1
|
Huang Y, Deng Y, Jiang X, Chen Y, Mao T, Xu Y, Jiang C, Rao H. Resting-state occipito-frontal alpha connectome is linked to differential word learning ability in adult learners. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:953315. [PMID: 36188469 PMCID: PMC9521374 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.953315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult language learners show distinct abilities in acquiring a new language, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. Previous studies suggested that resting-state brain connectome may contribute to individual differences in learning ability. Here, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) in a large cohort of 106 healthy young adults (50 males) and examined the associations between resting-state alpha band (8–12 Hz) connectome and individual learning ability during novel word learning, a key component of new language acquisition. Behavioral data revealed robust individual differences in the performance of the novel word learning task, which correlated with their performance in the language aptitude test. EEG data showed that individual resting-state alpha band coherence between occipital and frontal regions positively correlated with differential word learning performance (p = 0.001). The significant positive correlations between resting-state occipito-frontal alpha connectome and differential world learning ability were replicated in an independent cohort of 35 healthy adults. These findings support the key role of occipito-frontal network in novel word learning and suggest that resting-state EEG connectome may be a reliable marker for individual ability during new language learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Huang
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
- School of Foreign Languages, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Deng
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoming Jiang
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiyuan Chen
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianxin Mao
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Caihong Jiang
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hengyi Rao
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Hengyi Rao,
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Birba A, Beltrán D, Martorell Caro M, Trevisan P, Kogan B, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A, García AM. Motor-system dynamics during naturalistic reading of action narratives in first and second language. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116820. [PMID: 32278096 PMCID: PMC7412856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Do embodied semantic systems play different roles depending on when and how well a given language was learned? Emergent evidence suggests that this is the case for isolated, decontextualized stimuli, but no study has addressed the issue considering naturalistic narratives. Seeking to bridge this gap, we assessed motor-system dynamics in 26 Spanish-English bilinguals as they engaged in free, unconstrained reading of naturalistic action texts (ATs, highlighting the characters’ movements) and neutral texts (NTs, featuring low motility) in their first and second language (L1, L2). To explore functional connectivity spread over each reading session, we recorded ongoing high-density electroencephalographic signals and subjected them to functional connectivity analysis via a spatial clustering approach. Results showed that, in L1, AT (relative to NT) reading involved increased connectivity between left and right central electrodes consistently implicated in action-related processes, as well as distinct source-level modulations in motor regions. In L2, despite null group-level effects, enhanced motor-related connectivity during AT reading correlated positively with L2 proficiency and negatively with age of L2 learning. Taken together, these findings suggest that action simulations during unconstrained narrative reading involve neural couplings between motor-sensitive mechanisms, in proportion to how consolidated a language is. More generally, such evidence addresses recent calls to test the ecological validity of motor-resonance effects while offering new insights on their relation with experiential variables.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Birba
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - David Beltrán
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 3820, Spain
| | - Miguel Martorell Caro
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | | | - Boris Kogan
- Institute of Basic and Applied Psychology and Technology (IPSIBAT), National University of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion (ANPCyT), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, 7550344, Chile; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, 08002, Colombia
| | - Adolfo M García
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, M5502JMA, Argentina; Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hua C, Wang H, Wang H, Lu S, Liu C, Khalid SM. A Novel Method of Building Functional Brain Network Using Deep Learning Algorithm with Application in Proficiency Detection. Int J Neural Syst 2019; 29:1850015. [DOI: 10.1142/s0129065718500156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Functional brain network (FBN) has become very popular to analyze the interaction between cortical regions in the last decade. But researchers always spend a long time to search the best way to compute FBN for their specific studies. The purpose of this study is to detect the proficiency of operators during their mineral grinding process controlling based on FBN. To save the search time, a novel semi-data-driven method of computing functional brain connection based on stacked autoencoder (BCSAE) is proposed in this paper. This method uses stacked autoencoder (SAE) to encode the multi-channel EEG data into codes and then computes the dissimilarity between the codes from every pair of electrodes to build FBN. The highlight of this method is that the SAE has a multi-layered structure and is semi-supervised, which means it can dig deeper information and generate better features. Then an experiment was performed, the EEG of the operators were collected while they were operating and analyzed to detect their proficiency. The results show that the BCSAE method generated more number of separable features with less redundancy, and the average accuracy of classification (96.18%) is higher than that of the control methods: PLV (92.19%) and PLI (78.39%).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Hua
