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Hahne A, Vavatzanidis NK, Zahnert T. [The EEG N400 component as a marker of language acquisition and processing in cochlear implant users]. Laryngorhinootologie 2024; 103:252-260. [PMID: 38565108 DOI: 10.1055/a-2246-2494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Language processing can be measured objectively using late components in the evoked brain potential. The most established component in this area of research is the N400 component, a negativity that peaks at about 400 ms after stimulus onset with a centro-parietal maximum. It reflects semantic processing. Its presence, as well as its temporal and quantitative expression, allows to conclude about the quality of processing. It is therefore suitable for measuring speech comprehension in special populations, such as cochlear implant (CI) users. The following is an overview of the use of the N400 component as a tool for studying language processes in CI users. We present studies with adult CI users, where the N400 reflects the quality of speech comprehension with the new hearing device and we present studies with children where the emergence of the N400 component reflects the acquisition of their very first vocabulary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Hahne
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-, Nasen-, und Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Sächsisches Cochlear Implant Centrum, Universitätsklinikum Dresden, Dresden, Deutschland
| | - Niki K Vavatzanidis
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-, Nasen-, und Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Sächsisches Cochlear Implant Centrum, Universitätsklinikum Dresden, Dresden, Deutschland
| | - Thomas Zahnert
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-, Nasen-, und Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Sächsisches Cochlear Implant Centrum, Universitätsklinikum Dresden, Dresden, Deutschland
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Deshpande P, Brandt C, Debener S, Neher T. Does experience with hearing aid amplification influence electrophysiological measures of speech comprehension? Int J Audiol 2023:1-10. [PMID: 38010629 DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2023.2284675] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore if experience with hearing aid (HA) amplification affects speech-evoked cortical potentials reflecting comprehension abilities. DESIGN N400 and late positive complex (LPC) responses as well as behavioural response times to congruent and incongruent digit triplets were measured. The digits were presented against stationary speech-shaped noise 10 dB above individually measured speech recognition thresholds. Stimulus presentation was either acoustic (digits 1-3) or first visual (digits 1-2) and then acoustic (digit 3). STUDY SAMPLE Three groups of older participants (N = 3 × 15) with (1) pure-tone average hearing thresholds <25 dB HL from 500-4000 Hz, (2) mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) but no prior HA experience, and (3) mild-to-moderate SNHL and >2 years of HA experience. Groups 2-3 were fitted with test devices in accordance with clinical gain targets. RESULTS No group differences were found in the electrophysiological data. N400 amplitudes were larger and LPC latencies shorter with acoustic presentation. For group 1, behavioural response times were shorter with visual-then-acoustic presentation. CONCLUSION When speech audibility is ensured, comprehension-related electrophysiological responses appear intact in individuals with mild-to-moderate SNHL, regardless of prior experience with amplified sound. Further research into the effects of audibility versus acclimatisation-related neurophysiological changes is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pushkar Deshpande
- Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit for ORL - Head & Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense University Hospital & University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Christian Brandt
- Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit for ORL - Head & Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense University Hospital & University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Stefan Debener
- Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Neher
- Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit for ORL - Head & Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense University Hospital & University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Kallioinen P, Olofsson JK, von Mentzer CN. Semantic processing in children with Cochlear Implants: A review of current N400 studies and recommendations for future research. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108655. [PMID: 37541539 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108655] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Deaf and hard of hearing children with cochlear implants (CI) often display impaired spoken language skills. While a large number of studies investigated brain responses to sounds in this population, relatively few focused on semantic processing. Here we summarize and discuss findings in four studies of the N400, a cortical response that reflects semantic processing, in children with CI. A study with auditory target stimuli found N400 effects at delayed latencies at 12 months after implantation, but at 18 and 24 months after implantation effects had typical latencies. In studies with visual target stimuli N400 effects were larger than or similar to controls in children with CI, despite lower semantic abilities. We propose that in children with CI, the observed large N400 effect reflects a stronger reliance on top-down predictions, relative to bottom-up language processing. Recent behavioral studies of children and adults with CI suggest that top-down processing is a common compensatory strategy, but with distinct limitations such as being effortful. A majority of the studies have small sample sizes (N < 20), and only responses to image targets were studied repeatedly in similar paradigms. This precludes strong conclusions. We give suggestions for future research and ways to overcome the scarcity of participants, including extending research to children with conventional hearing aids, an understudied group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petter Kallioinen
- Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Lund University Cognitive Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Jonas K Olofsson
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Phan L, Tariq A, Lam G, Mirza M, Paiva D, Lazic M, Emami Z, Anagnostou E, Gordon KA, Pang EW. Children with autism spectrum disorder who demonstrate normal language scores use a bottom-up semantic processing strategy: Evidence from N400 recordings. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3158. [PMID: 37475679 PMCID: PMC10498076 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The N400 is an electrophysiological component that reflects lexical access and integration of words with mental representations. METHODS Thirty-five young children with a range of language capabilities (n = 21 neurotypical controls, 10 males, mean age = 6.3 ± 0.9 years; n = 14 children with autism, 12 males, mean age = 6.4 ± 1.1 years) completed an auditory semantic categorization paradigm to evoke the N400. Electroencephalograph (EEG) data were acquired with a 64-channel electrode cap as children listened via ear inserts to binaurally presented single syllable words and decided whether the words were congruent (in) or incongruent (out) with a pre-specified category. EEG data were filtered, epoched, and averaged referenced, and global field power (GFP) was computed. The amplitude of the N400 peak in the GFP was submitted to a multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS N400 amplitude was found to predict language scores only for the children with ASD who have language scores in the normal range (r2 = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS This finding that N400 amplitude only predicted language scores in children with ASD and normal language scores suggests that these children may rely more on basic semantic processing (as reflected by the N400) and less on anticipating and predicting upcoming words. This suggests preferential utilization of a bottom-up strategy to access higher order language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Phan
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Alina Tariq
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Garbo Lam
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of British ColumbiaPsychologyVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Maaz Mirza
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Dylan Paiva
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Milan Lazic
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Zahra Emami
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation HospitalEast YorkOntarioCanada
| | - Karen A. Gordon
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth W. Pang
- SickKids Research InstituteTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of TorontoDepartment of PaediatricsTorontoOntarioCanada
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
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Li M, Lu Y, Zhou X. The involvement of the semantic neural network in rule identification of mathematical processing. Cortex 2023; 164:11-20. [PMID: 37148824 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.03.010] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The role of the visuospatial network in mathematical processing has been established, but the involvement of the semantic network in mathematical processing is still poorly understood. The current study utilized a number series completion paradigm with the event-related potential (ERP) technique to examine whether the semantic network supports mathematical processing and to find the corresponding spatiotemporal neural marker. In total, 32 right-handed undergraduate students were recruited and asked to complete the number series completion as well as the arithmetical computation task in which numbers were presented in sequence. The event-related potential and multi-voxel pattern analysis showed that the rule identification process involves more semantic processing when compared with the arithmetical computation processes, and it elicited higher amplitudes for the late negative component (LNC) in left frontal and temporal lobes. These results demonstrated that the semantic network supports the rule identification in mathematical processing, with the LNC acting as the neural marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research Association for Brain and Mathematical Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yujie Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research Association for Brain and Mathematical Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research Association for Brain and Mathematical Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Haumann NT, Petersen B, Friis Andersen AS, Faulkner KF, Brattico E, Vuust P. Mismatch negativity as a marker of music perception in individual cochlear implant users: A spike density component analysis study. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 148:76-92. [PMID: 36822119 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ninety percent of cochlear implant (CI) users are interested in improving their music perception. However, only few objective behavioral and neurophysiological tests have been developed for tracing the development of music discrimination skills in CI users. In this study, we aimed to obtain an accurate individual mismatch negativity (MMN) marker that could predict behavioral auditory discrimination thresholds. METHODS We measured the individual MMN response to four magnitudes of deviations in four different musical features (intensity, pitch, timbre, and rhythm) in a rare sample of experienced CI users and a control sample of normally hearing participants. We applied a recently developed spike density component analysis (SCA), which can suppress confounding alpha waves, and contrasted it with previously proposed methods. RESULTS Statistically detected individual MMN predicted attentive sound discrimination ability with high accuracy: for CI users 89.2% (278/312 cases) and for controls 90.5% (384/424 cases). As expected, MMN was detected for fewer CI users when the sound deviants were of smaller magnitude. CONCLUSIONS The findings support the use of MMN responses in individual CI users as a diagnostic tool for testing music perception. SIGNIFICANCE For CI users, the new SCA method provided more accurate and replicable diagnostic detections than preceding state-of-the-art.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Trusbak Haumann
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Bjørn Petersen
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anne Sofie Friis Andersen
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Elvira Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Shao J, Xue C. Inhibition Effect of Audio-Visual Semantic Interference in Chinese Interface: An ERP Study of Concrete Icons and Chinese Characters. INT J PATTERN RECOGN 2021. [DOI: 10.1142/s0218001421590382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In this study, event-related potential (ERP) was used to examine whether the brain has an inhibition effect on the interference of audio-visual information in the Chinese interface. Concrete icons (flame and snowflake) or Chinese characters (暖 and 凉) with opposite semantics were used as target carriers, and colors (red and blue) and speeches (热 and 冷) were used as audio-visual intervention stimuli. In the experiment, target carrier and audio-visual intervention were presented in a random combination, and the subjects needed to determine whether the semantics of the two matched quickly. By comparing the overall cognitive performance of two carriers, it was found that the brain had a more significant inhibition effect on audio-visual intervention stimuli with different semantics (SBH/LBH and SRC/LRC) relative to the same semantics (SRH/LRH). The semantic mismatch caused significant N400, indicating that semantic interference in the interface information would trigger the brain’s inhibition effect. Therefore, the more complex the semantic matching of interface information was, the higher the amplitude of N400 became. The results confirmed that the semantic relationship between target carrier and audio-visual intervention was the key factor affecting the cognitive inhibition effect. Moreover, under different intervention stimuli, the ERP’s negative activity caused by Chinese characters in frontal and parietal-occipital regions was more evident than that by concrete icons, indicating that concrete icons had a lower inhibition effect than Chinese characters. Therefore, we considered that this inhibition effect was based on the semantic constraints of the target carrier itself, which might come from the knowledge learning and intuitive experience stored in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junkai Shao
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
| | - Chengqi Xue
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
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Pierotti E, Coffey-Corina S, Schaefer T, Corina DP. Semantic word integration in children with cochlear implants: Electrophysiological evidence. LANGUAGE, COGNITION AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 37:224-240. [PMID: 35187189 PMCID: PMC8849536 DOI: 10.1080/23273798.2021.1957954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Differential auditory experiences of children with hearing-loss who receive cochlear implants (CIs) may influence the integration of lexical and conceptual information. Here we measured event-related potentials during a word-picture priming task in CI-using children (n = 29, mean age = 81 months) and typically-hearing children (n = 19, mean age = 75 months) while they viewed audiovisual-word primes and picture targets that were semantically congruent or incongruent. In both groups, semantic relatedness modulated ERP amplitude 300-500ms after picture onset, signifying an N400 semantic effect. Critically, the CI-using children's responses to unrelated pairs were significantly more negative than hearing children's responses. Group differences were mirrored in an earlier 150-275ms time window associated with a P2 response. The present findings suggest attentional and/or strategic differences impact semantic processing and contribute to the N400 differences observed between groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Pierotti
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA
| | | | - Tristan Schaefer
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - David P. Corina
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Davis, CA
