regions. In contrast, VWFA-2 is more strongly correlated with language regions in the frontal and lateral parietal lobes, particularly the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Critically, these patterns do not generalize to adjacent face-selective regions, suggesting a specific relationship between VWFA-2 and the frontal language network. No correlations were observed between functional connectivity and reading ability. Together, our findings support the distinction between subregions of the VWFA, and suggest that functional connectivity patterns in the ventral temporal cortex are consistent over a wide range of reading skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maya Yablonski
- Division of Developmental‐Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of PediatricsStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Stanford University Graduate School of EducationStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Iliana I. Karipidis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETHZurichSwitzerland
| | - Emily Kubota
- Psychology DepartmentStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jason D. Yeatman
- Division of Developmental‐Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of PediatricsStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Stanford University Graduate School of EducationStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Psychology DepartmentStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dalski A, Kular H, Jorgensen JG, Grill-Spector K, Grotheer M. Both mOTS-words and pOTS-words prefer emoji stimuli over text stimuli during a reading task. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.07.565794. [PMID: 37986766 PMCID: PMC10659328 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.07.565794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The visual word form area in the occipitotemporal sulcus (OTS), here referred to as OTS-words, responds more strongly to text than other visual stimuli and is crucial for reading. We hypothesized, that this text preference may be driven by a preference for reading tasks, as in most prior fMRI studies only the text stimuli were readable. Hence, we performed three fMRI experiments (N=15) and systematically varied the participant's task and the stimulus, investigating mOTS-words and pOTS-words subregions. In experiment 1, we contrasted text stimuli with non-readable visual stimuli (faces, limbs, houses, objects). Experiment 2 utilized an fMRI adaptation paradigm, presenting compound words in text or emoji formats. In experiment 3, participants performed a reading or a color task on compound words in text or emoji format. Using experiment 1 data, we identified mOTS-words and pOTS-words by contrasting texts with non-readable stimuli. In experiment 2, pOTS-words, but not mOTS-words, showed fMRI adaptation for compound words in both text and emoji formats. In experiment 3, surprisingly, both subregions showed higher responses to compound words in emoji than text format. Moreover, mOTS-words showed higher responses during the reading than the color task and a task-stimulus interaction. Multivariate analyses revealed that distributed responses in pOTS-words encode the visual stimulus, while responses in mOTS-words encode both stimulus and task. Together, our findings suggest that the function of the OTS-words subregions goes beyond the specific visual processing of text and that these regions are flexibly recruited whenever semantic meaning needs to be assigned to visual input.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Dalski
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35039, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior – CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Holly Kular
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mareike Grotheer
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35039, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior – CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Marburg 35032, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Taran N, Farah R, Gashri C, Gitman E, Rosch K, Schlaggar BL, Horowitz-Kraus T. Executive functions-based reading training engages the cingulo-opercular and dorsal attention networks. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:1452-1482. [PMID: 38144685 PMCID: PMC10727775 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a computerized executive functions (EFs)-based reading intervention on neural circuits supporting EFs and visual attention. Seed-to-voxel functional connectivity analysis was conducted focusing on large-scale attention system brain networks, during an fMRI reading fluency task. Participants were 8- to 12-year-old English-speaking children with dyslexia (n = 43) and typical readers (n = 36) trained on an EFs-based reading training (n = 40) versus math training (n = 39). Training duration was 8 weeks. After the EFs-based reading intervention, children with dyslexia improved their scores in reading rate and visual attention (compared to math intervention). Neurobiologically, children with dyslexia displayed an increase in functional connectivity strength after the intervention between the cingulo-opercular network and occipital and precentral regions. Noteworthy, the functional connectivity indices between these brain regions showed a positive correlation with speed of processing and visual attention scores in both pretest and posttest. The results suggest that reading improvement following an EFs-based reading intervention involves neuroplastic connectivity changes in brain areas related to EFs and primary visual processing in children with dyslexia. Our results highlight the need for training underlying cognitive abilities supporting reading, such as EFs and visual attention, in order to enhance reading abilities in dyslexia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Taran
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rola Farah
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Carmel Gashri
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ester Gitman
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Keri Rosch
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bradley L. Schlaggar
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Maloney TC, Dietz A, Vannest J, Wilkinson K, Szaflarski JP, Stall C, Mamlekar CR. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Activation During Unscripted Discourse in People With Poststroke Aphasia. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:4838-4848. [PMID: 37917918 PMCID: PMC11005021 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of employing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task that captured activation associated with overt, unscripted (or free) discourse of people with aphasia (PWA), using a continuous scan paradigm. METHOD Seven participants (six females, ages 48-70 years) with chronic poststroke aphasia underwent two fMRI scanning sessions that included a discourse fMRI paradigm that consisted of five 1-min picture description tasks, using personally relevant photographs, interspersed with two 30-s control periods where participants looked at a fixation cross. Audio during the continuous fMRI scan was collected and marked with speaking times and coded for correct information units. Activation maps from the fMRI data were generated for the contrast between speaking and control conditions. In order to show the effects of the multi-echo data analysis, we compared it to a single-echo analysis by using only the middle echo (echo time of 30 ms). RESULTS Through the implementation of the free discourse fMRI task, we were able to elicit activation that included bilateral regions in the planum polare, central opercular cortex, precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, Crus I of the cerebellum, as well as bilateral occipital regions. CONCLUSIONS We describe a new tool for assessing discourse recovery in PWA. By demonstrating the feasibility of a natural language paradigm in patients with chronic, poststroke aphasia, we open a new area for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Aimee Dietz
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Georgia State University, Atlanta
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jennifer Vannest
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, OH
| | - Krista Wilkinson
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, State College
| | - Jerzy P. Szaflarski
- Departments of Neurology, Neurobiology, and Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine
| | - Cassandra Stall
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, OH
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sánchez A, Carreiras M, Paz-Alonso PM. Word frequency and reading demands modulate brain activation in the inferior frontal gyrus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17217. [PMID: 37821488 PMCID: PMC10567770 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44420-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Processing efficiency differs between high- and low-frequency words, with less frequent words resulting in longer response latencies in several linguistic behavioral tasks. Nevertheless, studies using functional MRI to investigate the word frequency effect have employed diverse methodologies and produced heterogeneous results. In this study, we examine the effect of word frequency through complementary analytical approaches and functional connectivity analyses. Furthermore, we examine whether reading demands, which have been shown to influence reading-related activation, modulate the effects of word frequency. We conducted MRI scanning on 54 healthy participants who performed two versions of a single-word reading task involving high- and low-frequency words: a low-level perceptual reading task and a high-level semantic reading task. The results indicate that word frequency influenced the activation of the pars orbitalis and pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus, but only in the semantic reading task. Additionally, the ventral occipitotemporal cortex exhibited stronger regional activation during the semantic reading task compared to the perceptual reading task, with no effects of word frequency. Functional connectivity analyses demonstrated significant coupling among regions within both the dorsal and ventral reading networks, without any observable effects of word frequency or task. These findings were consistent across group- and individual-level analytical approaches. Overall, our results provide further support for the involvement of the inferior frontal gyrus in semantic processing during reading, as indicated by the effect of word frequency and the influence of reading demands, highlighting the role of the ventral reading network. These findings are discussed in line with their implications for lexical and pre-lexical reading processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Sánchez
- Basque Center On Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL), BCBL, Mikeletegi Pasealekua 69, 2, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
- University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Manuel Carreiras
- Basque Center On Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL), BCBL, Mikeletegi Pasealekua 69, 2, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Pedro M Paz-Alonso
