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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.
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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.
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2
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Dong J, Yue Q, Li A, Gu L, Su X, Chen Q, Mei L. Individuals' preference on reading pathways influences the involvement of neural pathways in phonological learning. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1067561. [PMID: 36591053 PMCID: PMC9794771 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1067561] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Existing behavioral and neuroimaging studies revealed inter-individual variability in the selection of the two phonological routes in word reading. However, it is not clear how individuals' preferred reading pathways/strategies modulate the involvement of a certain brain region for phonological learning in a new language, and consequently affect their behavioral performance on phonological access. Methods To address this question, the present study recruited a group of native Chinese speakers to learn two sets of artificial language characters, respectively, in addressed-phonology training (i.e., whole-word mapping) and assembled-phonology training conditions (i.e., grapheme-to-phoneme mapping). Results Behavioral results showed that the more lexical pathways participants preferred, the better they performed on newly-acquired addressed characters relative to assembled characters. More importantly, neuroimaging results showed that participants who preferred lexical pathway in phonological access show less involvement of brain regions for addressed phonology (e.g., the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and right pars triangularis) in the processing of newly-acquired addressed characters. Conclusion These results indicated that phonological access via the preferred pathway required less neural resources to achieve better behavioral performance. These above results provide direct neuroimaging evidence for the influence of reading pathway preference on phonological learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Dong
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingxin Yue
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aqian Li
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lala Gu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinqi Su
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Leilei Mei,
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Miguel-Abella RS, Pérez-Sánchez MÁ, Cuetos F, Marín J, González-Nosti M. SpaVerb-WN-A megastudy of naming times for 4562 Spanish verbs: Effects of psycholinguistic and motor content variables. Behav Res Methods 2022; 54:2640-2664. [PMID: 34918230 PMCID: PMC9729138 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01734-y] [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] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have been carried out in various languages to explore the role of the main psycholinguistic variables in word naming, mainly in nouns. However, reading of verbs has not been explored to the same extent, despite the differences that have been found between the processing of nouns and verbs. To reduce this research gap, we present here SpaVerb-WN, a megastudy of word naming in Spanish, with response times (RT) for 4562 verbs. RT were obtained from at least 20 healthy adult participants in a reading-aloud task. Several research questions on the role of syllable frequency, word length, neighbourhood, frequency, age of acquisition (AoA), and the novel variable 'motor content' in verb naming were also examined. Linear mixed-effects model analyses indicated that (1) RT increase in with increasing word length and with decreasing neighbourhood size, (2) syllable frequency does not show a significant effect on RT, (3) AoA mediates the effect of motor content, with a positive slope of motor content at low AoA scores and a negative slope at high AoA scores, and (4) there is an interaction between word frequency and AoA, in which the AoA effect for low-frequency verbs gradually decreases as frequency increases. The results are discussed in relation to existing evidence and in the context of the consistency of the spelling-sound mappings in Spanish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina San Miguel-Abella
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza de Feijoo, s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | | | - Fernando Cuetos
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza de Feijoo, s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Javier Marín
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - María González-Nosti
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza de Feijoo, s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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Dołżycka JD, Nikadon J, Formanowicz M. Constructing Pseudowords with Constraints on Morphological Features - Application for Polish Pseudonouns and Pseudoverbs. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2022; 51:1247-1265. [PMID: 35930208 PMCID: PMC9646586 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-022-09884-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pseudowords allow researchers to investigate multiple grammatical or syntactic aspects of language processing. In order to serve that purpose, pseudoword stimuli need to preserve certain properties of real language. We provide a Python-based pipeline for the generation of pseudoword stimuli that sound/read naturally in a given language. The pseudowords are designed to resemble real words and clearly indicate their grammatical class for languages that use specific suffixes from parts of speech. We also provide two sets of pseudonouns and pseudoverbs in Polish that are outcomes of the applied pipeline. The sets are equipped with psycholinguistically relevant properties of words, such as orthographic Levenshtein distance 20. We also performed two studies (overall N = 640) to test the validity of the algorithmically constructed stimuli in a human sample. Thus, we present stimuli that were deprived of direct meaning yet are clearly classifiable as grammatical categories while being orthographically and phonologically plausible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Daria Dołżycka
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland.
- Department of Applied Emotion and Motivation Psychology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
- Institut für Psychologie und Pädagogik, Abteilung Angewandte Emotions- und Motivationspsychologie, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Jan Nikadon
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Formanowicz
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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Carota F, Schoffelen JM, Oostenveld R, Indefrey P. The Time Course of Language Production as Revealed by Pattern Classification of MEG Sensor Data. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5745-5754. [PMID: 35680410 PMCID: PMC9302460 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1923-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Language production involves a complex set of computations, from conceptualization to articulation, which are thought to engage cascading neural events in the language network. However, recent neuromagnetic evidence suggests simultaneous meaning-to-speech mapping in picture naming tasks, as indexed by early parallel activation of frontotemporal regions to lexical semantic, phonological, and articulatory information. Here we investigate the time course of word production, asking to what extent such "earliness" is a distinctive property of the associated spatiotemporal dynamics. Using MEG, we recorded the neural signals of 34 human subjects (26 males) overtly naming 134 images from four semantic object categories (animals, foods, tools, clothes). Within each category, we covaried word length, as quantified by the number of syllables contained in a word, and phonological neighborhood density to target lexical and post-lexical phonological/phonetic processes. Multivariate pattern analyses searchlights in sensor space distinguished the stimulus-locked spatiotemporal responses to object categories early on, from 150 to 250 ms after picture onset, whereas word length was decoded in left frontotemporal sensors at 250-350 ms, followed by the latency of phonological neighborhood density (350-450 ms). Our results suggest a progression of neural activity from posterior to anterior language regions for the semantic and phonological/phonetic computations preparing overt speech, thus supporting serial cascading models of word production.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Current psycholinguistic models make divergent predictions on how a preverbal message is mapped onto articulatory output during the language planning. Serial models predict a cascading sequence of hierarchically organized neural computations from conceptualization to articulation. In contrast, parallel models posit early simultaneous activation of multiple conceptual, phonological, and articulatory information in the language system. Here we asked whether such earliness is a distinctive property of the neural dynamics of word production. The combination of the millisecond precision of MEG with multivariate pattern analyses revealed subsequent onset times for the neural events supporting semantic and phonological/phonetic operations, progressing from posterior occipitotemporal to frontal sensor areas. The findings bring new insights for refining current theories of language production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Carota
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Mathijs Schoffelen
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Oostenveld
- Donders Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- NatMEG, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Peter Indefrey
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institut für Sprache und Information at, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
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6
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Marini A. The beauty of diversity in cognitive neuroscience: The case of sex-related effects in language production networks. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:633-642. [PMID: 35692091 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, several studies have focused on potential sex-related differences in the trajectories of language development and functioning. From a behavioral point of view, the available literature shows controversial results: differences between males and females in language production tasks may not always be detectable and, even when they are, are potentially biased by sociological and educational confounding factors. The problem regarding potential sex-related differences in language production has also been investigated at the neural level, again with controversial results. The current minireview focuses on studies assessing sex-related differences in the neural networks of language production. After providing a theoretical framework of language production, it is shown that the few available investigations have provided mixed results. The major reasons for discrepant findings are discussed with theoretical and methodological implications for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Marini
- Department of Language and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Claudiana - Landesfachhochschule für Gesundheitsberufe, Bolzano, Italy
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7