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Engström E, Kallioinen P, Nakeva von Mentzer C, Lindgren M, Sahlén B, Lyxell B, Ors M, Uhlén I. Auditory event-related potentials and mismatch negativity in children with hearing loss using hearing aids or cochlear implants - A three-year follow-up study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 140:110519. [PMID: 33268013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primary aim was to examine how event-related potentials (ERPs) and mismatch negativity (MMN) change and develop over time among children with hearing loss (HL) using hearing aids (HAs) or cochlear implants (CIs). Children with normal hearing (NH) were tested as a reference group. METHODS This three-year follow-up study included 13 children with sensorineural HL (SNHL); 7 children using bilateral HAs and 6 children using CIs; and 10 children with NH as a reference group. ERPs were recorded at baseline and after three years. At time for the original study the children were approximately 5-8 years old and at the follow-up study 8-11 years old. ERP recordings and data processing were identical in both sessions. A standard stimulus alternated with five different deviants (gap, intensity, pitch, location and duration), presented in a pseudorandom sequence, thus following the multi-feature paradigm, Optimum-1. MMN was calculated from the average ERP of each deviant minus the standard stimuli. Repeated measures ANOVA was used for the statistical analyses and the results were based on samples within a specific time interval; 80-224 ms. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in the obligatory responses between the NH and HA groups at baseline, but this difference disappeared after three years in our follow-up study. The children with HA also showed a significant difference in mean ERP at baseline compared to follow-up, and significant differences between the deviants at follow-up but not at baseline. This suggests an improvement over time among the children with HAs. On the other hand, the children with CIs did not differ from the NH children at baseline, but after three years their mean ERP was significantly lower compared to both the children with HA and NH, indicating a reduced development of the central auditory system in this age span among the children with CIs. Regarding MMN, there was an interaction between the duration deviant and time for the children with HA, also indicating a possible improvement over time among the HA children. CONCLUSIONS This three-year follow-up study shows neurophysiological differences between children with HL and children with NH. The results suggest a delay in the central auditory processing among the HA children compared to children with NH, but a possible catch-up, over time, and this potential may be worth to be utilized. Regarding the CI children, similar improvement in this age span is missing, meaning there are differences between the subgroups of children with HL, i.e. the children with HAs vs. CIs. The results highlight the importance of distinguishing between subgroups of children with HL in further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Engström
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Otoneurology, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Petter Kallioinen
- Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Magnus Lindgren
- Cognition, Communication & Learning, Lund University, 221 00, Lund, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Lund University, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Sahlén
- Cognition, Communication & Learning, Lund University, 221 00, Lund, Sweden; Lund University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Logopedics, Phoniatrics & Audiology, Lasarettsgatan 21, 22185, Lund, Sweden
| | - Björn Lyxell
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marianne Ors
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Skåne University Hospit, 221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | - Inger Uhlén
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Otoneurology, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
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Krebs J, Malaia E, Wilbur RB, Roehm D. Psycholinguistic mechanisms of classifier processing in sign language. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 2020; 47:998-1011. [PMID: 33211523 DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Nonsigners viewing sign language are sometimes able to guess the meaning of signs by relying on the overt connection between form and meaning, or iconicity (cf. Ortega, Özyürek, & Peeters, 2020; Strickland et al., 2015). One word class in sign languages that appears to be highly iconic is classifiers: verb-like signs that can refer to location change or handling. Classifier use and meaning are governed by linguistic rules, yet in comparison with lexical verb signs, classifiers are highly variable in their morpho-phonology (variety of potential handshapes and motion direction within the sign). These open-class linguistic items in sign languages prompt a question about the mechanisms of their processing: Are they part of a gestural-semiotic system (processed like the gestures of nonsigners), or are they processed as linguistic verbs? To examine the psychological mechanisms of classifier comprehension, we recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) activity of signers who watched videos of signed sentences with classifiers. We manipulated the sentence word order of the stimuli (subject-object-verb [SOV] vs. object-subject-verb [OSV]), contrasting the two conditions, which, according to different processing hypotheses, should incur increased processing costs for OSV orders. As previously reported for lexical signs, we observed an N400 effect for OSV compared with SOV, reflecting increased cognitive load for linguistic processing. These findings support the hypothesis that classifiers are a linguistic part of speech in sign language, extending the current understanding of processing mechanisms at the interface of linguistic form and meaning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Krebs