- Basque Center On Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL), BCBL, Mikeletegi Pasealekua 69, 2, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Dȩbska A, Wójcik M, Chyl K, Dziȩgiel-Fivet G, Jednoróg K. Beyond the Visual Word Form Area - a cognitive characterization of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1199366. [PMID: 37576470 PMCID: PMC10416454 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1199366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The left ventral occipitotemporal cortex has been traditionally viewed as a pathway for visual object recognition including written letters and words. Its crucial role in reading was strengthened by the studies on the functionally localized "Visual Word Form Area" responsible for processing word-like information. However, in the past 20 years, empirical studies have challenged the assumptions of this brain region as processing exclusively visual or even orthographic stimuli. In this review, we aimed to present the development of understanding of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex from the visually based letter area to the modality-independent symbolic language related region. We discuss theoretical and empirical research that includes orthographic, phonological, and semantic properties of language. Existing results showed that involvement of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex is not limited to unimodal activity but also includes multimodal processes. The idea of the integrative nature of this region is supported by the broad functional and structural connectivity with language-related and attentional brain networks. We conclude that although the function of the area is not yet fully understood in human cognition, its role goes beyond visual word form processing. The left ventral occipitotemporal cortex seems to be crucial for combining higher-level language information with abstract forms that convey meaning independently of modality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Dȩbska
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Wójcik
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Chyl
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- The Educational Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gabriela Dziȩgiel-Fivet
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Serrien DJ, O'Regan L. Attention and Interhemispheric Communication: Implications for Language Dominance. Neuroscience 2023; 510:21-31. [PMID: 36521590 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Dominance of the left hemisphere for language processing is a prominent feature of brain organisation. Whereas structural models clarify the functional asymmetry due to direct access to local language circuits, dynamic models propose functional states of intrahemispheric activation and interhemispheric inhibition that are coupled with attentional processes. Real word settings often require modulations of lateralised neural processing and further express individual heterogeneity. In this research, we tested left- and right-handers, and used a behavioural paradigm with presentation of lateralised cue-target pairs to the same or opposite visual field. We observed that handedness distinctly affected word processing in the left hemisphere following contralateral cueing. Moreover, left-hemispheric dominance strengthened for right-handers vs abolished for left-handers, influencing behavioural efficiency. In combination with eye dominance recordings, these data suggest that attentional biases guided the processing strategies of both groups and in turn their achievements. Therefore, hand and eye dominance are both essential factors with a functional role in directing the communication of visual information between both hemispheres. Overall, the findings underline the importance of interacting hand-eye control systems in contributing to interhemispheric patterns in the context of language processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Louise O'Regan
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Maratos FA, Chu K, Lipka S, Stupple EJN, Parente F. Exploring pattern recognition: what is the relationship between the recognition of words, faces and other objects? Cogn Process 2023; 24:59-70. [PMID: 36376612 PMCID: PMC9898371 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-022-01111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Debate surrounds processes of visual recognition, with no consensus as to whether recognition of distinct object categories (faces, bodies, cars, and words) is domain specific or subserved by domain-general visual recognition mechanisms. Here, we investigated correlations between the performance of 74 participants on recognition tasks for words, faces and other object categories. Participants completed a counter-balanced test battery of the Cambridge Face, Car and Body Parts Memory tests, as well as a standard four category lexical decision task, with response time and recognition accuracy as dependent variables. Results revealed significant correlations across domains for both recognition accuracy and response time, providing some support for domain-general pattern recognition. Further exploration of the data using principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a two-component model for both the response time and accuracy data. However, how the various word and object recognition tasks fitted these components varied considerably but did hint at familiarity/expertise as a common factor. In sum, we argue a complex relationship exists between domain-specific processing and domain-general processing, but that this is shaped by expertise. To further our understanding of pattern recognition, research investigating the recognition of words, faces and other objects in dyslexic individuals is recommended, as is research exploiting neuroimaging methodologies, with excellent temporal resolution, to chart the temporal specifics of different forms of visual pattern recognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F. A. Maratos
- School of Psychology, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - K. Chu
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - S. Lipka
- School of Psychology, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - E. J. N. Stupple
- School of Psychology, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - F. Parente
- School of Psychology, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Barton JJ, Rubino C, Albonico A, Jackson M, Davies-Thompson J. Right hemi-alexia. Cortex 2022; 157:288-303. [PMID: 36370599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
While pure alexia was long considered a disconnection syndrome, it may also be a selective visual word agnosia due to damage to the visual word form area. Disconnection is still the likely explanation of hemi-alexias, though, particularly when splenial lesions damage inter-hemispheric projections and cause left hemi-alexia. An intra-hemispheric disconnection causing right hemi-alexia is theoretically possible but seems very rare, with only a single report that has been challenged on the grounds of inadequate perimetry. We describe the case of PH, who had a severe reading deficit in her right hemifield. Detailed perimetry showed only a small relative hemi-scotoma along the horizontal meridian, while word reading was impaired over a much larger expanse of her right hemifield, in which object recognition was spared. Reading, lexical decisions, and perceptual discrimination of words were impaired in the right hemifield, and this extended to letters and numbers, with a trend to an effect on the perception of an unfamiliar script, namely Korean. On magnetic resonance imaging she had a large left lateral occipital meningioma with vasogenic edema of occipital white matter tracts. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that the visual word form area was located just anterior to the mass. Her perceptual abnormalities resolved after resection of the tumor. We conclude that right hemi-alexia exists and is most likely due to intra-hemispheric disconnection of occipital input to the visual word form area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Js Barton
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Cristina Rubino
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitative Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Andrea Albonico
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - MaryLou Jackson
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wang S, Planton S, Chanoine V, Sein J, Anton JL, Nazarian B, Dubarry AS, Pallier C, Pattamadilok C. Graph theoretical analysis reveals the functional role of the left ventral occipito-temporal cortex in speech processing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20028. [PMID: 36414688 PMCID: PMC9681757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24056-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The left ventral occipito-temporal cortex (left-vOT) plays a key role in reading. Interestingly, the area also responds to speech input, suggesting that it may have other functions beyond written word recognition. Here, we adopt graph theoretical analysis to investigate the left-vOT's functional role in the whole-brain network while participants process spoken sentences in different contexts. Overall, different connectivity measures indicate that the left-vOT acts as an interface enabling the communication between distributed brain regions and sub-networks. During simple speech perception, the left-vOT is systematically part of the visual network and contributes to the communication between neighboring areas, remote areas, and sub-networks, by acting as a local bridge, a global bridge, and a connector, respectively. However, when speech comprehension is explicitly required, the specific functional role of the area and the sub-network to which the left-vOT belongs change and vary with the quality of speech signal and task difficulty. These connectivity patterns provide insightful information on the contribution of the left-vOT in various contexts of language processing beyond its role in reading. They advance our general understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the flexibility of the language network that adjusts itself according to the processing context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- grid.462776.60000 0001 2206 2382Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France ,grid.5399.60000 0001 2176 4817Aix Marseille Univ, Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Samuel Planton
- grid.462776.60000 0001 2206 2382Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France ,grid.7429.80000000121866389Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Valérie Chanoine
- grid.462776.60000 0001 2206 2382Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France ,grid.5399.60000 0001 2176 4817Aix Marseille Univ, Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Julien Sein
- grid.462486.a0000 0004 4650 2882Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centre IRM-INT@CERIMED, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Luc Anton
- grid.462486.a0000 0004 4650 2882Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centre IRM-INT@CERIMED, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Nazarian
- grid.462486.a0000 0004 4650 2882Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centre IRM-INT@CERIMED, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 Marseille, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Dubarry
- grid.462776.60000 0001 2206 2382Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282 Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Pallier
- grid.7429.80000000121866389Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Chotiga Pattamadilok
- grid.462776.60000 0001 2206 2382Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cheviet A, Bonnefond A, Bertrand F, Maumy-Bertrand M, Doignon-Camus N. How visual attention span and phonological skills contribute to N170 print tuning: An EEG study in French dyslexic students. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 234:105176. [PMID: 36063725 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia is a disorder characterized by a sustainable learning deficit in reading. Based on ERP-driven approaches focusing on the visual word form area, electrophysiological studies have pointed a lack of visual expertise for written word recognition in dyslexic readers by contrasting the left-lateralized N170 amplitudes elicited by alphabetic versus non-alphabetic stimuli. Here, we investigated in 22 dyslexic participants and 22 age-matched control subjects how two behavioural abilities potentially affected in dyslexic readers (phonological and visual attention skills) contributed to the N170 expertise during a word detection task. Consistent with literature, dyslexic participants exhibited poorer performance in these both abilities as compared to healthy subjects. At the brain level, we observed (1) an unexpected preservation of the N170 expertise in the dyslexic group suggesting a possible compensatory mechanism and (2) a modulation of this expertise only by phonological skills, providing evidence for the phonological mapping deficit hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Cheviet
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom.
