1
|
Mateus-Moreno A, Lara-Diaz MF, Adrover-Roig D, Aguilar-Mediavilla E, Jiménez-Fernández G. Impaired visual and verbal statistical learning in children with Dyslexia in a transparent orthography. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2025; 75:179-197. [PMID: 39806196 PMCID: PMC11954696 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-024-00321-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 12/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2025]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that performance on Statistical Learning (SL) tasks may be lower in children with dyslexia in deep orthographies such as English. However, it is debated whether the observed difficulties may vary depending on the modality and stimulus of the task, opening a broad discussion about whether SL is a domain-general or domain-specific construct. Besides, little is known about SL in children with dyslexia who learn transparent orthographies, where the transparency of grapheme-phoneme correspondences might reduce the reliance on implicit learning processes. The present study investigates the impact of SL in Spanish, a transparent orthography, among 50 children aged 9 to 12 years, with and without dyslexia. For this purpose, we used four SL tasks to evaluate two modalities (auditory/visual) and two stimulus type (verbal/nonverbal) and evaluated both accuracy and response times on each condition. The findings reveal that children with dyslexia in Spanish exhibit lower performance on SL tasks (accuracy) compared to the control group, regardless of the modality and stimulus type used. However, children with dyslexia struggle the most with tasks that involve visual material. This indicates that children with dyslexia in transparent orthographies have particular difficulties in extracting distributional probabilistic information in the absence of explicit learning instructions. Notably, difficulties were more pronounced in visual tasks involving verbal stimuli. The present results help to better understand the underlying mechanisms involved in reading acquisition in children with dyslexia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Mateus-Moreno
- Institute for Educational Research and Innovation, Universitat de Les Illes Balears, Cta. Valldemossa, Km. 7.5 07122, Palma, Spain.
| | | | - Daniel Adrover-Roig
- Institute for Educational Research and Innovation, Universitat de Les Illes Balears, Cta. Valldemossa, Km. 7.5 07122, Palma, Spain
| | - Eva Aguilar-Mediavilla
- Institute for Educational Research and Innovation, Universitat de Les Illes Balears, Cta. Valldemossa, Km. 7.5 07122, Palma, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nagy CA, Hann F, Brezóczki B, Farkas K, Vékony T, Pesthy O, Németh D. Intact ultrafast memory consolidation in adults with autism and neurotypicals with autism traits. Brain Res 2025; 1847:149299. [PMID: 39486781 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 10/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/25/2024] [Indexed: 11/04/2024]
Abstract
The processes of learning and memory consolidation are closely interlinked. Therefore, to uncover statistical learning in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), an in-depth examination of memory consolidation is essential. Studies of the last five years have revealed that learning can take place not only during practice but also during micro rest (<1 min) between practice blocks, termed micro offline gains. The concept of micro offline gains refers to performance improvements during short rest periods interspersed with practice, rather than during practice itself. This phenomenon is crucial for the acquisition and consolidation of motor skills and has been observed across various learning contexts. Numerous studies on learning in autism have identified intact learning but there has been no investigation into this fundamental aspect of memory consolidation in autistic individuals to date. We conducted two studies with two different samples: 1) neurotypical adults with distinct levels of autistic traits (N = 166) and 2) ASD-diagnosed adults (NASD = 22, NNTP = 20). Participants performed a well-established probabilistic learning task, allowing us to measure two learning processes separately in the same experimental design: statistical learning (i.e., learning probability-based regularities) and visuomotor performance (i.e., speed-up regardless of probabilities). Here we show considerable individual differences in offline (between blocks) changes during statistical learning and between-blocks improvement during visuomotor performance. However, cumulative evidence from individual studies suggests that the degree of autistic traits and ASD status are not associated with micro offline gains, indicating that, like statistical learning, rapid memory consolidation is intact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cintia Anna Nagy
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Flóra Hann
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Experimental Medicine, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bianka Brezóczki
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Farkas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Teodóra Vékony
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France; Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Orsolya Pesthy
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezső Németh
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France; Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; BML-NAP Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Prescott KE, Mathée-Scott J, Bolt D, Saffran J, Weismer SE. The effect of volatility in linguistic input on prediction behavior in autistic toddlers. Autism Res 2024; 17:2305-2318. [PMID: 39129226 PMCID: PMC11568938 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3212] [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: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Domain-general prediction differences have been posited as underlying many aspects of the cognitive-behavioral profile in autism. An interesting potential implication of such differences is hyperplasticity of learning-the idea that autistic individuals may privilege more recent input over the accumulation of prior learning. Because real world language input is highly variable, hyperplasticity could have serious ramifications for language learning. To investigate potential hyperplasticity during a language processing task, we administered an experimental anticipatory eye movement (AEM) task to 2- to 3-year-old autistic children and neurotypical (NT) peers. Autistic children's change in anticipation from before to after a switch in contingencies did not significantly differ from NT counterparts, failing to support claims of hyperplasticity in the linguistic domain. Analysis of individual differences among autistic children revealed that cognitive ability was associated with prediction of the initial, stable contingencies, but neither age nor receptive language related to task performance. Results are discussed in terms of clinical implications and the broader context of research investigating prediction differences in autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Prescott
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Waisman Center
| | - Janine Mathée-Scott
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Waisman Center
| | - Daniel Bolt
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Waisman Center
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Educational Psychology