- Research Group Neurobiology of Language, Department of Linguistics, University of Salzburg
| | - Evie Malaia
- Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Alabama
| | | | - Dietmar Roehm
- Research Group Neurobiology of Language, Department of Linguistics, University of Salzburg
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Kessler M, Schierholz I, Mamach M, Wilke F, Hahne A, Büchner A, Geworski L, Bengel FM, Sandmann P, Berding G. Combined Brain-Perfusion SPECT and EEG Measurements Suggest Distinct Strategies for Speech Comprehension in CI Users With Higher and Lower Performance. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:787. [PMID: 32848560 PMCID: PMC7431776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cochlear implantation constitutes a successful therapy of inner ear deafness, with the majority of patients showing good outcomes. There is, however, still some unexplained variability in outcomes with a number of cochlear-implant (CI) users, showing major limitations in speech comprehension. The current study used a multimodal diagnostic approach combining single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the mechanisms underlying speech processing in postlingually deafened CI users (N = 21). In one session, the participants performed a speech discrimination task, during which a 96-channel EEG was recorded and the perfusions marker 99mTc-HMPAO was injected intravenously. The SPECT scan was acquired 1.5 h after injection to measure the cortical activity during the speech task. The second session included a SPECT scan after injection without stimulation at rest. Analysis of EEG and SPECT data showed N400 and P600 event-related potentials (ERPs) particularly evoked by semantic violations in the sentences, and enhanced perfusion in a temporo-frontal network during task compared to rest, involving the auditory cortex bilaterally and Broca's area. Moreover, higher performance in testing for word recognition and verbal intelligence strongly correlated to the activation in this network during the speech task. However, comparing CI users with lower and higher speech intelligibility [median split with cutoff + 7.6 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the Göttinger sentence test] revealed for CI users with higher performance additional activations of parietal and occipital regions and for those with lower performance stronger activation of superior frontal areas. Furthermore, SPECT activity was tightly coupled with EEG and cognitive abilities, as indicated by correlations between (1) cortical activation and the amplitudes in EEG, N400 (temporal and occipital areas)/P600 (parietal and occipital areas) and (2) between cortical activation in left-sided temporal and bilateral occipital/parietal areas and working memory capacity. These results suggest the recruitment of a temporo-frontal network in CI users during speech processing and a close connection between ERP effects and cortical activation in CI users. The observed differences in speech-evoked cortical activation patterns for CI users with higher and lower speech intelligibility suggest distinct processing strategies during speech rehabilitation with CI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella Kessler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Irina Schierholz
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Mamach
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Florian Wilke
- Department of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Anja Hahne
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Saxonian Cochlear Implant Center, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Büchner
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Lilli Geworski
- Department of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Frank M. Bengel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Pascale Sandmann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Georg Berding
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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12
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Crowe K, Marschark M. Are French Fries a Vegetable? Lexical Typicality Judgement Differences in Deaf and Hearing Learners. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2019; 48:1319-1338. [PMID: 31399872 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-019-09660-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) learners are known to have vocabulary knowledge and language outcomes more heterogeneous than their hearing peers, with a greater incidence of difficulties presumably related (both as cause and effect) to documented challenges in academic domains. In particular, there is increasing evidence that differences may exist in the ways that semantic networks are structured and accessed in DHH and hearing learners. Individuals' judgments of word typicality offers a window into their semantic networks, revealing internal relationships in the mental lexicon. In the present study, 90 DHH and hearing college-aged learners provided typicality ratings at two points in time for 120 words common words considered to be central, borderline, or non-members of six categories. DHH and hearing participants differed in terms of their word knowledge, rating consistency, and rating magnitudes. Relative to hearing peers, DHH participants reported not knowing more of the words, but rated all words as being more typical than did hearing participants and rated the typicality of items more consistently over time. Implications of these findings for understanding mental lexicon structure for DHH and hearing learners, interpreting previous research, and constructing stimuli for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Crowe
- University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW, 2795, Australia.