| | - Anne Bonnefond
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1114, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frédéric Bertrand
- LIST3N, Université de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes, France; Institut de Recherche Mathématique Avancée, CNRS UMR 7501, Labex IRMIA, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Myriam Maumy-Bertrand
- LIST3N, Université de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes, France; Institut de Recherche Mathématique Avancée, CNRS UMR 7501, Labex IRMIA, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nadège Doignon-Camus
- LISEC UR 2310, University of Strasbourg, University of Haute-Alsace, University of Lorraine, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Gabel LA, Battison A, Truong DT, Lindström ER, Voss K, Yu YC, Roongruengratanakul S, Shyntassov K, Riebesell S, Toumanios N, Nielsen-Pheiffer CM, Paniagua S, Gruen JR. Orthographic Depth May Influence the Degree of Severity of Maze Learning Performance in Children at Risk for Reading Disorder. Dev Neurosci 2022; 44:651-670. [PMID: 36223729 PMCID: PMC9928771 DOI: 10.1159/000527480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reading disability (RD), which affects between 5 and 17% of the population worldwide, is the most prevalent form of learning disability, and is associated with underactivation of a universal reading network in children. However, recent research suggests there are differences in learning rates on cognitive predictors of reading performance, as well as differences in activation patterns within the reading neural network, based on orthographic depth (i.e., transparent/shallow vs. deep/opaque orthographies) in children with RD. Recently, we showed that native English-speaking children with RD exhibit impaired performance on a maze learning task that taps into the same neural networks that are activated during reading. In addition, we demonstrated that genetic risk for RD strengthens the relationship between reading impairment and maze learning performance. However, it is unclear whether the results from these studies can be broadly applied to children from other language orthographies. In this study, we examined whether low reading skill was associated with poor maze learning performance in native English-speaking and native German-speaking children, and the influence of genetic risk for RD on cognition and behavior. In addition, we investigated the link between genetic risk and performance on this task in an orthographically diverse sample of children attending an English-speaking international school in Germany. The results from our data suggest that children with low reading skill, or with a genetic risk for reading impairment, exhibit impaired performance on the maze learning task, regardless of orthographic depth. However, these data also suggest that orthographic depth influences the degree of impairment on this task. The maze learning task requires the involvement of various cognitive processes and neural networks that underlie reading, but is not influenced by potential differences in reading experience due to lack of text or oral reporting. As a fully automated tool, it does not require specialized training to administer, and current results suggest it may be a practicable screening tool for early identification of reading impairment across orthographies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A. Gabel
- Department of Psychology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
- Program in Neuroscience, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
| | | | | | - Esther R. Lindström
- Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
| | - Kelsey Voss
- Program in Neuroscience, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
| | - Yih-Choung Yu
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Steven Paniagua
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jeffrey R. Gruen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Jia F, Liu CY, Tan LH, Siok WT. Lifespan developmental changes in neural substrates and functional connectivity for visual semantic processing. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4714-4728. [PMID: 36130092 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human learning and cognitive functions change with age and experience, with late-developed complex cognitive functions, particularly those served by the prefrontal cortex, showing more age-dependent variance. Reading as a complex process of constructing meaning from print uses the left prefrontal cortex and may show a similar aging pattern. In this study, we delineated the lifespan developmental changes in the neural substrates and functional connectivity for visual semantic processing from childhood (age 6) to late adulthood (age 74). Different from previous studies that reported aging as a form of activation or neuronal changes, we examined additionally how the functional connectivity networks changed with age. A cohort of 122 Chinese participants performed semantic and font-size judgment tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Although a common left-lateralized neural system including the left mid-inferior prefrontal cortex was recruited across all participants, the effect of age, or reading experience, is evident as 2 contrastive developmental patterns: a declining trend in activation strength and extent and an increasing trend in functional connections of the network. This study suggests that visual semantic processing is not prone to cognitive decline, and that continuous reading until old age helps strengthen the functional connections of reading-related brain regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanlu Jia
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, Shandong, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Chun Yin Liu
- Department of Linguistics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Hai Tan
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518107, China.,Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China.,Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation Institute, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong, China
| | - Wai Ting Siok
- Department of Linguistics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Investigating the association between variability in sulcal pattern and academic achievement. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12323. [PMID: 35854034 PMCID: PMC9296655 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15335-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating how the brain may constrain academic achievement is not only relevant to understanding brain structure but also to providing insight into the origins of individual differences in these academic abilities. In this pre-registered study, we investigated whether the variability of sulcal patterns, a qualitative feature of the brain determined in-utero and not affected by brain maturation and learning, accounted for individual differences in reading and mathematics. Participants were 97 typically developing 10-year-olds. We examined (a) the association between the sulcal pattern of the IntraParietal Sulcus (IPS) and mathematical ability; (b) the association between the sulcal pattern of the Occipito Temporal Sulcus (OTS) and reading ability; and (c) the overlap and specificity of sulcal morphology of IPS and OTS and their associations with mathematics and reading. Despite its large sample, the present study was unable to replicate a previously observed relationship between the IPS sulcal pattern and mathematical ability and a previously observed association between the left posterior OTS sulcal pattern and reading. We found a weak association between right IPS sulcal morphology and symbolic number abilities and a weak association between left posterior OTS and reading. However, both these associations were the opposite of previous reports. We found no evidence for a possible overlap or specificity in the effect of sulcal morphology on mathematics and reading. Possible explanations for this weak association between sulcal morphology and academic achievement and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Collapse
|
21
|
Provazza S, Carretti B, Giofrè D, Adams AM, Montesano L, Roberts D. Shallow or deep? The impact of orthographic depth on visual processing impairments in developmental dyslexia. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2022; 72:171-196. [PMID: 35286579 PMCID: PMC8942915 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-021-00249-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The extent to which impaired visual and phonological mechanisms may contribute to the manifestation of developmental dyslexia across orthographies of varying depth has yet to be fully established. By adopting a cross-linguistic approach, the current study aimed to explore the nature of visual and phonological processing in developmental dyslexic readers of shallow (Italian) and deep (English) orthographies, and specifically the characterisation of visual processing deficits in relation to orthographic depth. To achieve this aim, we administered a battery of non-reading visual and phonological tasks. Developmental dyslexics performed worse than typically developing readers on all visual and phonological tasks. Critically, readers of the shallow orthography were disproportionately impaired on visual processing tasks. Our results suggest that the impaired reading and associated deficits observed in developmental dyslexia are anchored by dual impairments to visual and phonological mechanisms that underpin reading, with the magnitude of the visual deficit varying according to orthographic depth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serena Provazza
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Barbara Carretti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - David Giofrè
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Anne-Marie Adams
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Daniel Roberts
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Taran N, Farah R, DiFrancesco M, Altaye M, Vannest J, Holland S, Rosch K, Schlaggar BL, Horowitz-Kraus T. The role of visual attention in dyslexia: Behavioral and neurobiological evidence. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:1720-1737. [PMID: 34981603 PMCID: PMC8886655 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor phonological processing has typically been considered the main cause of dyslexia. However, visuo‐attentional processing abnormalities have been described as well. The goal of the present study was to determine the involvement of visual attention during fluent reading in children with dyslexia and typical readers. Here, 75 children (8–12 years old; 36 typical readers, 39 children with dyslexia) completed cognitive and reading assessments. Neuroimaging data were acquired while children performed a fluent reading task with (a) a condition where the text remained on the screen (Still) versus (b) a condition in which the letters were being deleted (Deleted). Cognitive assessment data analysis revealed that visual attention, executive functions, and phonological awareness significantly contributed to reading comprehension in both groups. A seed‐to‐voxel functional connectivity analysis was performed on the fluency functional magnetic resonance imaging task. Typical readers showed greater functional connectivity between the dorsal attention network and the left angular gyrus while performing the Still and Deleted reading tasks versus children with dyslexia. Higher connectivity values were associated with higher reading comprehension. The control group showed increased functional connectivity between the ventral attention network and the fronto‐parietal network during the Deleted text condition (compared with the Still condition). Children with dyslexia did not display this pattern. The results suggest that the synchronized activity of executive, visual attention, and reading‐related networks is a pattern of functional integration which children with dyslexia fail to achieve. The present evidence points toward a critical role of visual attention in dyslexia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Taran
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rola Farah
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Mark DiFrancesco
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jennifer Vannest
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Keri Rosch
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bradley L Schlaggar
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel.,Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jozranjbar B, Kristjánsson Á, Sigurdardottir HM. Featural and configural processing of faces and houses in matched dyslexic and typical readers. Neuropsychologia 2021; 162:108059. [PMID: 34637801 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
While dyslexia is typically described as a phonological deficit, recent evidence suggests that ventral stream regions, important for visual categorization and object recognition, are hypoactive in dyslexic readers who might accordingly show visual recognition deficits. By manipulating featural and configural information of faces and houses, we investigated whether dyslexic readers are disadvantaged at recognizing certain object classes or using particular visual processing mechanisms. Dyslexic readers found it harder to recognize objects (houses), suggesting that visual problems in dyslexia are not completely domain-specific. Face recognition accuracy was equivalent in the two groups. Lower recognition accuracy for houses was also related to reading difficulties even when accuracy for faces was kept constant, which could indicate a specific relationship between visual word processing and visual processing of non-face objects. Representational similarity analyses (RSA) revealed that featural and configural processes were clearly separable in typical readers, which was not the case for dyslexic readers who appear to rely on a single process. This was not restricted to particular visual categories, occurring for both faces and houses. We speculate that reading deficits in some dyslexic readers reflect their reliance on a single process for object recognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bahareh Jozranjbar
- Icelandic Vision Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, Iceland.