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Vanova M, Aldridge-Waddon L, Norbury R, Jennings B, Puzzo I, Kumari V. Distinct neural signatures of schizotypy and psychopathy during visual word-nonword recognition. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3620-3632. [PMID: 35434889 PMCID: PMC9294305 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous behavioural data indicate lower word-nonword recognition accuracy in association with a high level of positive schizotypy, psychopathy, or motor impulsivity traits, each with some unique contribution, in the general population. This study aimed to examine the neural underpinnings of these associations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a volunteer sample. Twenty-two healthy English-speaking adults completed self-report measures of schizotypy (Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences [O-LIFE]), psychopathy (Triarchic Psychopathy Measure [TriPM]), and impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale [BIS-11]) and underwent whole-brain fMRI while performing a lexical decision task (LDT) featuring high and low-frequency words, real nonwords, and pseudohomophones. Higher positive schizotypy (Unusual Experiences) was associated with lower cerebellum activity during identification of low-frequency words (over real nonwords). Higher Boldness (fearless dominance) and Meanness (callous aggression) facets of psychopathy were associated with lower striatal and posterior cingulate activity when identifying nonwords over words. Higher Motor Impulsivity was associated with lower activity in the fusiform (bilaterally), inferior frontal (right-sided), and temporal gyri (bilaterally) across all stimuli-types over resting baseline. Positive schizotypy, psychopathy, and impulsivity traits influence word-nonword recognition through distinct neurocognitive mechanisms. Positive schizotypy and psychopathy appear to influence LDT performance through brain areas that play only a supportive (cerebellum) or indirect role in reading-related skills. The negative association between Motor Impulsivity and activations typically found for phonological processing and automatic word identification indicates a reduced bilateral integration of the meaning and sound of mental word representations, and inability to select the appropriate outputs, in impulsive individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Vanova
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Luke Aldridge-Waddon
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Ray Norbury
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Ben Jennings
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Ignazio Puzzo
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Veena Kumari
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
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8
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Wu T, Chen C, Spagna A, Wu X, Mackie M, Russell‐Giller S, Xu P, Luo Y, Liu X, Hof PR, Fan J. The functional anatomy of cognitive control: A domain‐general brain network for uncertainty processing. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1265-1292. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wu
- Department of Psychology, Queens CollegeThe City University of New York Queens New York
| | - Caiqi Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of PsychologySouth China Normal University Guangzhou China
| | - Alfredo Spagna
- Department of PsychologyColumbia University in the City of New York New York New York
| | - Xia Wu
- Faculty of PsychologyTianjin Normal University Tianjin China
| | - Melissa‐Ann Mackie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago Illinois
| | - Shira Russell‐Giller
- Department of Psychology, Queens CollegeThe City University of New York Queens New York
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive NeuroscienceShenzhen University Shenzhen China
| | - Yue‐jia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive NeuroscienceShenzhen University Shenzhen China
| | - Xun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York
| | - Jin Fan
- Department of Psychology, Queens CollegeThe City University of New York Queens New York
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9
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Delikishkina E, Lingnau A, Miceli G. Neural correlates of object and action naming practice. Cortex 2020; 131:87-102. [PMID: 32818916 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Word retrieval deficits are a common problem in patients with stroke-induced brain damage. While complete recovery of language in chronic aphasia is rare, patients' naming ability can be significantly improved by speech therapy. A growing number of neuroimaging studies have tried to pinpoint the neural changes associated with successful outcome of naming treatment. However, the mechanisms supporting naming practice in the healthy brain have received little attention. Yet, understanding these mechanisms is crucial for teasing them apart from functional reorganization following brain damage. To address this issue, we trained a group of healthy monolingual Italian speakers on naming pictured objects and actions for ten consecutive days and scanned them before and after training. Although activity during object versus action naming dissociated in several regions (lateral occipitotemporal, parietal and left inferior frontal cortices), training effects for the two word classes were similar and included activation decreases in classical language regions of the left hemisphere (posterior inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula), potentially due to decreased lexical selection demands. Additionally, MVPA revealed training-related activation changes in the left parietal and temporal cortices associated with the retrieval of knowledge from episodic memory (precuneus, angular gyrus) and facilitated access to phonological word forms (posterior superior temporal sulcus).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Delikishkina
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB), Italy
| | - Angelika Lingnau
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy; Department of Psychology & Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy; Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gabriele Miceli
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy; Department of Psychology & Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy; International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB), Italy; Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare 'Beniamino Segre', Accademia dei Lincei, Rome, Italy.
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10
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Asymmetry of the frontal aslant tract is associated with lexical decision. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1009-1017. [PMID: 32157449 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a recently documented white matter tract that connects the inferior and superior frontal gyri with a tendency to be more pronounced in the left hemisphere. This tract has been found to play a role in language functions, particularly verbal fluency. However, it is not entirely clear to what extent FAT asymmetry is related to performance benefits in language-related tasks. In the present study, we aimed to fill this gap by examining the correlations between asymmetric micro- and macro-structural properties of the FAT and performance on verbal fluency and lexical decision tasks. The results showed no correlation between the FAT and verbal fluency; however, lexical decision was correlated with FAT laterality. Specifically, greater left lateralization in both micro- and macro-structural properties was related to faster lexical decision response times. The results were not due merely to motor or decision-making processes, as responses in a simple discrimination control task showed no correlation with laterality. These data are the first to suggest a role for the FAT in mediating processes underlying lexical decision.
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11
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Motes MA, Spence JS, Yeatman K, Jones PM, Lutrell M, O'Hair R, Shakal S, DeLaRosa BL, To W, Vanneste S, Kraut MA, Hart J. High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Improve Verbal Retrieval Deficits in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2019; 37:170-177. [PMID: 31354040 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.6331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic verbal retrieval deficits have been noted in traumatic brain injury (TBI), but no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved interventions are available. The present study investigated whether 10 sessions of 20 min of 1 mA anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) targeting pre-supplementary motor area/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (preSMA/dACC) compared with sham HD-tDCS would improve verbal retrieval deficits in TBI patients. Improvements in verbal retrieval processes were observed up to 8 weeks post-treatment. Thus, potential dysfunction to verbal retrieval circuitry in TBI appears amenable to remediation through electromodulation with HD tDCS to the preSMA/dACC. Although further studies clarifying mechanisms by which tDCS brought about these improvements will likely inform refinements in the application of this therapeutic technique, the findings suggest the efficacy of using HD-tDCS to target other systems vulnerable to TBI to improve functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Motes
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Jeffrey S Spence
- Center for Brain Health, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Kylee Yeatman
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | | | - Morgan Lutrell
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Rachel O'Hair
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Scott Shakal
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Bambi L DeLaRosa
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Wing To
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Michael A Kraut
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - John Hart
- Callier Center-Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.,Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics and Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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12
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Montani V, Chanoine V, Grainger J, Ziegler JC. Frequency-tagged visual evoked responses track syllable effects in visual word recognition. Cortex 2019; 121:60-77. [PMID: 31550616 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The processing of syllables in visual word recognition was investigated using a novel paradigm based on steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs). French words were presented to proficient readers in a delayed naming task. Words were split into two segments, the first of which was flickered at 18.75 Hz and the second at 25 Hz. The first segment either matched (congruent condition) or did not match (incongruent condition) the first syllable. The SSVEP responses in the congruent condition showed increased power compared to the responses in the incongruent condition, providing new evidence that syllables are important sublexical units in visual word recognition and reading aloud. With respect to the neural correlates of the effect, syllables elicited an early activation of a right hemisphere network. This network is typically associated with the programming of complex motor sequences, cognitive control and timing. Subsequently, responses were obtained in left hemisphere areas related to phonological processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Montani
- Aix-Marseille University and CNRS, Brain and Language Research Institute, Marseille Cedex 3, France.