| | - Jenny Saffran
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Waisman Center
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Psychology
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Waisman Center
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fan T, Decker W, Schneider J. The Domain-Specific Neural Basis of Auditory Statistical Learning in 5-7-Year-Old Children. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:981-1007. [PMID: 39483699 PMCID: PMC11527419 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 11/03/2024]
Abstract
Statistical learning (SL) is the ability to rapidly track statistical regularities and learn patterns in the environment. Recent studies show that SL is constrained by domain-specific features, rather than being a uniform learning mechanism across domains and modalities. This domain-specificity has been reflected at the neural level, as SL occurs in regions primarily involved in processing of specific modalities or domains of input. However, our understanding of how SL is constrained by domain-specific features in the developing brain is severely lacking. The present study aims to identify the functional neural profiles of auditory SL of linguistic and nonlinguistic regularities among children. Thirty children between 5 and 7 years old completed an auditory fMRI SL task containing interwoven sequences of structured and random syllable/tone sequences. Using traditional group univariate analyses and a group-constrained subject-specific analysis, frontal and temporal cortices showed significant activation when processing structured versus random sequences across both linguistic and nonlinguistic domains. However, conjunction analyses failed to identify overlapping neural indices across domains. These findings are the first to compare brain regions supporting SL of linguistic and nonlinguistic regularities in the developing brain and indicate that auditory SL among developing children may be constrained by domain-specific features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tengwen Fan
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Will Decker
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julie Schneider
- Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mathée-Scott J, Prescott KE, Pomper R, Saffran J, Weismer SE. Prediction by Young Autistic Children from Visual and Spoken Input. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06568-z. [PMID: 39361065 PMCID: PMC11965428 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06568-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
Recent theoretical accounts suggest that differences in the processing of probabilistic events underlie the core and associated traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These theories hypothesize that autistic individuals are differentially impacted by disruptions in probabilistic input relative to neurotypical peers. According to this view, autistic individuals assign disproportionate weight to prediction errors such that novel input is overweighted relative to the aggregation of prior input; this is referred to as 'hyperplasticity' of learning. Prediction among autistic individuals has primarily been examined in nonverbal, visual contexts with older children and adults. The present study examined 32 autistic and 32 cognitively-matched neurotypical (NT) children's ability to generate predictions and adjust to changes in predictive relationships in auditory stimuli using two eye gaze tasks. In both studies, children were trained and tested on an auditory-visual cue which predicted the location of a reward stimulus. In Experiment 1 the cue was non-linguistic (instrumental sound) whereas in Experiment 2 the cue was linguistically-relevant (speaker gender). In both experiments, the cue-reward contingency was switched after the first block of trials, and predictive behavior was evaluated across a second block of trials. Analyses of children's looking behavior revealed similar performance in both groups on the non-linguistic task (Exp. 1). In the linguistically-relevant task (Exp. 2), predictive looking was less disrupted by the contingency switch for autistic children than NT children. Results suggest that autistic children may demonstrate hyperplastic learning in linguistically-relevant contexts, relative to NT peers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janine Mathée-Scott
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1975 Willow Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, 1026 Red Cedar Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Kathryn E Prescott
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1975 Willow Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Ron Pomper
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, 1026 Red Cedar Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 425 N. 30th St., Omaha, NE, 68131, USA
| | - Jenny Saffran
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1975 Willow Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Schneider JM, Scott TL, Legault J, Qi Z. Limited but specific engagement of the mature language network during linguistic statistical learning. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae123. [PMID: 38566510 PMCID: PMC10987970 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Statistical learning (SL) is the ability to detect and learn regularities from input and is foundational to language acquisition. Despite the dominant role of SL as a theoretical construct for language development, there is a lack of direct evidence supporting the shared neural substrates underlying language processing and SL. It is also not clear whether the similarities, if any, are related to linguistic processing, or statistical regularities in general. The current study tests whether the brain regions involved in natural language processing are similarly recruited during auditory, linguistic SL. Twenty-two adults performed an auditory linguistic SL task, an auditory nonlinguistic SL task, and a passive story listening task as their neural activation was monitored. Within the language network, the left posterior temporal gyrus showed sensitivity to embedded speech regularities during auditory, linguistic SL, but not auditory, nonlinguistic SL. Using a multivoxel pattern similarity analysis, we uncovered similarities between the neural representation of auditory, linguistic SL, and language processing within the left posterior temporal gyrus. No other brain regions showed similarities between linguistic SL and language comprehension, suggesting that a shared neurocomputational process for auditory SL and natural language processing within the left posterior temporal gyrus is specific to linguistic stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Schneider
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, 77 Hatcher Hall, Field House Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States
- Department of Linguistics & Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, 125 E Main St, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Terri L Scott
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Jennifer Legault
- Department of Psychology, Elizabethtown College, One Alpha Dr, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, United States
| | - Zhenghan Qi
- Department of Linguistics & Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, 125 E Main St, Newark, DE 19716, United States
- Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 105-107 Forsyth St., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| |
Collapse
|