| | - Árni Kristjánsson
- Icelandic Vision Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, Iceland; School of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Werth R. Is Developmental Dyslexia Due to a Visual and Not a Phonological Impairment? Brain Sci 2021; 11:1313. [PMID: 34679378 PMCID: PMC8534212 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is a widely held belief that developmental dyslexia (DD) is a phonological disorder in which readers have difficulty associating graphemes with their corresponding phonemes. In contrast, the magnocellular theory of dyslexia assumes that DD is a visual disorder caused by dysfunctional magnocellular neural pathways. The review explores arguments for and against these theories. Recent results have shown that DD is caused by (1) a reduced ability to simultaneously recognize sequences of letters that make up words, (2) longer fixation times required to simultaneously recognize strings of letters, and (3) amplitudes of saccades that do not match the number of simultaneously recognized letters. It was shown that pseudowords that could not be recognized simultaneously were recognized almost without errors when the fixation time was extended. However, there is an individual maximum number of letters that each reader with DD can recognize simultaneously. Findings on the neurobiological basis of temporal summation have shown that a necessary prolongation of fixation times is due to impaired processing mechanisms of the visual system, presumably involving magnocells and parvocells. An area in the mid-fusiform gyrus also appears to play a significant role in the ability to simultaneously recognize words and pseudowords. The results also contradict the assumption that DD is due to a lack of eye movement control. The present research does not support the assumption that DD is caused by a phonological disorder but shows that DD is due to a visual processing dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Werth
- Institute for Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Munich, Haydnstrasse 5, D-80336 Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cohen M, Mahé G, Zesiger P, Laganaro M. Does learning to read affect naming skills? Insights from ERPs during letter and picture naming tasks. Neuropsychologia 2021; 157:107861. [PMID: 33894244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies report that poor readers display low performance in naming tasks. However, very few studies have investigated the development of naming skills along with the development of reading fluency and its variability in typically developing children. In this study, we used electro-encephalographic (EEG) recordings acquired during letter and picture naming tasks to investigate how naming skills develop and, possibly, interact with age and reading level variations. Ninety-three children aged 7-12 years named letters and pictures under an EEG recording, and their reading performance was assessed. ERP results on amplitudes show that age and reading level have similar effects on the entire letter naming time-course. By contrast, age and reading level have different effects on the picture naming time-course, with a specific effect of reading level on the N1 time-interval, associated with visuo-conceptual processing and an effect of both age and reading on later time-windows. On the microstate analysis, age remains the only predictor of the variance in global electric field at scalp for both letter and picture naming indicating that reading skill is not related to a modulation of the mental processes underlying naming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjolaine Cohen
- FPSE, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Special Needs Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Gwendoline Mahé
- FPSE, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, SCALab (UMR CNRS 9193), University of Lille, Lille, France
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Clinical applications of neurolinguistics in neurosurgery. Front Med 2021; 15:562-574. [PMID: 33983605 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-020-0771-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The protection of language function is one of the major challenges of brain surgery. Over the past century, neurosurgeons have attempted to seek the optimal strategy for the preoperative and intraoperative identification of language-related brain regions. Neurosurgeons have investigated the neural mechanism of language, developed neurolinguistics theory, and provided unique evidence to further understand the neural basis of language functions by using intraoperative cortical and subcortical electrical stimulation. With the emergence of modern neuroscience techniques and dramatic advances in language models over the last 25 years, novel language mapping methods have been applied in the neurosurgical practice to help neurosurgeons protect the brain and reduce morbidity. The rapid advancements in brain-computer interface have provided the perfect platform for the combination of neurosurgery and neurolinguistics. In this review, the history of neurolinguistics models, advancements in modern technology, role of neurosurgery in language mapping, and modern language mapping methods (including noninvasive neuroimaging techniques and invasive cortical electroencephalogram) are presented.
Collapse
|
27
|
A Heteromodal Word-Meaning Binding Site in the Visual Word Form Area under Top-Down Frontoparietal Control. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3854-3869. [PMID: 33687963 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2771-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The integral capacity of human language together with semantic memory drives the linkage of words and their meaning, which theoretically is subject to cognitive control. However, it remains unknown whether, across different language modalities and input/output formats, there is a shared system in the human brain for word-meaning binding and how this system interacts with cognitive control. Here, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment based on a large cohort of subjects (50 females, 50 males) to comprehensively measure the brain responses evoked by semantic processing in spoken and written word comprehension and production tasks (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). We found that heteromodal word input and output tasks involved distributed brain regions within a frontal-parietal-temporal network and focally coactivated the anterior lateral visual word form area (VWFA), which is located in the basal occipitotemporal area. Directed connectivity analysis revealed that the VWFA was invariably under significant top-down modulation of the frontoparietal control network and interacts with regions related to attention and semantic representation. This study reveals that the VWFA is a key site subserving general semantic processes linking words and meaning, challenging the predominant emphasis on this area's specific role in reading or more general visual processes. Our findings also suggest that the dynamics between semantic memory and cognitive control mechanisms during word processing are largely independent of the modalities of input or output.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Binding words and their meaning into a coherent whole during retrieval requires accessing semantic memory and cognitive control, allowing our thoughts to be expressed and comprehended through mind-external tokens in multiple modalities, such as written or spoken forms. However, it is still unknown whether multimodal language comprehension and production share a common word-meaning binding system in human brains and how this system is connected to a cognitive control mechanism. By systematically measuring brain activity evoked by spoken and written verbal input and output tasks tagging word-meaning binding processes, we demonstrate a general word-meaning binding site within the visual word form area (VWFA) and how this site is modulated by the frontal-parietal control network.