| | - Valérie Chanoine
- Aix-Marseille University, Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, Brain and Language Research Institute, Aix-en-Provence, France
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13
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Montani V, Chanoine V, Stoianov IP, Grainger J, Ziegler JC. Steady state visual evoked potentials in reading aloud: Effects of lexicality, frequency and orthographic familiarity. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 192:1-14. [PMID: 30826643 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The present study explored the possibility to use Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs) as a tool to investigate the core mechanisms in visual word recognition. In particular, we investigated three benchmark effects of reading aloud: lexicality (words vs. pseudowords), frequency (high-frequency vs. low-frequency words), and orthographic familiarity ('familiar' versus 'unfamiliar' pseudowords). We found that words and pseudowords elicited robust SSVEPs. Words showed larger SSVEPs than pseudowords and high-frequency words showed larger SSVEPs than low-frequency words. SSVEPs were not sensitive to orthographic familiarity. We further localized the neural generators of the SSVEP effects. The lexicality effect was located in areas associated with early level of visual processing, i.e. in the right occipital lobe and in the right precuneus. Pseudowords produced more activation than words in left sensorimotor areas, rolandic operculum, insula, supramarginal gyrus and in the right temporal gyrus. These areas are devoted to speech processing and/or spelling-to-sound conversion. The frequency effect involved the left temporal pole and orbitofrontal cortex, areas previously implicated in semantic processing and stimulus-response associations respectively, and the right postcentral and parietal inferior gyri, possibly indicating the involvement of the right attentional network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Montani
- Aix-Marseille University and CNRS, Brain and Language Research Institute, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3, France.
| | - Valerie Chanoine
- Aix-Marseille University, Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, Brain and Language Research Institute, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Ivilin Peev Stoianov
- Aix-Marseille University and CNRS, LPC, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3, France; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR, Via Martiri della Libertà 2, 35137 Padova, Italy
| | - Jonathan Grainger
- Aix-Marseille University and CNRS, LPC, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - Johannes C Ziegler
- Aix-Marseille University and CNRS, LPC, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3, France
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14
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Matchin W, Liao CH, Gaston P, Lau E. Same words, different structures: An fMRI investigation of argument relations and the angular gyrus. Neuropsychologia 2019; 125:116-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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15
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Briggs RG, Pryor DP, Conner AK, Nix CE, Milton CK, Kuiper JK, Palejwala AH, Sughrue ME. The Artery of Aphasia, A Uniquely Sensitive Posterior Temporal Middle Cerebral Artery Branch that Supplies Language Areas in the Brain: Anatomy and Report of Four Cases. World Neurosurg 2019; 126:e65-e76. [PMID: 30735868 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arterial disruption during brain surgery can cause devastating injuries to wide expanses of white and gray matter beyond the tumor resection cavity. Such damage may occur as a result of disrupting blood flow through en passage arteries. Identification of these arteries is critical to prevent unforeseen neurologic sequelae during brain tumor resection. In this study, we discuss one such artery, termed the artery of aphasia (AoA), which when disrupted can lead to receptive and expressive language deficits. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing an awake craniotomy for resection of a glioma by the senior author from 2012 to 2018. Patients were included if they experienced language deficits secondary to postoperative infarction in the left posterior temporal lobe in the distribution of the AoA. The gross anatomy of the AoA was then compared with activation likelihood estimations of the auditory and semantic language networks using coordinate-based meta-analytic techniques. RESULTS We identified 4 patients with left-sided posterior temporal artery infarctions in the distribution of the AoA on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. All 4 patients developed substantial expressive and receptive language deficits after surgery. Functional language improvement occurred in only 2/4 patients. Activation likelihood estimations localized parts of the auditory and semantic language networks in the distribution of the AoA. CONCLUSIONS The AoA is prone to blood flow disruption despite benign manipulation. Patients seem to have limited capacity for speech recovery after intraoperative ischemia in the distribution of this artery, which supplies parts of the auditory and semantic language networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Briggs
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Dillon P Pryor
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Andrew K Conner
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Cameron E Nix
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Camille K Milton
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Joseph K Kuiper
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Ali H Palejwala
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Michael E Sughrue
- Department of Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
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16
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Yang Y, Zhang J, Meng ZL, Qin L, Liu YF, Bi HY. Neural Correlates of Orthographic Access in Mandarin Chinese Writing: An fMRI Study of the Word-Frequency Effect. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:288. [PMID: 30555308 PMCID: PMC6284029 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Writing is an essential tool for human communication and involves multiple linguistic, cognitive, and motor processes. Chinese, a logographic writing system, differs remarkably from the writing systems of alphabetic languages. The neural substrates of Chinese writing are largely unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a copying task, this study probed the neural underpinnings of orthographic access during Mandarin Chinese writing by employing the word-frequency effect. The results showed that writing low-frequency characters evoked greater activation in the bilateral superior/middle/inferior frontal gyrus, superior/inferior parietal lobule, and fusiform gyrus than writing high-frequency characters. Moreover, psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis demonstrated that the word-frequency effect modulated functional connectivity within the frontal-occipital networks and the parietal-occipital networks. Together, these findings illustrate the neural correlates of orthographic access for Mandarin Chinese writing, shedding new light on the cognitive architecture of writing across various writing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Jiangxi Institute of Education Sciences, Nanchang, China.,School-family Partnership Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ze-Long Meng
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Qin
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Fei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Yan Bi
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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17
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Desai RH, Choi W, Henderson JM. Word Frequency Effects in Naturalistic Reading. LANGUAGE, COGNITION AND NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 35:583-594. [PMID: 33015218 PMCID: PMC7531031 DOI: 10.1080/23273798.2018.1527376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Word frequency is a central psycholinguistic variable that accounts for substantial variance in language processing. A number of neuroimaging studies have examined frequency at a single word level, typically demonstrating a strong negative, and sometimes positive correlation between frequency and hemodynamic response. Here, 40 subjects read passages of text in an MRI scanner while their eye movements were recorded. We used fixation-related analysis to identify neural activity tied to the frequency of each fixated word. We found that negative correlations with frequency were reduced, while strong positive correlations were found in the temporal and parietal areas associated with semantics. We propose that the processing cost of low frequency words is reduced due to contextual cues. Meanings of high frequency words are more readily accessed and integrated with context resulting in enhanced processing in the semantic system. The results demonstrate similarities and differences between single word and naturalistic text processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutvik H. Desai
- Department of Psychology University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29028, USA
| | - Wonil Choi
- Liberal Arts and Sciences Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, South Korea
| | - John M. Henderson
- Center for Mind and Brain
- Department of Psychology University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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18