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, P. R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, P. R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- Control System Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Shaowen Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetical Automation for Process Industries, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110189, P. R. China
| | - Chong Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, P. R. China
| | - Syed Madiha Khalid
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kang JS, Ojha A, Lee G, Lee M. Difference in brain activation patterns of individuals with high and low intelligence in linguistic and visuo-spatial tasks: An EEG study. INTELLIGENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
5
|
Lee G, Ojha A, Kang JS, Lee M. Modulation of resource allocation by intelligent individuals in linguistic, mathematical and visuo-spatial tasks. Int J Psychophysiol 2015; 97:14-22. [PMID: 25931113 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates two questions: first, how individuals with high-intelligence allocate cognitive resources while solving linguistic, mathematical and visuo-spatial tasks with varying degree of difficulty as compared to individuals with low intelligence? Second, how to distinguish between high and low intelligent individuals by analyzing pupil dilation and eye blink together? We measured the response time, error rates along with pupil dilation and eye blink rate that indicate resource allocation. We divided the whole processing into three stages namely: pre-stimuli (5s prior to stimuli onset), during stimuli and post stimuli (until 5s after the response) for better assessment of preparation and resource allocation strategies. Individuals with high intelligence showed greater task evoked pupil dilation, decreased eye blink with less response time and error rates during-stimuli stage (processing) of tough linguistic and visuo-spatial tasks but not during mathematical tasks. The finding suggests that individuals with high intelligence allocate more resources if the task demands are high else they allocate less resources. Greater pre-stimuli pupil dilation and increased eye blink of high intelligent individuals in all tasks indicated their attentiveness and preparedness. The result of our study shows that individuals with high intelligence are more attentive and flexible in terms of altering the resource allocation strategy according to task demand. Eye-blinks along with pupil dilation and other behavioral parameters can be reliably used to assess the intelligence of an individual and the analysis of pupil dilation and blink rate at pre-stimuli stage can be crucial in distinguishing individuals with varying intelligence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giyoung Lee
- School of Electronics Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 1370 Sankyuk-Dong, Puk-Gu, Taegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
| | - Amitash Ojha
- School of Electronics Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 1370 Sankyuk-Dong, Puk-Gu, Taegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jun-Su Kang
- School of Electronics Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 1370 Sankyuk-Dong, Puk-Gu, Taegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
| | - Minho Lee
- School of Electronics Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 1370 Sankyuk-Dong, Puk-Gu, Taegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hu X, Ackermann H, Martin JA, Erb M, Winkler S, Reiterer SM. Language aptitude for pronunciation in advanced second language (L2) learners: behavioural predictors and neural substrates. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 127:366-376. [PMID: 23273501 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in second language (L2) aptitude have been assumed to depend upon a variety of cognitive and personality factors. Especially, the cognitive factor phonological working memory has been conceptualised as language learning device. However, strong associations between phonological working memory and L2 aptitude have been previously found in early-stage learners only, not in advanced learners. The current study aimed at investigating the behavioural and neurobiological predictors of advanced L2 learning. Our behavioural results showed that phonetic coding ability and empathy, but not phonological working memory, predict L2 pronunciation aptitude in advanced learners. Second, functional neuroimaging revealed this behavioural trait to be correlated with hemodynamic responses of the cerebral network of speech motor control and auditory-perceptual areas. We suggest that the acquisition of L2 pronunciation aptitude is a dynamic process, requiring a variety of neural resources at different processing stages over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Hu
- Research Group Neurophonetics, Department of General Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany; MR Research Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Reiterer SM, Hu X, Sumathi TA, Singh NC. Are you a good mimic? Neuro-acoustic signatures for speech imitation ability. Front Psychol 2013; 4:782. [PMID: 24155739 PMCID: PMC3804907 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated individual differences in speech imitation ability in late bilinguals using a neuro-acoustic approach. One hundred and thirty-eight German-English bilinguals matched on various behavioral measures were tested for "speech imitation ability" in a foreign language, Hindi, and categorized into "high" and "low ability" groups. Brain activations and speech recordings were obtained from 26 participants from the two extreme groups as they performed a functional neuroimaging experiment which required them to "imitate" sentences in three conditions: (A) German, (B) English, and (C) German