Collapse
|
28
|
Wang Q, Siok WT. Intracranial recording in patients with aphasia using nanomaterial-based flexible electronics: promises and challenges. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 12:330-342. [PMID: 33889479 PMCID: PMC8042484 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.12.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, researchers have studied how nanotechnology could enhance neuroimaging techniques. The application of nanomaterial-based flexible electronics has the potential to advance conventional intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) by utilising brain-compatible soft nanomaterials. The resultant technique has significantly high spatial and temporal resolution, both of which enhance the localisation of brain functions and the mapping of dynamic language processing. This review presents findings on aphasia, an impairment in language and communication, and discusses how different brain imaging techniques, including positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and iEEG, have advanced our understanding of the neural networks underlying language and reading processing. We then outline the strengths and weaknesses of iEEG in studying human cognition and the development of intracranial recordings that use brain-compatible flexible electrodes. We close by discussing the potential advantages and challenges of future investigations adopting nanomaterial-based flexible electronics for intracranial recording in patients with aphasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qingchun Wang
- Department of Linguistics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Ting Siok
- Department of Linguistics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cui X, Xia Z, McBride C, Li P, Pan J, Shu H. Shared Neural Substrates Underlying Reading and Visual Matching: A Longitudinal Investigation. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:567541. [PMID: 33192396 PMCID: PMC7642616 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.567541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of visual skills in reading acquisition has long been debated and whether there is shared neurobiological basis between visual skills and reading is not clear. This study investigated the relationship between Visual Matching and reading and their shared neuroanatomical basis. Two hundred and ninety-three typically developing Mandarin-speaking children were followed in a longitudinal study from ages 4 to 11 years old. A subsample of 79 children was further followed up at 14 years old when the MRI data were collected. Results showed that the development of Visual Matching from ages 6 to 8 predicted reading accuracy at age 11. In addition, both the development of Visual Matching and reading accuracy were associated with cortical surface area of a cluster located in fusiform gyrus. These findings suggested that the mapping from visual codes to phonological codes is important in learning to read and that left fusiform gyrus provided neural basis for such mapping. Implications of these findings in light of a new approach toward the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying reading development are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Catherine McBride
- Department of Psychology, Brain Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Faculty of Humanities, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jinger Pan
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hua Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Brem S, Maurer U, Kronbichler M, Schurz M, Richlan F, Blau V, Reithler J, van der Mark S, Schulz E, Bucher K, Moll K, Landerl K, Martin E, Goebel R, Schulte-Körne G, Blomert L, Wimmer H, Brandeis D. Visual word form processing deficits driven by severity of reading impairments in children with developmental dyslexia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18728. [PMID: 33127943 PMCID: PMC7603304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75111-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual word form area (VWFA) in the left ventral occipito-temporal (vOT) cortex is key to fluent reading in children and adults. Diminished VWFA activation during print processing tasks is a common finding in subjects with severe reading problems. Here, we report fMRI data from a multicentre study with 140 children in primary school (7.9-12.2 years; 55 children with dyslexia, 73 typical readers, 12 intermediate readers). All performed a semantic task on visually presented words and a matched control task on symbol strings. With this large group of children, including the entire spectrum from severely impaired to highly fluent readers, we aimed to clarify the association of reading fluency and left vOT activation during visual word processing. The results of this study confirm reduced word-sensitive activation within the left vOT in children with dyslexia. Interestingly, the association of reading skills and left vOT activation was especially strong and spatially extended in children with dyslexia. Thus, deficits in basic visual word form processing increase with the severity of reading disability but seem only weakly associated with fluency within the typical reading range suggesting a linear dependence of reading scores with VFWA activation only in the poorest readers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Brem
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Neumuensterallee 9, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - U Maurer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Neumuensterallee 9, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - M Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - M Schurz
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - F Richlan
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - V Blau
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - J Reithler
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - S van der Mark
- MR-Center, University Children's Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - E Schulz
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - K Bucher
- MR-Center, University Children's Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - K Moll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - K Landerl
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - E Martin
- MR-Center, University Children's Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - R Goebel
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - G Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - L Blomert
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - H Wimmer
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - D Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Neumuensterallee 9, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Liu X, Wu Q, Ying K, Li A, Sun Y, Mei L. Functional laterality of the anterior and posterior occipitotemporal cortex is affected by language experience and processing strategy, respectively. Neuropsychologia 2020; 137:107301. [PMID: 31821831 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Both language experience and processing strategy have been found to affect functional lateralization of the ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOT). In this study, we adopted a factorial design to investigate the effects of language experience and processing strategy on functional lateralization of different vOT subregions in the processing of familiar (Chinese characters) and unfamiliar characters (Korean Hangul characters) in logographic writings. The processing strategy was manipulated by using part- and whole-based judgement tasks to induce part- and whole-based processing, respectively. The results showed that language experience enhanced neural responses in the anterior and middle vOT subregions, whereas part-based processing enhanced neural activations in the middle and posterior vOT subregions. More importantly, increased neural activations in the left hemisphere induced by language experience and part-based processing resulted in left laterality of the anterior and posterior vOT subregions, respectively, in the processing of logographic characters. These results suggested that functional lateralization of the anterior and posterior vOT subregions were respectively affected by language experience and processing strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiulan Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangli Ying
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aqian Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Chen L. Education and visual neuroscience: A mini-review. Psych J 2019; 9:524-532. [PMID: 31884725 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscience, especially visual neuroscience, is a burgeoning field that has greatly shaped the format and efficacy of education. Moreover, findings from visual neuroscience are an ongoing source of great progress in pedagogy. In this mini-review, I review existing evidence and areas of active research to describe the fundamental questions and general applications for visual neuroscience as it applies to education. First, I categorize the research questions and future directions for the role of visual neuroscience in education. Second, I juxtapose opposing views on the roles of neuroscience in education and reveal the "neuromyths" propagated under the guise of educational neuroscience. Third, I summarize the policies and practices applied in different countries and for different age ranges. Fourth, I address and discuss the merits of visual neuroscience in art education and of visual perception theories (e.g., those concerned with perceptual organization with respect to space and time) in reading education. I consider how vision-deprived students could benefit from current knowledge of brain plasticity and visual rehabilitation methods involving compensation from other sensory systems. I also consider the potential educational value of instructional methods based on statistical learning in the visual domain. Finally, I outline the accepted translational framework for applying findings from educational neuroscience to pedagogical theory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lihan Chen
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Chen L, Wassermann D, Abrams DA, Kochalka J, Gallardo-Diez G, Menon V. The visual word form area (VWFA) is part of both language and attention circuitry. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5601. [PMID: 31811149 PMCID: PMC6898452 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13634-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
While predominant models of visual word form area (VWFA) function argue for its specific role in decoding written language, other accounts propose a more general role of VWFA in complex visual processing. However, a comprehensive examination of structural and functional VWFA circuits and their relationship to behavior has been missing. Here, using high-resolution multimodal imaging data from a large Human Connectome Project cohort (N = 313), we demonstrate robust patterns of VWFA connectivity with both canonical language and attentional networks. Brain-behavior relationships revealed a striking pattern of double dissociation: structural connectivity of VWFA with lateral temporal language network predicted language, but not visuo-spatial attention abilities, while VWFA connectivity with dorsal fronto-parietal attention network predicted visuo-spatial attention, but not language abilities. Our findings support a multiplex model of VWFA function characterized by distinct circuits for integrating language and attention, and point to connectivity-constrained cognition as a key principle of human brain organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
| | - Demian Wassermann
- Parietal, Inria Saclay Île-de-France, CEA, Université Paris-Sud, 1 Rue Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Daniel A Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA
| | - John Kochalka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA
| | - Guillermo Gallardo-Diez
- Athena Project Team, INRIA Sophia Antipolis-Méditerranée, 06902, Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pleyer M, Hartmann S. Constructing a Consensus on Language Evolution? Convergences and Differences Between Biolinguistic and Usage-Based Approaches. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2537. [PMID: 31803099 PMCID: PMC6868443 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Two of the main theoretical approaches to the evolution of language are biolinguistics and usage-based approaches. Both are often conceptualized as belonging to seemingly irreconcilable "camps." Biolinguistic approaches assume that the ability to acquire language is based on a language-specific genetic foundation. Usage-based approaches, on the other hand, stress the importance of domain-general cognitive capacities, social cognition, and interaction. However, there have been a number of recent developments in both paradigms which suggest that biolinguistic and usage-based approaches are actually moving closer together. For example, theoretical advancements such as evo-devo and complex adaptive system theory have gained traction in the language sciences, leading to changed conceptions of issues like the relative influence of "nature" and "nurture." In this paper, we outline points of convergence between current minimalist biolinguistic and usage-based approaches regarding four contentious issues: (1) modularity and domain specificity; (2) innateness and development; (3) cultural and biological evolution; and (4) knowledge of language and its description. We show that across both paradigms, researchers have come to increasingly embrace more complex views of these issues. They also have come to appreciate the view that biological and cultural evolution are closely intertwined, which lead to an increased amount of common ground between minimalist biolinguistics and usage-based approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pleyer