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Purcell JJ, Rapp B. Local response heterogeneity indexes experience-based neural differentiation in reading. Neuroimage 2018; 183:200-211. [PMID: 30076891 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to read requires learning letter-string representations whose neural codes would be expected to vary depending on the amount of experience that an individual has with reading them. Motivated by sparse coding theories (e.g., Rolls and Tovee, 1995; Olshausen and Field, 1996), recent work has demonstrated that better-learned relative to less well-learned neural representations are associated with more strongly differentiated, locally heterogeneous blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses (e.g., Jiang et al., 2013). Here we report a novel analysis method we call local heterogeneity regression (Local-Hreg) that quantifies the cross-voxel heterogeneity of BOLD responses, thereby providing a sensitive and methodologically flexible method for quantifying the local neural differentiation of neural representations. In a study of literate adults, we applied Local-Hreg to fMRI data obtained when participants read letter strings that varied in their frequency of occurrence in the written language. Consistent with previous research identifying the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) as a key site for orthographic representation in reading and spelling, we found that the cross-voxel heterogeneity of neural responses in this region varies according to the frequency with which the written letter strings have been experienced. This work provides a novel approach for examining the local differentiation of neural representations, and demonstrates that well-learned words have greater representational differentiation than less well-learned or unfamiliar words.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brenda Rapp
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, USA
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19
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Rundle MM, Coch D, Connolly AC, Granger RH. Dissociating frequency and animacy effects in visual word processing: An fMRI study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2018; 183:54-63. [PMID: 29940339 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In an fMRI investigation of the neural representation of word frequency and animacy, participants read high- and low-frequency words within living and nonliving semantic categories. Both temporal (left fusiform gyrus) and parietal (left supramarginal gyrus) activation patterns differentiated between animal and tool words after controlling for frequency. Activation patterns in a smaller ventral temporal region, a subset of the voxels identified in the animacy contrast, differentiated between high- and low-frequency words after controlling for animacy. Activation patterns in the larger temporal region distinguished between high- and low-frequency words just as well as patterns within the smaller region. However, in analyses by animacy category, frequency effects in these temporal regions were significant only for tool, not for animal, words. Thus, lexical word frequency information and semantic animacy category information are conjointly represented in left fusiform gyrus activation patterns for some, but not all, concrete nouns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M Rundle
- Program in Experimental Molecular Medicine, HB 7962, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; Psychology and Brain Sciences Department, HB 6207, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Donna Coch
- Department of Education, HB 6103, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Andrew C Connolly
- Psychology and Brain Sciences Department, HB 6207, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Richard H Granger
- Psychology and Brain Sciences Department, HB 6207, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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20
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Han JI, Verdonschot RG. Spoken-word production in Korean: A non-word masked priming and phonological Stroop task investigation. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 72:901-912. [PMID: 29716459 DOI: 10.1177/1747021818770989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Speech production studies have shown that phonological unit initially used to fill the metrical frame during phonological encoding is language specific, that is, a phoneme for English and Dutch, an atonal syllable for Mandarin Chinese, and a mora for Japanese. However, only a few studies chronometrically investigated speech production in Korean, and they obtained mixed results. Korean is particularly interesting as there might be both phonemic and syllabic influences during phonological encoding. The purpose of this study is to further examine the initial phonological preparation unit in Korean, employing a masked priming task (Experiment 1) and a phonological Stroop task (Experiment 2). The results showed that significant onset (and onset-plus, that is, consonant-vowel [CV]) effects were found in both experiments, but there was no compelling evidence for a prominent role for the syllable. When the prime words were presented in three different forms related to the targets, namely, without any change, with re-syllabified codas, and with nasalised codas, there were no significant differences in facilitation among the three forms. Alternatively, it is also possible that participants may not have had sufficient time to process the primes up to the point that re-syllabification or nasalisation could have been carried out. In addition, the results of a Stroop task demonstrated that the onset phoneme effect was not driven by any orthographic influence. These findings suggest that the onset segment and not the syllable is the initial (or proximate) phonological unit used in the segment-to-frame encoding process during speech planning in Korean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Im Han
- 1 Department of English Language & Literature, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Rinus G Verdonschot
- 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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21
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Hämäläinen S, Mäkelä N, Sairanen V, Lehtonen M, Kujala T, Leminen A. TMS uncovers details about sub-regional language-specific processing networks in early bilinguals. Neuroimage 2018; 171:209-221. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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22
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Schuster S, Scharinger M, Brooks C, Lahiri A, Hartwigsen G. The neural correlates of morphological complexity processing: Detecting structure in pseudowords. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:2317-2328. [PMID: 29498763 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphological complexity is a highly debated issue in visual word recognition. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that speakers are sensitive to degrees of morphological complexity. Two-step derived complex words (bridging through bridgeN > bridgeV > bridging) led to more enhanced activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus than their 1-step derived counterparts (running through runV > running). However, it remains unclear whether sensitivity to degrees of morphological complexity extends to pseudowords. If this were the case, it would indicate that abstract knowledge of morphological structure is independent of lexicality. We addressed this question by investigating the processing of two sets of pseudowords in German. Both sets contained morphologically viable two-step derived pseudowords differing in the number of derivational steps required to access an existing lexical representation and therefore the degree of structural analysis expected during processing. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, we found lexicality effects to be distinct from processing signatures relating to structural analysis in pseudowords. Semantically-driven processes such as lexical search showed a more frontal distribution while combinatorial processes related to structural analysis engaged more parietal parts of the network. Specifically, more complex pseudowords showed increased activation in parietal regions (right superior parietal lobe and left precuneus) relative to pseudowords that required less structural analysis to arrive at an existing lexical representation. As the two sets were matched on cohort size and surface form, these results highlight the role of internal levels of morphological structure even in forms that do not possess a lexical representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetlana Schuster
- Faculty of Linguistics, Philology & Phonetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mathias Scharinger
- Phonetics Research Group, Department of German Linguistics & Marburg Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - MCMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Colin Brooks
- Faculty of Linguistics, Philology & Phonetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aditi Lahiri
- Faculty of Linguistics, Philology & Phonetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Research Group Modulation of Language Networks, Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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23
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Variation in the speech signal as a window into the cognitive architecture of language production. Psychon Bull Rev 2018; 25:1973-2004. [PMID: 29383571 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-017-1423-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The pronunciation of words is highly variable. This variation provides crucial information about the cognitive architecture of the language production system. This review summarizes key empirical findings about variation phenomena, integrating corpus, acoustic, articulatory, and chronometric data from phonetic and psycholinguistic studies. It examines how these data constrain our current understanding of word production processes and highlights major challenges and open issues that should be addressed in future research.