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, USA.
| | - Marc Marschark
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, USA
- University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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13
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Bell N, Angwin AJ, Arnott WL, Wilson WJ. Semantic processing in children with cochlear implants: Evidence from event-related potentials. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2019; 41:576-590. [PMID: 30919737 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2019.1592119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Existing research has shown that children with significant hearing loss who use cochlear implants (CIs) perform worse than their hearing peers on behavioral measures of spoken language. The present study sought to examine how children with CIs process lexical-semantic incongruence, as indexed by electrophysiological evidence of the N400 effect. Method: Twelve children with CIs, aged between 6 and 9 years, participated in a spoken word-picture matching task while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. To determine whether the N400 effect elicited in this group deviated from normal, independent samples t tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to compare the results of children with CIs against those of a similarly aged typically hearing (TH) group (n = 30). Correlational analyses were also conducted within each group to gauge the degree to which the N400 effect related to behavioral measures of spoken language. Results: An N400 effect was elicited in both groups of CI and TH children. The amplitude and latency of the N400 effect did not differ significantly between groups. Despite the similarity in ERP responses, children with CIs scored significantly lower on behavioral measures of spoken word- and sentence-level comprehension. No significant correlations between ERP and behavioral measures were found, although there was a trending relationship between sentence-level spoken language comprehension and the TH group's N400 effect mean amplitude (p = .060). Conclusions: The results suggest that, at a neural level, children with CIs can process lexical-semantic incongruence, and that other underlying processes not measured by the N400 effect contribute to this population's spoken language difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Bell
- a School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia
| | - Anthony J Angwin
- a School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia
| | - Wendy L Arnott
- a School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia.,b Research and Innovation , Hear and Say Centre , Ashgrove , QLD , Australia
| | - Wayne J Wilson
- a School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia
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14
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Walker EA, Redfern A, Oleson JJ. Linear Mixed-Model Analysis to Examine Longitudinal Trajectories in Vocabulary Depth and Breadth in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:525-542. [PMID: 30950738 PMCID: PMC6802902 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-astm-18-0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Children who are hard of hearing (CHH) tend to have reduced vocabularies compared to children with normal hearing (CNH). Prior research on vocabulary skills in children with hearing loss has focused primarily on their breadth of knowledge (how many words are known). Depth of vocabulary knowledge (how well words are known) is not well documented for CHH. The current study used linear mixed models (LMMs) to investigate growth trajectories of vocabulary depth and breadth in CHH relative to age-matched CNH. Method Participants for this study included 155 children (93 CHH, 62 CNH) enrolled in a longitudinal study. Examiners administered a standardized measure of vocabulary knowledge at ages 7, 8, and 9 years. We constructed multiple LMMs with fixed effects for group and age. The models included various combinations of random intercepts for subject and item and random slope for age. Results For depth, CHH showed significant and stable deficits compared to CNH over time. For breadth, CNH showed greater vocabulary breadth, but the group differences diminished with age. For CHH, higher aided audibility, age, and maternal educational level were associated with greater vocabulary breadth and depth. Age at hearing aid fitting was not. Conclusions A major advantage of using LMM is that it allowed us to cope with missing data points while still accounting for variability within and across participants. Assessment of both vocabulary breadth and depth may be useful in identifying school-age CHH who are at risk of delays in language outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Walker
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Alexandra Redfern
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Jacob J. Oleson
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City
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15
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Engström E, Kallioinen P, Nakeva von Mentzer C, Lindgren M, Ors M, Sahlén B, Lyxell B, Uhlén I. Computer-assisted reading intervention for children with sensorineural hearing loss using hearing aids: Effects on auditory event-related potentials and mismatch negativity. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019; 117:17-25. [PMID: 30579075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primary aim was to investigate whether computer-assisted reading intervention somehow can affect event-related potentials (ERP) and mismatch negativity (MMN) in hearing impaired (HI) children with hearing aids (HAs) and normal hearing (NH) children. METHODS The study included 15 HI children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) using bilateral HAs and 14 NH children as a reference group; all children between the ages of 5 and 8. A multi-feature MMN-paradigm, Optimum-1, with a standard stimulus alternating with 5 different deviants was used. ERPs were recorded pre and post intervention, i.e. one month of repeatedly computer-assisted training (GraphoGame). MMN was calculated from the average ERP of each deviant minus standard. Data were based on samples within a specific time interval, 80-224 ms, and repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze possible interactions. RESULTS There was a significant difference between groups before training, though, the mean obligatory responses or MMN was not statistically significantly different before versus after training, neither among the NH nor the HI children. Further, the HI children did generally achieve lower levels in GraphoGame compared to the NH children. Altogether, our findings indicate differences between the groups and that training may affect the neurophysiological processing in the brain, gaining the HI children. Both MMN and positive mismatch response (pMMR) were seen among both the HA and NH children, irrespective to deviant type. Individually, changes of the MMN and pMMR after training seem unpredictable. CONCLUSION There are statistically significant differences in both the obligatory responses in ERP and the MMNs between the NH and HI groups before the computer-assisted training. Though, these differences disappear after the intervention. This suggests possible training effects regarding the central auditory processing among the HI children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Engström
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Otoneurology, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Petter Kallioinen
- Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Cecilia Nakeva von Mentzer
- Department of Behavorial Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Magnus Lindgren
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; Cognition, Communication & Learning, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Marianne Ors
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Skåne University Hospital, 221 85 Lund, Sweden; Cognition, Communication & Learning, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Birgitta Sahlén
- Lund University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Logopedics, Phoniatrics & Audiology, Lasarettsgatan 21, 22 185 Lund, Sweden; Cognition, Communication & Learning, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Björn Lyxell
- Department of Behavorial Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Inger Uhlén
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Otoneurology, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
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16
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Vavatzanidis NK, Mürbe D, Friederici AD, Hahne A. Establishing a mental lexicon with cochlear implants: an ERP study with young children. Sci Rep 2018; 8:910. [PMID: 29343736 PMCID: PMC5772553 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18852-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study we explore the implications of acquiring language when relying mainly or exclusively on input from a cochlear implant (CI), a device providing auditory input to otherwise deaf individuals. We focus on the time course of semantic learning in children within the second year of implant use; a period that equals the auditory age of normal hearing children during which vocabulary emerges and extends dramatically. 32 young bilaterally implanted children saw pictures paired with either matching or non-matching auditory words. Their electroencephalographic responses were recorded after 12, 18 and 24 months of implant use, revealing a large dichotomy: Some children failed to show semantic processing throughout their second year of CI use, which fell in line with their poor language outcomes. The majority of children, though, demonstrated semantic processing in form of the so-called N400 effect already after 12 months of implant use, even when their language experience relied exclusively on the implant. This is slightly earlier than observed for normal hearing children of the same auditory age, suggesting that more mature cognitive faculties at the beginning of language acquisition lead to faster semantic learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki K Vavatzanidis
- Max Planck Institute for Human and Cognitive Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. .,Saxonian Cochlear Implant Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Dirk Mürbe
- Saxonian Cochlear Implant Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Angela D Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human and Cognitive Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Hahne
- Saxonian Cochlear Implant Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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17
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Attenuation of temporal correlations of neuronal oscillations in patients with mild spastic diplegia. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14966. [PMID: 29097718 PMCID: PMC5668314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14879-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal correlations of neuronal oscillations in patients with mild spastic diplegia (MSD). Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from 15 male adolescent and young adult patients with MSD and 15 healthy controls. We characterized the temporal correlations of neuronal oscillations, both on long temporal scale (i.e., >1 second) and short-to-intermediate temporal scale (i.e., <≈1 second) using detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and an analysis of the life- and waiting-time statistics of oscillation bursts respectively. The DFA exponents at alpha and beta bands, the life-time biomarker of alpha oscillation, and the life- and waiting-time biomarkers of beta oscillation were significantly attenuated in the patients compared with controls. Moreover, altered scalp distributions of some temporal correlation measures were found at alpha and beta bands in these patients. All these findings suggest that MSD is associated with highly volatile neuronal states of alpha and beta oscillations on short-to-intermediate and much longer time scales, which may be related to cognitive dysfunction in patients with MSD.
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