- English Department, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Stefan Hartmann
- German Department, Chair of German Linguistics, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hervais-Adelman A, Kumar U, Mishra RK, Tripathi VN, Guleria A, Singh JP, Eisner F, Huettig F. Learning to read recycles visual cortical networks without destruction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax0262. [PMID: 31555732 PMCID: PMC6750915 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Learning to read is associated with the appearance of an orthographically sensitive brain region known as the visual word form area. It has been claimed that development of this area proceeds by impinging upon territory otherwise available for the processing of culturally relevant stimuli such as faces and houses. In a large-scale functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a group of individuals of varying degrees of literacy (from completely illiterate to highly literate), we examined cortical responses to orthographic and nonorthographic visual stimuli. We found that literacy enhances responses to other visual input in early visual areas and enhances representational similarity between text and faces, without reducing the extent of response to nonorthographic input. Thus, acquisition of literacy in childhood recycles existing object representation mechanisms but without destructive competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Hervais-Adelman
- Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Neurolinguistics, University of Zürich, Department of Psychology, Binzmühlerstrasse 14, 8050, Zürich, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
| | - Uttam Kumar
- Centre of Biomedical Research, Raibareli Road, Lucknow, 226014 Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ramesh K. Mishra
- University of Hyderabad, Prof. C.R. Rao Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, Telangana, India
| | - Viveka N. Tripathi
- Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, University Road, Old Katra, Prayagraj, 211002 Uttar Pradesh, India
- Department of Psychology, Iswar Saran Degree College, Prayagraj, 211002 Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Anupam Guleria
- Centre of Biomedical Research, Raibareli Road, Lucknow, 226014 Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Jay P. Singh
- Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, University Road, Old Katra, Prayagraj, 211002 Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Frank Eisner
- Donders Institute, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Falk Huettig
- Psychology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Levinson O, Hershey A, Farah R, Horowitz-Kraus T. Altered Functional Connectivity of the Executive Functions Network During a Stroop Task in Children with Reading Difficulties. Brain Connect 2019; 8:516-525. [PMID: 30289278 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2018.0595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with reading difficulties (RDs) often receive related accommodations in schools, such as additional time for examinations and reading aloud written material. Existing data suggest that these readers share challenges in executive functions (EFs). Our study was designed to determine whether children with RDs have specific challenges in EFs and define neurobiological signatures for such difficulties using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Reading and EFs abilities were assessed in 8-12-year-old children with RDs and age-matched typical readers. Functional MRI data were acquired during a Stroop task, and functional connectivity of the EFs defined network was calculated in both groups and related to reading ability. Children with RDs showed lower reading and EFs abilities and demonstrated greater functional connectivity between the EFs network and visual, language, and cognitive control regions during the Stroop task, compared to typical readers. Our results suggest that children with RDs utilize neural circuits supporting EFs more so than do typical readers to perform a cognitive task. These results also provide a neurobiological explanation for the challenges in EFs shared by children with RDs and explain challenges this group shares outside of the reading domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ophir Levinson
- 1 Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Educational Neuroimaging Center , Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alexander Hershey
- 2 Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Rola Farah
- 1 Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Educational Neuroimaging Center , Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- 1 Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Educational Neuroimaging Center , Technion, Haifa, Israel .,2 Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Mellet E, Salagnon M, Majkić A, Cremona S, Joliot M, Jobard G, Mazoyer B, Tzourio Mazoyer N, d'Errico F. Neuroimaging supports the representational nature of the earliest human engravings. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190086. [PMID: 31417715 PMCID: PMC6689598 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The earliest human graphic productions, consisting of abstract patterns engraved on a variety of media, date to the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic. They are associated with anatomically modern and archaic hominins. The nature and significance of these engravings are still under question. To address this issue, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare brain activations triggered by the perception of engraved patterns dating between 540 000 and 30 000 years before the present with those elicited by the perception of scenes, objects, symbol-like characters and written words. The perception of the engravings bilaterally activated regions along the ventral route in a pattern similar to that activated by the perception of objects, suggesting that these graphic productions are processed as organized visual representations in the brain. Moreover, the perception of the engravings led to a leftward activation of the visual word form area. These results support the hypothesis that these engravings have the visual properties of meaningful representations in present-day humans, and could have served such purpose in early modern humans and archaic hominins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E. Mellet
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - M. Salagnon
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - A. Majkić
- PACEA UMR 5199, University Bordeaux, CNRS, Pessac, France
| | - S. Cremona
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - M. Joliot
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - G. Jobard
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - B. Mazoyer
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - N. Tzourio Mazoyer
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Université de Bordeaux, 33000 BordeauxFrance
- CNRS, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CEA, GIN, IMN UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - F. d'Errico
- PACEA UMR 5199, University Bordeaux, CNRS, Pessac, France
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ellenblum G, Purcell JJ, Song X, Rapp B. High-level Integrative Networks: A Resting-state fMRI Investigation of Reading and Spelling. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 31:961-977. [PMID: 30938593 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Orthographic processing skills (reading and spelling) are evolutionarily recent and mastered late in development, providing an opportunity to investigate how the properties of the neural networks supporting skills of this type compare to those supporting evolutionarily older, well-established "reference" networks. Although there has been extensive research using task-based fMRI to study the neural substrates of reading, there has been very little using resting-state fMRI to examine the properties of orthographic networks. In this investigation using resting-state fMRI, we compare the within-network and across-network coherence properties of reading and spelling networks directly to these properties of reference networks, and we also compare the network properties of the key node of the orthographic networks-the visual word form area-to those of the other nodes of the orthographic and reference networks. Consistent with previous results, we find that orthographic processing networks do not exhibit certain basic network coherence properties displayed by other networks. However, we identify novel distinctive properties of the orthographic processing networks and establish that the visual word form area has unusually high levels of connectivity with a broad range of brain areas. These characteristics form the basis of our proposal that orthographic networks represent a class of "high-level integrative networks" with distinctive properties that allow them to recruit and integrate multiple, lower level processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiaowei Song
- Northwestern University.,National Institutes of Health.,University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Horowitz-Kraus T, Hershey A, Kay B, DiFrancesco M. Differential effect of reading training on functional connectivity in children with reading difficulties with and without ADHD comorbidity. JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 2019; 49:93-108. [PMID: 31530970 PMCID: PMC6748395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with reading difficulties (RD) is common in children. However, children with ADHD+RD have a different reading and executive functions (EF) profile than children with RD alone. We compared the effect of an EF-based intervention on neural circuits related to EF in children with RD and those with ADHD+RD. Functional connectivity MRI data from a lexical decision task suggest that the RD-alone group showed greater improvement in EF and reading tests and greater functional connectivity between networks related to both higher-and lower-level visual processing and those related to ventral attention and dorsal attention, as well as semantic processing. Children with ADHD+RD showed greater connectivity between networks related to attention and dorsal attention and those related to visual processing and EF. Results are consistent with the Cognitive Subtype hypothesis and suggest that RD and ADHD+RD, although related behaviourally, are distinct disorders with regard to network response and connectivity during reading and after an EF-based intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and
Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
3333 Burnett Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229
| | - Alexander Hershey
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and
Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
3333 Burnett Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229
| | - Benjamin Kay
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and
Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
3333 Burnett Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229
| | - Mark DiFrancesco
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and
Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