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24
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SyllabO+: A new tool to study sublexical phenomena in spoken Quebec French. Behav Res Methods 2016; 49:1852-1863. [DOI: 10.3758/s13428-016-0829-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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25
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Markiewicz CJ, Bohland JW. Mapping the cortical representation of speech sounds in a syllable repetition task. Neuroimage 2016; 141:174-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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26
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Tremblay P, Deschamps I, Baroni M, Hasson U. Neural sensitivity to syllable frequency and mutual information in speech perception and production. Neuroimage 2016; 136:106-21. [PMID: 27184201 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many factors affect our ability to decode the speech signal, including its quality, the complexity of the elements that compose it, as well as their frequency of occurrence and co-occurrence in a language. Syllable frequency effects have been described in the behavioral literature, including facilitatory effects during speech production and inhibitory effects during word recognition, but the neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to examine, using functional neuroimaging, the neurobiological correlates of three different distributional statistics in simple 2-syllable nonwords: the frequency of the first and second syllables, and the mutual information between the syllables. We examined these statistics during nonword perception and production using a powerful single-trial analytical approach. We found that repetition accuracy was higher for nonwords in which the frequency of the first syllable was high. In addition, brain responses to distributional statistics were widespread and almost exclusively cortical. Importantly, brain activity was modulated in a distinct manner for each statistic, with the strongest facilitatory effects associated with the frequency of the first syllable and mutual information. These findings show that distributional statistics modulate nonword perception and production. We discuss the common and unique impact of each distributional statistic on brain activity, as well as task differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Tremblay
- Université Laval, Département de Réadaptation, Québec City, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec City, QC, Canada.
| | - Isabelle Deschamps
- Université Laval, Département de Réadaptation, Québec City, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marco Baroni
- Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), Università Degli Studi di Trento, Via delle Regole, 101, I-38060 Mattarello, TN, Italy
| | - Uri Hasson
- Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), Università Degli Studi di Trento, Via delle Regole, 101, I-38060 Mattarello, TN, Italy
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27
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Schuster S, Hawelka S, Hutzler F, Kronbichler M, Richlan F. Words in Context: The Effects of Length, Frequency, and Predictability on Brain Responses During Natural Reading. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:3889-3904. [PMID: 27365297 PMCID: PMC5028003 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Word length, frequency, and predictability count among the most influential variables during reading. Their effects are well-documented in eye movement studies, but pertinent evidence from neuroimaging primarily stem from single-word presentations. We investigated the effects of these variables during reading of whole sentences with simultaneous eye-tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fixation-related fMRI). Increasing word length was associated with increasing activation in occipital areas linked to visual analysis. Additionally, length elicited a U-shaped modulation (i.e., least activation for medium-length words) within a brain stem region presumably linked to eye movement control. These effects, however, were diminished when accounting for multiple fixation cases. Increasing frequency was associated with decreasing activation within left inferior frontal, superior parietal, and occipito-temporal regions. The function of the latter region—hosting the putative visual word form area—was originally considered as limited to sublexical processing. An exploratory analysis revealed that increasing predictability was associated with decreasing activation within middle temporal and inferior frontal regions previously implicated in memory access and unification. The findings are discussed with regard to their correspondence with findings from single-word presentations and with regard to neurocognitive models of visual word recognition, semantic processing, and eye movement control during reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schuster
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Hawelka
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Florian Hutzler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Fabio Richlan
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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28
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Hertrich I, Dietrich S, Ackermann H. The role of the supplementary motor area for speech and language processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:602-610. [PMID: 27343998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Apart from its function in speech motor control, the supplementary motor area (SMA) has largely been neglected in models of speech and language processing in the brain. The aim of this review paper is to summarize more recent work, suggesting that the SMA has various superordinate control functions during speech communication and language reception, which is particularly relevant in case of increased task demands. The SMA is subdivided into a posterior region serving predominantly motor-related functions (SMA proper) whereas the anterior part (pre-SMA) is involved in higher-order cognitive control mechanisms. In analogy to motor triggering functions of the SMA proper, the pre-SMA seems to manage procedural aspects of cognitive processing. These latter functions, among others, comprise attentional switching, ambiguity resolution, context integration, and coordination between procedural and declarative memory structures. Regarding language processing, this refers, for example, to the use of inner speech mechanisms during language encoding, but also to lexical disambiguation, syntax and prosody integration, and context-tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Hertrich
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Susanne Dietrich
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hermann Ackermann
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany
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29
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González-Alvarez J, Palomar-García MA. Syllable Frequency and Spoken Word Recognition: An Inhibitory Effect. Psychol Rep 2016; 119:263-75. [PMID: 27287267 DOI: 10.1177/0033294116654449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Research has shown that syllables play a relevant role in lexical access in Spanish, a shallow language with a transparent syllabic structure. Syllable frequency has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on visual word recognition in Spanish. However, no study has examined the syllable frequency effect on spoken word recognition. The present study tested the effect of the frequency of the first syllable on recognition of spoken Spanish words. A sample of 45 young adults (33 women, 12 men; M = 20.4, SD = 2.8; college students) performed an auditory lexical decision on 128 Spanish disyllabic words and 128 disyllabic nonwords. Words were selected so that lexical and first syllable frequency were manipulated in a within-subject 2 × 2 design, and six additional independent variables were controlled: token positional frequency of the second syllable, number of phonemes, position of lexical stress, number of phonological neighbors, number of phonological neighbors that have higher frequencies than the word, and acoustical durations measured in milliseconds. Decision latencies and error rates were submitted to linear mixed models analysis. Results showed a typical facilitatory effect of the lexical frequency and, importantly, an inhibitory effect of the first syllable frequency on reaction times and error rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio González-Alvarez
- Department of Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
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Madec S, Le Goff K, Anton JL, Longcamp M, Velay JL, Nazarian B, Roth M, Courrieu P, Grainger J, Rey A. Brain correlates of phonological recoding of visual symbols. Neuroimage 2016; 132:359-372. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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Protopapas A, Orfanidou E, Taylor J, Karavasilis E, Kapnoula EC, Panagiotaropoulou G, Velonakis G, Poulou LS, Smyrnis N, Kelekis D. Evaluating cognitive models of visual word recognition using fMRI: Effects of lexical and sublexical variables. Neuroimage 2016; 128:328-341. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Twomey T, Waters D, Price CJ, Kherif F, Woll B, MacSweeney M. Identification of the regions involved in phonological assembly using a novel paradigm. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 150:45-53. [PMID: 26335996 PMCID: PMC4669302 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Here we adopt a novel strategy to investigate phonological assembly. Participants performed a visual lexical decision task in English in which the letters in words and letterstrings were delivered either sequentially (promoting phonological assembly) or simultaneously (not promoting phonological assembly). A region of interest analysis confirmed that regions previously associated with phonological assembly, in studies contrasting different word types (e.g. words versus pseudowords), were also identified using our novel task that controls for a number of confounding variables. Specifically, the left pars opercularis, the superior part of the ventral precentral gyrus and the supramarginal gyrus were all recruited more during sequential delivery than simultaneous delivery, even when various psycholinguistic characteristics of the stimuli were controlled. This suggests that sequential delivery of orthographic stimuli is a useful tool to explore how readers, with various levels of proficiency, use sublexical phonological processing during visual word recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Twomey
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Dafydd Waters
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Ferath Kherif
- LREN, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bencie Woll
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK
| | - Mairéad MacSweeney
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
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Bürki A, Cheneval PP, Laganaro M. Do speakers have access to a mental syllabary? ERP comparison of high frequency and novel syllable production. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 150:90-102. [PMID: 26367062 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The transformation of an abstract phonological code into articulation has been hypothesized to involve the retrieval of stored syllable-sized motor plans. Accordingly, gestural scores for frequently used syllables are retrieved from memory whereas gestural scores for novel and possibly low frequency syllables are assembled on-line. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis. Participants produced disyllabic pseudowords with high frequency, low frequency and non-existent (novel) initial syllables. Behavioral results revealed slower production latencies for novel than for high frequency syllables. Event-related potentials diverged in waveform amplitudes and global topographic patterns between high frequency and low frequency/novel syllables around 170 ms before the onset of articulation. These differences indicate the recruitment of different brain networks during the production of frequent and infrequent/novel syllables, in line with the hypothesis that speakers store syllabic-sized motor programs for frequent syllables and assemble these motor plans on-line for low frequency and novel syllables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Bürki
- Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education, Université de Genève, Bd du Pont d'Arve 42, 1205 Genève, Switzerland.
