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Cathcart CA. Multiple evolutionary pressures shape identical consonant avoidance in the world's languages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316677121. [PMID: 38917001 PMCID: PMC11228491 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316677121] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Languages disfavor word forms containing sequences of similar or identical consonants, due to the biomechanical and cognitive difficulties posed by patterns of this sort. However, the specific evolutionary processes responsible for this phenomenon are not fully understood. Words containing sequences of identical consonants may be more likely to arise than those without; processes of word form mutation may be more likely to remove than create sequences of identical consonants in word forms; finally, words containing identical consonants may die out more frequently than those without. Phylogenetic analyses of the evolution of homologous word forms indicate that words with identical consonants arise less frequently than those without. However, words with identical consonants do not die out more frequently than those without. Further analyses reveal that forms with identical consonants are replaced in basic meaning functions more frequently than words without. Taken together, results suggest that the underrepresentation of sequences of identical consonants is overwhelmingly a by-product of constraints on word form coinage, though processes related to word usage also serve to ensure that such patterns are infrequent in more salient vocabulary items. These findings clarify aspects of processes of lexical evolution and competition that take place during language change, optimizing communicative systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chundra A Cathcart
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zürich CH-8050, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution, University of Zurich, Zürich CH-8050, Switzerland
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Center "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
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Alty J, Goldberg LR, Roccati E, Lawler K, Bai Q, Huang G, Bindoff AD, Li R, Wang X, St George RJ, Rudd K, Bartlett L, Collins JM, Aiyede M, Fernando N, Bhagwat A, Giffard J, Salmon K, McDonald S, King AE, Vickers JC. Development of a smartphone screening test for preclinical Alzheimer's disease and validation across the dementia continuum. BMC Neurol 2024; 24:127. [PMID: 38627686 PMCID: PMC11020184 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03609-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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dementia prevalence is predicted to triple to 152 million globally by 2050. Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes 70% of cases. There is an urgent need to identify individuals with preclinical AD, a 10-20-year period of progressive brain pathology without noticeable cognitive symptoms, for targeted risk reduction. Current tests of AD pathology are either too invasive, specialised or expensive for population-level assessments. Cognitive tests are normal in preclinical AD. Emerging evidence demonstrates that movement analysis is sensitive to AD across the disease continuum, including preclinical AD. Our new smartphone test, TapTalk, combines analysis of hand and speech-like movements to detect AD risk. This study aims to [1] determine which combinations of hand-speech movement data most accurately predict preclinical AD [2], determine usability, reliability, and validity of TapTalk in cognitively asymptomatic older adults and [3], prospectively validate TapTalk in older adults who have cognitive symptoms against cognitive tests and clinical diagnoses of Mild Cognitive Impairment and AD dementia. METHODS Aim 1 will be addressed in a cross-sectional study of at least 500 cognitively asymptomatic older adults who will complete computerised tests comprising measures of hand motor control (finger tapping) and oro-motor control (syllabic diadochokinesis). So far, 1382 adults, mean (SD) age 66.20 (7.65) years, range 50-92 (72.07% female) have been recruited. Motor measures will be compared to a blood-based AD biomarker, phosphorylated tau 181 to develop an algorithm that classifies preclinical AD risk. Aim 2 comprises three sub-studies in cognitively asymptomatic adults: (i) a cross-sectional study of 30-40 adults to determine the validity of data collection from different types of smartphones, (ii) a prospective cohort study of 50-100 adults ≥ 50 years old to determine usability and test-retest reliability, and (iii) a prospective cohort study of ~1,000 adults ≥ 50 years old to validate against cognitive measures. Aim 3 will be addressed in a cross-sectional study of ~200 participants with cognitive symptoms to validate TapTalk against Montreal Cognitive Assessment and interdisciplinary consensus diagnosis. DISCUSSION This study will establish the precision of TapTalk to identify preclinical AD and estimate risk of cognitive decline. If accurate, this innovative smartphone app will enable low-cost, accessible screening of individuals for AD risk. This will have wide applications in public health initiatives and clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06114914, 29 October 2023. Retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Alty
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia.
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia.
- Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia.
| | - Lynette R Goldberg
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Eddy Roccati
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Katherine Lawler
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Quan Bai
- School of Information and Communication Technology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7005, Australia
| | - Guan Huang
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Aidan D Bindoff
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Renjie Li
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
- School of Information and Communication Technology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7005, Australia
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Rebecca J St George
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7005, Australia
| | - Kaylee Rudd
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Larissa Bartlett
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Jessica M Collins
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Mimieveshiofuo Aiyede
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | | | - Anju Bhagwat
- Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Julia Giffard
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Katharine Salmon
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
- Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Scott McDonald
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - James C Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
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Mirkoska V, Antonsson M, Hartelius L, Nylén F. Detection of Subclinical Motor Speech Deficits after Presumed Low-Grade Glioma Surgery. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1631. [PMID: 38137079 PMCID: PMC10741922 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121631] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor speech performance was compared before and after surgical resection of presumed low-grade gliomas. This pre- and post-surgery study was conducted on 15 patients (mean age = 41) with low-grade glioma classified based on anatomic features. Repetitions of /pa/, /ta/, /ka/, and /pataka/ recorded before and 3 months after surgery were analyzed regarding rate and regularity. A significant reduction (6 to 5.6 syllables/s) pre- vs. post-surgery was found in the rate for /ka/, which is comparable to the approximate average decline over 10-15 years of natural aging reported previously. For all other syllable types, rates were within normal age-adjusted ranges in both preoperative and postoperative sessions. The decline in /ka/ rate might reflect a subtle reduction in motor speech production, but the effects were not severe. All but one patient continued to perform within normal ranges post-surgery; one performed two standard deviations below age-appropriate norms pre- and post-surgery in all syllable tasks. The patient experienced motor speech difficulties, which may be related to the tumor's location in an area important for speech. Low-grade glioma may reduce maximum speech-motor performance in individual patients, but larger samples are needed to elucidate how often the effect occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Mirkoska
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.A.); (L.H.)
| | - Malin Antonsson
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.A.); (L.H.)
| | - Lena Hartelius
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.A.); (L.H.)
| | - Fredrik Nylén
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, 90736 Umeå, Sweden
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