3333 Burnett Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Martin L, Durisko C, Moore MW, Coutanche MN, Chen D, Fiez JA. The VWFA Is the Home of Orthographic Learning When Houses Are Used as Letters. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0425-17.2019. [PMID: 30783613 PMCID: PMC6378324 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0425-17.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to read specializes a portion of the left mid-fusiform cortex for printed word recognition, the putative visual word form area (VWFA). This study examined whether a VWFA specialized for English is sufficiently malleable to support learning a perceptually atypical second writing system. The study utilized an artificial orthography, HouseFont, in which house images represent English phonemes. House images elicit category-biased activation in a spatially distinct brain region, the so-called parahippocampal place area (PPA). Using house images as letters made it possible to test whether the capacity for learning a second writing system involves neural territory that supports reading in the first writing system, or neural territory tuned for the visual features of the new orthography. Twelve human adults completed two weeks of training to establish basic HouseFont reading proficiency and underwent functional neuroimaging pre and post-training. Analysis of three functionally defined regions of interest (ROIs), the VWFA, and left and right PPA, found significant pre-training versus post-training increases in response to HouseFont words only in the VWFA. Analysis of the relationship between the behavioral and neural data found that activation changes from pre-training to post-training within the VWFA predicted HouseFont reading speed. These results demonstrate that learning a new orthography utilizes neural territory previously specialized by the acquisition of a native writing system. Further, they suggest VWFA engagement is driven by orthographic functionality and not the visual characteristics of graphemes, which informs the broader debate about the nature of category-specialized areas in visual association cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lea Martin
- Department of Psychology
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
| | - Corrine Durisko
- Department of Psychology
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Michelle W. Moore
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - Marc N. Coutanche
- Department of Psychology
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Deborah Chen
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
| | - Julie A. Fiez
- Department of Psychology
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Bailey SK, Aboud KS, Nguyen TQ, Cutting LE. Applying a network framework to the neurobiology of reading and dyslexia. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:37. [PMID: 30541433 PMCID: PMC6291929 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9251-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a substantial literature on the neurobiology of reading and dyslexia. Differences are often described in terms of individual regions or individual cognitive processes. However, there is a growing appreciation that the brain areas subserving reading are nested within larger functional systems, and new network analysis methods may provide greater insight into how reading difficulty arises. Yet, relatively few studies have adopted a principled network-based approach (e.g., connectomics) to studying reading. In this study, we combine data from previous reading literature, connectomics studies, and original data to investigate the relationship between network architecture and reading. Methods First, we detailed the distribution of reading-related areas across many resting-state networks using meta-analytic data from NeuroSynth. Then, we tested whether individual differences in modularity, the brain’s tendency to segregate into resting-state networks, are related to reading skill. Finally, we determined whether brain areas that function atypically in dyslexia, as identified by previous meta-analyses, tend to be concentrated in hub regions. Results We found that most resting-state networks contributed to the reading network, including those subserving domain-general cognitive skills such as attention and executive function. There was also a positive relationship between the global modularity of an individual’s brain network and reading skill, with the visual, default mode and cingulo-opercular networks showing the highest correlations. Brain areas implicated in dyslexia were also significantly more likely to have a higher participation coefficient (connect to multiple resting-state networks) than other areas. Conclusions These results contribute to the growing literature on the relationship between reading and brain network architecture. They suggest that an efficient network organization, i.e., one in which brain areas form cohesive resting-state networks, is important for skilled reading, and that dyslexia can be characterized by abnormal functioning of hub regions that map information between multiple systems. Overall, use of a connectomics framework opens up new possibilities for investigating reading difficulty, especially its commonalities across other neurodevelopmental disorders. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s11689-018-9251-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen K Bailey
- Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Katherine S Aboud
- Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tin Q Nguyen
- Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Laurie E Cutting
- Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Guidi LG, Velayos‐Baeza A, Martinez‐Garay I, Monaco AP, Paracchini S, Bishop DVM, Molnár Z. The neuronal migration hypothesis of dyslexia: A critical evaluation 30 years on. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:3212-3233. [PMID: 30218584 PMCID: PMC6282621 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The capacity for language is one of the key features underlying the complexity of human cognition and its evolution. However, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate normal or impaired linguistic ability. For developmental dyslexia, early postmortem studies conducted in the 1980s linked the disorder to subtle defects in the migration of neurons in the developing neocortex. These early studies were reinforced by human genetic analyses that identified dyslexia susceptibility genes and subsequent evidence of their involvement in neuronal migration. In this review, we examine recent experimental evidence that does not support the link between dyslexia and neuronal migration. We critically evaluate gene function studies conducted in rodent models and draw attention to the lack of robust evidence from histopathological and imaging studies in humans. Our review suggests that the neuronal migration hypothesis of dyslexia should be reconsidered, and the neurobiological basis of dyslexia should be approached with a fresh start.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luiz G. Guidi
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Antonio Velayos‐Baeza
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Isabel Martinez‐Garay
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Division of NeuroscienceSchool of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | | | | | | | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Parcellating the structure and function of the reading circuit. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:10542-10544. [PMID: 30275333 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1814648115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
44
|
Linke A, Roach-Fox E, Vriezen E, Prasad AN, Cusack R. Altered activation and functional asymmetry of exner's area but not the visual word form area in a child with sudden-onset, persistent mirror writing. Neuropsychologia 2018; 117:322-331. [PMID: 29870776 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Mirror writing is often produced by healthy children during early acquisition of literacy, and has been observed in adults following neurological disorders or insults. The neural mechanisms responsible for involuntary mirror writing remain debated, but in healthy children, it is typically attributed to the delayed development of a process of overcoming mirror invariance while learning to read and write. We present an unusual case of sudden-onset, persistent mirror writing in a previously typical seven-year-old girl. Using her dominant right hand only, she copied and spontaneously produced all letters, words and sentences, as well as some numbers and objects, in mirror image. Additionally, she frequently misidentified letter orientations in perceptual assessments. Clinical, neuropsychological, and functional neuroimaging studies were carried out over sixteen months. Neurologic and ophthalmologic examinations and a standard clinical MRI scan of the head were normal. Neuropsychological testing revealed average scores on most tests of intellectual function, language function, verbal learning and memory. Visual perception and visual reasoning were average, with the exception of below average form constancy, and mild difficulties on some visual memory tests. Activation and functional connectivity of the reading and writing network was assessed with fMRI. During a reading task, the VWFA showed a strong response to words in mirror but not in normal letter orientation - similar to what has been observed in typically developing children previously - but activation was atypically reduced in right primary visual cortex and Exner's Area. Resting-state connectivity within the reading and writing network was similar to that of age-matched controls, but hemispheric asymmetry between the balance of motor-to-visual input was found for Exner's Area. In summary, this unusual case suggests that a disruption to visual-motor integration rather than to the VWFA can contribute to sudden-onset, persistent mirror writing in the absence of clinically detectable neurological insult.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annika Linke
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7 Canada; San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Roach-Fox
- Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9,Canada
| | - Ellen Vriezen
- Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9,Canada
| | - Asuri Narayan Prasad
- Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9,Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6C 2V5 Canada
| | - Rhodri Cusack
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7 Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6C 2V5 Canada; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Horowitz-Kraus T, Woodburn M, Rajagopal A, Versace AL, Kowatch RA, Bertocci MA, Bebko G, Almeida JRC, Perlman SB, Travis MJ, Gill MK, Bonar L, Schirda C, Diwadkar VA, Sunshine JL, Birmaher B, Axelson D, Gerry Taylor H, Horwitz SM, Frazier T, Eugene Arnold L, Fristad MA, Youngstrom EA, Findling RL, Phillips ML, Holland SK. Decreased functional connectivity in the fronto-parietal network in children with mood disorders compared to children with dyslexia during rest: An fMRI study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:582-590. [PMID: 29845006 PMCID: PMC5964829 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background The DSM-5 separates the diagnostic criteria for mood and behavioral disorders. Both types of disorders share neurocognitive deficits of executive function and reading difficulties in childhood. Children with dyslexia also have executive function deficits, revealing a role of executive function circuitry in reading. The aim of the current study is to determine whether there is a significant relationship of functional connectivity within the fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular cognitive control networks to reading measures for children with mood disorders, behavioral disorders, dyslexia, and healthy controls (HC). Method Behavioral reading measures of phonological awareness, decoding, and orthography were collected. Resting state fMRI data were collected, preprocessed, and then analyzed for functional connectivity. Differences in the reading measures were tested for significance among the groups. Global efficiency (GE) measures were also tested for correlation with reading measures in 40 children with various disorders and 17 HCs. Results Significant differences were found between the four groups on all reading measures. Relative to HCs and children with mood disorders or behavior disorders, children with dyslexia as a primary diagnosis scored significantly lower on all three reading measures. Children with mood disorders scored significantly lower than controls on a test of phonological awareness. Phonological awareness deficits correlated with reduced resting state functional connectivity MRI (rsfcMRI) in the cingulo-opercular network for children with dyslexia. A significant difference was also found in fronto-parietal global efficiency in children with mood disorders relative to the other three groups. We also found a significant difference in cingulo-opercular global efficiency in children with mood disorders relative to the Dyslexia and Control groups. However, none of these differences correlate significantly with reading measures. Conclusions/significance Reading difficulties involve abnormalities in different cognitive control networks in children with dyslexia compared to children with mood disorders. Findings of the current study suggest increased functional connectivity of one cognitive control network may compensate for reduced functional connectivity in the other network in children with mood disorders. These findings provide guidance to clinical professionals for design of interventions tailored for children suffering from reading difficulties originating from different pathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, United States; Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Israel.