| | - Pauline Pellet Cheneval
- Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education, Université de Genève, Bd du Pont d'Arve 42, 1205 Genève, Switzerland.
| | - Marina Laganaro
- Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education, Université de Genève, Bd du Pont d'Arve 42, 1205 Genève, Switzerland.
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34
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Positive impact of speech therapy in progressive non-fluent aphasia. ACTA COLOMBIANA DE PSICOLOGIA 2015. [DOI: 10.14718/acp.2015.18.2.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze the effects of intensive speech therapy intervention in a case of progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA). This is a dementia syndrome characterized by a progressive deficit in expressive language fluency and syntactic analysis, and by agrammatism and phonemic paraphasias. Although in the early stages there are no alterations in memory, comprehension, or visual processing, personality changes can slightly occur. To analyze the effects of speech therapy in this syndrome, a single case design with pre- and post-test was used. The participant was a male patient of 84 years with PNFA, who for twelve months received weekly speech therapy to stimulate the phonological, lexical and syntactic processing. He underwent neuropsychological assessment in three stages: six months before the onset of therapy, six months after therapy started and after completing 12 months of intervention. Assessment involved linguistic processing, general cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL). As a result of therapy, the patient showed a slight improvement in language prosody, fluency, and content of spontaneous speech, and a significant improvement in repetition, reading aloud, and oral-phonatory praxis. Other aspects of cognitive functioning (orientation, verbal naming, praxis, and memory) remained stable; ADLs and QoL improved. It is concluded that prolonged speech therapy can improve language processing and have a positive impact on other cognitive and socio-emotional processes in PNFA. This 12-month therapeutic stimulation not only slowed cognitive decline, but allowed to see maintenance of achievements and improvement of symptoms, which can be regarded as a success in PNFA treatment, considering the rapid progression of the disease.
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Does it talk the talk? On the role of basal ganglia in emotive speech processing. Behav Brain Sci 2015; 37:556-7; discussion 577-604. [PMID: 25514946 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x13004044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ackermann et al.'s phylogenetic account of speech argues that the basal ganglia imbue speech with emotive content. However, a body of work on auditory/emotive processing is inconsistent with attributing this function exclusively to these structures. The account further overlooks the possibility that the emotion-integration function may be at least in part mediated by the cortico-ponto-cerebellar system.
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Murdaugh DL, Maximo JO, Kana RK. Changes in intrinsic connectivity of the brain's reading network following intervention in children with autism. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:2965-79. [PMID: 26058572 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
While task-based neuroimaging studies have identified alterations in neural circuitry underlying language processing in children with autism spectrum disorders [ASD], resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging [rsfMRI] is a promising alternative to the constraints posed by task-based fMRI. This study used rsfMRI, in a longitudinal design, to study the impact of a reading intervention on connectivity of the brain regions involved in reading comprehension in children with ASD. Functional connectivity was examined using group independent component analysis (GICA) and seed-based correlation analysis of Broca's and Wernicke's areas, in three groups of participants: an experimental group of ASD children (ASD-EXP), a wait list control group of ASD children (ASD-WLC), and a group of typically developing (TD) control children. Both GICA and seed-based analyses revealed stronger functional connectivity of Broca's and Wernicke's areas in the ASD-EXP group postintervention. Additionally, improvement in reading comprehension in the ASD-EXP group was correlated with greater connectivity in both Broca's and Wernicke's area in the GICA identified reading network component. In addition, increased connectivity between the Broca's area and right postcentral and right STG, and the Wernicke's area and LIFG, were also correlated with greater improvement in reading comprehension. Overall, this study revealed widespread changes in functional connectivity of the brain's reading network as a result of intervention in children with ASD. These novel findings provide valuable insights into the neuroplasticity of brain areas underlying reading and the impact of intensive intervention in modifying them in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna L Murdaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Jose O Maximo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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Braun M, Hutzler F, Münte TF, Rotte M, Dambacher M, Richlan F, Jacobs AM. The neural bases of the pseudohomophone effect: Phonological constraints on lexico-semantic access in reading. Neuroscience 2015; 295:151-63. [PMID: 25805695 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated phonological processing in normal readers to answer the question to what extent phonological recoding is active during silent reading and if or how it guides lexico-semantic access. We addressed this issue by looking at pseudohomophone and baseword frequency effects in lexical decisions with event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results revealed greater activation in response to pseudohomophones than for well-controlled pseudowords in the left inferior/superior frontal and middle temporal cortex, left insula, and left superior parietal lobule. Furthermore, we observed a baseword frequency effect for pseudohomophones (e.g., FEAL) but not for pseudowords (e.g., FEEP). This baseword frequency effect was qualified by activation differences in bilateral angular and left supramarginal, and bilateral middle temporal gyri for pseudohomophones with low- compared to high-frequency basewords. We propose that lexical decisions to pseudohomophones involves phonology-driven lexico-semantic activation of their basewords and that this is converging neuroimaging evidence for automatically activated phonological representations during silent reading in experienced readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Braun
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria.
| | - F Hutzler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - T F Münte
- Dept. of Neurology and Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - M Rotte
- Novartis Pharma, Basle, Switzerland
| | - M Dambacher
- Institute of Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Dept. of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - F Richlan
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - A M Jacobs
- Institute of Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Berlin, Germany
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38
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McNorgan C, Chabal S, O'Young D, Lukic S, Booth JR. Task dependent lexicality effects support interactive models of reading: a meta-analytic neuroimaging review. Neuropsychologia 2014; 67:148-58. [PMID: 25524364 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Models of reading must explain how orthographic input activates a phonological representation, and elicits the retrieval of word meaning from semantic memory. Comparisons between tasks that theoretically differ with respect to the degree to which they rely on connections between orthographic, phonological and semantic systems during reading can thus provide valuable insight into models of reading, but such direct comparisons are not well-represented in the literature. An ALE meta-analysis explored lexicality effects directly contrasting words and pseudowords using the lexical decision task and overt or covert naming, which we assume rely most on the semantic and phonological systems, respectively. Interactions between task and lexicality effects demonstrate that different demands of the lexical decision and naming tasks lead to different manifestations of lexicality effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris McNorgan
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA; Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA.