| | - Mackenzie Woodburn
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Akila Rajagopal
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Amelia L Versace
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Robert A Kowatch
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, United States
| | - Michele A Bertocci
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Genna Bebko
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Jorge R C Almeida
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Susan B Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Michael J Travis
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Mary Kay Gill
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Lisa Bonar
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Claudiu Schirda
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University, United States
| | - Jeffrey L Sunshine
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Boris Birmaher
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - David Axelson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, United States
| | - H Gerry Taylor
- University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, United States
| | - Sarah M Horwitz
- Department of Child Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Thomas Frazier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, United States
| | - L Eugene Arnold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, United States
| | - Mary A Fristad
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, United States
| | - Eric A Youngstrom
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Robert L Findling
- University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, United States
| | - Mary L Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Scott K Holland
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, United States
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Horowitz-Kraus T, Hutton JS. Brain connectivity in children is increased by the time they spend reading books and decreased by the length of exposure to screen-based media. Acta Paediatr 2018; 107:685-693. [PMID: 29215151 DOI: 10.1111/apa.14176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study compared the time spent using screen-based media or reading on the functional connectivity of the reading-related brain regions in children aged 8-12. METHODS We recruited 19 healthy American children from a private school in Cincinnati, USA, in 2015-6 after advertising the study to parents. The parents completed surveys on how many hours their children spent on independent reading and screen-based media time, including smartphones, tablets, desktop or laptop computers and television. The children underwent magnetic resonance imaging that assessed their resting-state connectivity between the left visual word form area, as the seed area, and other brain regions, with screen time and reading time applied as predictors. RESULTS Time spent reading was positively correlated with higher functional connectivity between the seed area and left-sided language, visual and cognitive control regions. In contrast, screen time was related to lower connectivity between the seed area and regions related to language and cognitive control. CONCLUSION Screen time and time spent reading showed different effects on functional connectivity between the visual word form area and language, visual and cognitive control regions of the brain. These findings underscore the importance of children reading to support healthy brain development and literacy and limiting screen time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Faculty of Education in Science and Technology; Educational Neuroimaging Center; Technion Israel
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH USA
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH USA
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH USA
| | - John S. Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH USA
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Dietz A, Vannest J, Maloney T, Altaye M, Holland S, Szaflarski JP. The feasibility of improving discourse in people with aphasia through AAC: Clinical and functional MRI correlates. APHASIOLOGY 2018; 32:693-719. [PMID: 32999522 PMCID: PMC7523709 DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2018.1447641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to examine the feasibility of providing high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) treatment to people with chronic aphasia, with the goal of evoking changes in spoken language; and (2) to identify evidence of AAC-induced changes in brain activation. METHOD & PROCEDURES We employed a pre- post-treatment design with a control (usual care) group to observe the impact of an AAC treatment on aphasia severity and spoken discourse. Further, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine associated neural reorganization. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Compared to the usual care group, the AAC intervention trended toward larger treatment effects and resulted in a higher number of responders on behavioral outcomes. Both groups demonstrated a trend toward greater leftward lateralization of language functions via fMRI. Secondary analyses of responders to treatment revealed increased activation in visual processing regions, primarily for the AAC group. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary guidance regarding how to implement AAC treatment in a manner that simultaneously facilitates language recovery across a variety of aphasia types and severity levels while compensating for residual deficits in people with chronic aphasia. Further, this work motivates continued efforts to unveil the role of AAC-based interventions in the aphasia recovery process and provides insight regarding the neurobiological mechanisms supporting AAC-induced language changes.
Collapse
|
48
|
Hermes D, Rangarajan V, Foster BL, King JR, Kasikci I, Miller KJ, Parvizi J. Electrophysiological Responses in the Ventral Temporal Cortex During Reading of Numerals and Calculation. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:567-575. [PMID: 26503267 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that specific neuronal populations in the ventral temporal cortex show larger electrophysiological responses to visual numerals compared with morphologically similar stimuli. This study investigates how these responses change from simple reading of numerals to the active use of numerals in an arithmetic context. We recorded high-frequency broadband (HFB) signals, a reliable measure for local neuronal population activity, while 10 epilepsy patients implanted with subdural electrodes performed separate numeral reading and calculation tasks. We found that calculation increased activity in the posterior inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) with a factor of approximately 1.5 over the first 500 ms of calculation, whereas no such increase was noted for reading numerals without calculation or reading and judging memory statements. In a second experiment conducted in 2 of the same subjects, we show that HFB responses increase in a systematic manner when the single numerals were presented successively in a calculation context: The HFB response in the ITG, to the second and third numerals (i.e., b and c in a + b = c), was approximately 1.5 times larger than the responses to the first numeral (a). These results provide electrophysiological evidence for modulation of local neuronal population responses to visual stimuli based on increasing task demands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dora Hermes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program (SHICEP), Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences.,Department of Psychology
| | - Vinitha Rangarajan
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program (SHICEP), Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences
| | - Brett L Foster
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program (SHICEP), Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences.,Department of Psychology
| | - Jean-Remi King
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institute National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U992, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Itir Kasikci
- Neuroscience PhD Program, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kai J Miller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Josef Parvizi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program (SHICEP), Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Battista C, Evans TM, Ngoon TJ, Chen T, Chen L, Kochalka J, Menon V. Mechanisms of interactive specialization and emergence of functional brain circuits supporting cognitive development in children. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2018; 3:1. [PMID: 30631462 PMCID: PMC6220196 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-017-0017-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive development is thought to depend on the refinement and specialization of functional circuits over time, yet little is known about how this process unfolds over the course of childhood. Here we investigated growth trajectories of functional brain circuits and tested an interactive specialization model of neurocognitive development which posits that the refinement of task-related functional networks is driven by a shared history of co-activation between cortical regions. We tested this model in a longitudinal cohort of 30 children with behavioral and task-related functional brain imaging data at multiple time points spanning childhood and adolescence, focusing on the maturation of parietal circuits associated with numerical problem solving and learning. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed selective strengthening as well as weakening of functional brain circuits. Connectivity between parietal and prefrontal cortex decreased over time, while connectivity within posterior brain regions, including intra-hemispheric and inter-hemispheric parietal connectivity, as well as parietal connectivity with ventral temporal occipital cortex regions implicated in quantity manipulation and numerical symbol recognition, increased over time. Our study provides insights into the longitudinal maturation of functional circuits in the human brain and the mechanisms by which interactive specialization shapes children's cognitive development and learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Battista
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Tanya M. Evans
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Tricia J. Ngoon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Tianwen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - John Kochalka
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Neurocomputational Emergentism as a Framework for Language Development. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
|