| | - Sarah Chabal
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA
| | - Daniel O'Young
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA
| | - Sladjana Lukic
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
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39
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Hsu CH, Lee CY, Tzeng OJL. Early MEG markers for reading Chinese phonograms: evidence from radical combinability and consistency effects. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2014; 139:1-9. [PMID: 25463812 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging have indicated that activities in the left inferior frontal cortex and left temporoparietal regions are associated with orthographic neighborhood size. To elucidate the temporal dynamics of reading-related cortical activities, we manipulated two types of neighborhood properties for Chinese phonograms, phonetic combinability and consistency. By using source analysis techniques in combination with magnetoencephalography, the results demonstrated a combinability effect in the right fusiform gyrus at ∼ 170 ms, which may reflect perceptual expertise in processing Chinese orthography. During 200 ms to 250 ms, the left anterior insula showed larger activity in reading small combinability characters than in reading large combinability characters, and the left inferior parietal cortex showed greater activity in reading low consistency characters than in reading high consistency characters. These results indicate that the left anterior insula cortex and left inferior parietal cortex may play important roles in the early stages of reading Chinese phonograms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hsien Hsu
- Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, 115 Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Ying Lee
- Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, 115 Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Linong Street, 112 Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, No. 300, Jhongda Rd., Jhongli City, Taoyuan County 32001, Taiwan
| | - Ovid J-L Tzeng
- Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, 115 Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Linong Street, 112 Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, 75 Bo-Ai Street, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
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40
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Mueller JL, Rueschemeyer SA, Ono K, Sugiura M, Sadato N, Nakamura A. Neural networks involved in learning lexical-semantic and syntactic information in a second language. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1209. [PMID: 25400602 PMCID: PMC4214356 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates of language acquisition in a realistic learning environment. Japanese native speakers were trained in a miniature version of German prior to fMRI scanning. During scanning they listened to (1) familiar sentences, (2) sentences including a novel sentence structure, and (3) sentences containing a novel word while visual context provided referential information. Learning-related decreases of brain activation over time were found in a mainly left-hemispheric network comprising classical frontal and temporal language areas as well as parietal and subcortical regions and were largely overlapping for novel words and the novel sentence structure in initial stages of learning. Differences occurred at later stages of learning during which content-specific activation patterns in prefrontal, parietal and temporal cortices emerged. The results are taken as evidence for a domain-general network supporting the initial stages of language learning which dynamically adapts as learners become proficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta L Mueller
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück Osnabrück, Germany ; Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Kentaro Ono
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neuroimaging, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Obu, Japan ; Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University Japan
| | - Motoaki Sugiura
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University Sendai, Japan ; Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan
| | - Norihiro Sadato
- Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan
| | - Akinori Nakamura
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neuroimaging, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Obu, Japan
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41
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Takashima A, Wagensveld B, van Turennout M, Zwitserlood P, Hagoort P, Verhoeven L. Training-induced neural plasticity in visual-word decoding and the role of syllables. Neuropsychologia 2014; 61:299-314. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Oh A, Duerden EG, Pang EW. The role of the insula in speech and language processing. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2014; 135:96-103. [PMID: 25016092 PMCID: PMC4885738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Lesion and neuroimaging studies indicate that the insula mediates motor aspects of speech production, specifically, articulatory control. Although it has direct connections to Broca's area, the canonical speech production region, the insula is also broadly connected with other speech and language centres, and may play a role in coordinating higher-order cognitive aspects of speech and language production. The extent of the insula's involvement in speech and language processing was assessed using the Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) method. Meta-analyses of 42 fMRI studies with healthy adults were performed, comparing insula activation during performance of language (expressive and receptive) and speech (production and perception) tasks. Both tasks activated bilateral anterior insulae. However, speech perception tasks preferentially activated the left dorsal mid-insula, whereas expressive language tasks activated left ventral mid-insula. Results suggest distinct regions of the mid-insula play different roles in speech and language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oh
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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43
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Jouravlev O, Lupker SJ, Jared D. Cross-language phonological activation: evidence from masked onset priming and ERPs. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2014; 134:11-22. [PMID: 24814580 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The goal of the present research was to provide direct evidence for the cross-language interaction of phonologies at the sub-lexical level by using the masked onset priming paradigm. More specifically, we investigated whether there is a cross-language masked onset priming effect (MOPE) with L2 (English) primes and L1 (Russian) targets and whether it is modulated by the orthographic similarity of primes and targets. Primes and targets had onsets that overlapped either only phonologically, only orthographically, both phonologically and orthographically, or did not have any overlap. Phonological overlap, but not orthographic overlap, between primes and targets led to faster naming latencies. In contrast, the ERP data provided evidence for effects of both phonological and orthographic overlap. Finally, the time-course of phonological and orthographic processing for our bilinguals mirrored the time-course previously reported for monolinguals in the ERP data. These results provide evidence for shared representations at the sub-lexical level for a bilingual's two languages.
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Yang J, Zevin J. The impact of task demand on visual word recognition. Neuroscience 2014; 272:102-15. [PMID: 24814725 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The left occipitotemporal cortex has been found sensitive to the hierarchy of increasingly complex features in visually presented words, from individual letters to bigrams and morphemes. However, whether this sensitivity is a stable property of the brain regions engaged by word recognition is still unclear. To address the issue, the current study investigated whether different task demands modify this sensitivity. Participants viewed real English words and stimuli with hierarchical word-likeness while performing a lexical decision task (i.e., to decide whether each presented stimulus is a real word) and a symbol detection task. General linear model and independent component analysis indicated strong activation in the fronto-parietal and temporal regions during the two tasks. Furthermore, the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and insula showed significant interaction effects between task demand and stimulus type in the pseudoword condition. The occipitotemporal cortex showed strong main effects for task demand and stimulus type, but no sensitivity to the hierarchical word-likeness was found. These results suggest that different task demands on semantic, phonological and orthographic processes can influence the involvement of the relevant regions during visual word recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Yang
- Sackler Institute of Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, United States.
| | - J Zevin
- Sackler Institute of Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, United States
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45
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Sela I, Izzetoglu M, Izzetoglu K, Onaral B. A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study of lexical decision task supports the dual route model and the phonological deficit theory of dyslexia. JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 2014; 47:279-288. [PMID: 22798106 DOI: 10.1177/0022219412451998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The dual route model (DRM) of reading suggests two routes of reading development: the phonological and the orthographic routes. It was proposed that although the two routes are active in the process of reading; the first is more involved at the initial stages of reading acquisition, whereas the latter needs more reading training to mature. A number of studies have shown that deficient phonological processing is a core deficit in developmental dyslexia. According to the DRM, when the Lexical Decision Task (LDT) is performed, the orthographic route should also be involved when decoding words, whereas it is clear that when decoding pseudowords the phonological route should be activated. Previous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) studies have suggested that the upper left frontal lobe is involved in decision making in the LDT. The current study used fNIR to compare left frontal lobe activity during LDT performance among three reading-level groups: 12-year-old children, young adult dyslexic readers, and young adult typical readers. Compared to typical readers, the children demonstrated lower activity under the word condition only, whereas the dyslexic readers showed lower activity under the pseudoword condition only. The results provide evidence for upper left frontal lobe involvement in LDT and support the DRM and the phonological deficit theory of dyslexia.
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46
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Generalized role for the cerebellum in encoding internal models: evidence from semantic processing. J Neurosci 2014; 34:2871-8. [PMID: 24553928 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2264-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The striking homogeneity of cerebellar microanatomy is strongly suggestive of a corresponding uniformity of function. Consequently, theoretical models of the cerebellum's role in motor control should offer important clues regarding cerebellar contributions to cognition. One such influential theory holds that the cerebellum encodes internal models, neural representations of the context-specific dynamic properties of an object, to facilitate predictive control when manipulating the object. The present study examined whether this theoretical construct can shed light on the contribution of the cerebellum to language processing. We reasoned that the cerebellum might perform a similar coordinative function when the context provided by the initial part of a sentence can be highly predictive of the end of the sentence. Using functional MRI in humans we tested two predictions derived from this hypothesis, building on previous neuroimaging studies of internal models in motor control. First, focal cerebellar activation-reflecting the operation of acquired internal models-should be enhanced when the linguistic context leads terminal words to be predictable. Second, more widespread activation should be observed when such predictions are violated, reflecting the processing of error signals that can be used to update internal models. Both predictions were confirmed, with predictability and prediction violations associated with increased blood oxygenation level-dependent signal in the posterior cerebellum (Crus I/II). Our results provide further evidence for cerebellar involvement in predictive language processing and suggest that the notion of cerebellar internal models may be extended to the language domain.
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Urooj U, Cornelissen PL, Simpson MIG, Wheat KL, Woods W, Barca L, Ellis AW. Interactions between visual and semantic processing during object recognition revealed by modulatory effects of age of acquisition. Neuroimage 2013; 87:252-64. [PMID: 24212056 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Revised: 09/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The age of acquisition (AoA) of objects and their names is a powerful determinant of processing speed in adulthood, with early-acquired objects being recognized and named faster than late-acquired objects. Previous research using fMRI (Ellis et al., 2006. Traces of vocabulary acquisition in the brain: evidence from covert object naming. NeuroImage 33, 958-968) found that AoA modulated the strength of BOLD responses in both occipital and left anterior temporal cortex during object naming. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to explore in more detail the nature of the influence of AoA on activity in those two regions. Covert object naming recruited a network within the left hemisphere that is familiar from previous research, including visual, left occipito-temporal, anterior temporal and inferior frontal regions. Region of interest (ROI) analyses found that occipital cortex generated a rapid evoked response (~75-200 ms at 0-40 Hz) that peaked at 95 ms but was not modulated by AoA. That response was followed by a complex of later occipital responses that extended from ~300 to 850 ms and were stronger to early- than late-acquired items from ~325 to 675 ms at 10-20 Hz in the induced rather than the evoked component. Left anterior temporal cortex showed an evoked response that occurred significantly later than the first occipital response (~100-400 ms at 0-10 Hz with a peak at 191 ms) and was stronger to early- than late-acquired items from ~100 to 300 ms at 2-12 Hz. A later anterior temporal response from ~550 to 1050 ms at 5-20 Hz was not modulated by AoA. The results indicate that the initial analysis of object forms in visual cortex is not influenced by AoA. A fastforward sweep of activation from occipital and left anterior temporal cortex then results in stronger activation of semantic representations for early- than late-acquired objects. Top-down re-activation of occipital cortex by semantic representations is then greater for early than late acquired objects resulting in delayed modulation of the visual response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzma Urooj
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK; York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK
| | | | | | - Katherine L Wheat
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Will Woods
- Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura Barca
- Institute for Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Andrew W Ellis
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK; York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK.
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Reilly KJ, Spencer KA. Sequence complexity effects on speech production in healthy speakers and speakers with hypokinetic or ataxic dysarthria. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77450. [PMID: 24146997 PMCID: PMC3797774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of sequence complexity, defined in terms of phonemic similarity and phonotoactic probability, on the timing and accuracy of serial ordering for speech production in healthy speakers and speakers with either hypokinetic or ataxic dysarthria. Sequences were comprised of strings of consonant-vowel (CV) syllables with each syllable containing the same vowel, /a/, paired with a different consonant. High complexity sequences contained phonemically similar consonants, and sounds and syllables that had low phonotactic probabilities; low complexity sequences contained phonemically dissimilar consonants and high probability sounds and syllables. Sequence complexity effects were evaluated by analyzing speech error rates and within-syllable vowel and pause durations. This analysis revealed that speech error rates were significantly higher and speech duration measures were significantly longer during production of high complexity sequences than during production of low complexity sequences. Although speakers with dysarthria produced longer overall speech durations than healthy speakers, the effects of sequence complexity on error rates and speech durations were comparable across all groups. These findings indicate that the duration and accuracy of processes for selecting items in a speech sequence is influenced by their phonemic similarity and/or phonotactic probability. Moreover, this robust complexity effect is present even in speakers with damage to subcortical circuits involved in serial control for speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. Reilly
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristie A. Spencer
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Basso G, Magon S, Reggiani F, Capasso R, Monittola G, Yang FJ, Miceli G. Distinguishable neurofunctional effects of task practice and item practice in picture naming: a BOLD fMRI study in healthy subjects. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 126:302-313. [PMID: 23933470 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Practice of language tasks results in improved performance and BOLD signal changes. We distinguish changes correlated with repeated exposure to a picture naming task, from changes associated with naming specific items trained during practice. Task practice affected trained and untrained items, yielding left-sided BOLD deactivations in extrastriate, prefrontal and superior temporal areas (consistent with their putative role in perceptual priming, articulatory planning and phonological lexical retrieval, respectively). Item practice effects were restricted to trained words. There was deactivation in left posterior fusiform (supporting its role in accessing structural object representations), anterior cingulate and left insular/inferior frontal cortices (consistent with their role in processing low-frequency words). Central precuneus and posterior cingulate were hyperactivated (consistent with their putative role in episodic memory for trained items, probably due to functional connections with language areas). In healthy subjects, naming practice modifies stored linguistic representations, but mostly affects ease of access to trained words.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianpaolo Basso
- DiPSCo (Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences), Università di Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
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MacGregor LJ, Shtyrov Y. Multiple routes for compound word processing in the brain: evidence from EEG. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 126:217-29. [PMID: 23800711 PMCID: PMC3730057 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Revised: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/05/2013] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Are compound words represented as unitary lexical units, or as individual constituents that are processed combinatorially? We investigated the neuro-cognitive processing of compounds using EEG and a passive-listening oddball design in which lexical access and combinatorial processing elicit dissociating Mismatch Negativity (MMN) brain-response patterns. MMN amplitude varied with compound frequency and semantic transparency (the clarity of the relationship between compound and constituent meanings). Opaque compounds elicited an enhanced 'lexical' MMN, reflecting stronger lexical representations, to high- vs. low-frequency compounds. Transparent compounds showed no frequency effect, nor differed to pseudo-compounds, reflecting the combination of a reduced 'syntactic' MMN indexing combinatorial links, and an enhanced 'lexical' MMN for real-word compounds compared to pseudo-compounds. We argue that transparent compounds are processed combinatorially alongside parallel lexical access of the whole-form representation, but whole-form access is the dominant mechanism for opaque compounds, particularly those of high-frequency. Results support a flexible dual-route account of compound processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy J MacGregor
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Rd., Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK.
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