with fake English accent. We used recently developed novel acoustic analysis, namely the "articulation space" as a metric to compare speech imitation abilities of the two groups. Across all three conditions, direct comparisons between the two groups, revealed brain activations (FWE corrected, p < 0.05) that were more widespread with significantly higher peak activity in the left supramarginal gyrus and postcentral areas for the low ability group. The high ability group, on the other hand showed significantly larger articulation space in all three conditions. In addition, articulation space also correlated positively with imitation ability (Pearson's r = 0.7, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that an expanded articulation space for high ability individuals allows access to a larger repertoire of sounds, thereby providing skilled imitators greater flexibility in pronunciation and language learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne M Reiterer
- Unit for Language Learning and Teaching Research, Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria ; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Clinic Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Brancucci A. Neural correlates of cognitive ability. J Neurosci Res 2012; 90:1299-309. [PMID: 22422612 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Revised: 01/08/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The challenge to neuroscientists working on intelligence is to discover what neural structures and mechanisms are at the basis of such a complex and variegated capability. Several psychologists agree on the view that behavioral flexibility is a good measure of intelligence, resulting in the appearance of novel solutions that are not part of the animal's normal behavior. This article tries to indicate how the supposed differences in intelligence between species can be related to brain properties and suggests that the best neural indicators may be the ones that convey more information processing capacity to the brain, i.e., high conduction velocity of fibers and small distances between neurons, associated with a high number of neurons and an adequate level of connectivity. The neural bases of human intelligence have been investigated by means of anatomical, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological methods. These investigations have led to two important findings that are briefly discussed: the parietofrontal integration theory of intelligence, which assumes that a distributed network of cortical areas having its main nodes in the frontal and parietal lobes constitutes a probable substrate for smart behavior, and the neural efficiency hypothesis, according to which intelligent people process information more efficiently, showing weaker neural activations in a smaller number of areas than less intelligent people.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Brancucci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences "G. d'Annunzio," University of Chieti and Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Reiterer S, Pereda E, Bhattacharya J. On a Possible Relationship between Linguistic Expertise and EEG Gamma Band Phase Synchrony. Front Psychol 2011; 2:334. [PMID: 22125542 PMCID: PMC3222221 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2011] [Accepted: 10/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has shown that extensive training in and exposure to a second language can modify the language organization in the brain by causing both structural and functional changes. However it is not yet known how these changes are manifested by the dynamic brain oscillations and synchronization patterns subserving the language networks. In search for synchronization correlates of proficiency and expertise in second language acquisition, multivariate EEG signals were recorded from 44 high and low proficiency bilinguals during processing of natural language in their first and second languages. Gamma band (30-45 Hz) phase synchronization (PS) was calculated mainly by two recently developed methods: coarse-graining of Markov chains (estimating global phase synchrony, measuring the degree of PS between one electrode and all other electrodes), and phase lag index (PLI; estimating bivariate phase synchrony, measuring the degree of PS between a pair of electrodes). On comparing second versus first language processing, global PS by coarse-graining Markov chains indicated that processing of the second language needs significantly higher synchronization strength than first language. On comparing the proficiency groups, bivariate PS measure (i.e., PLI) revealed that during second language processing the low proficiency group showed stronger and broader network patterns than the high proficiency group, with interconnectivities between a left fronto-parietal network. Mean phase coherence analysis also indicated that the network activity was globally stronger in the low proficiency group during second language processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Reiterer
- Department for English Linguistics, Center for Linguistics, University of TübingenGermany
- Department of English Studies, University of ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - Ernesto Pereda
- Department of Basic Physics, University of La LagunaTenerife, Spain
| | - Joydeep Bhattacharya
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of LondonLondon, UK
- Commission for Scientific Visualization, Austrian Academy of SciencesVienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Reiterer SM, Hu X, Erb M, Rota G, Nardo D, Grodd W, Winkler S, Ackermann H. Individual differences in audio-vocal speech imitation aptitude in late bilinguals: functional neuro-imaging and brain morphology. Front Psychol 2011; 2:271. [PMID: 22059077 PMCID: PMC3203549 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An unanswered question in adult language learning or late bi and multilingualism is why individuals show marked differences in their ability to imitate foreign accents. While recent research acknowledges that more adults than previously assumed can still acquire a "native" foreign accent, very little is known about the neuro-cognitive correlates of this special ability. We investigated 140 German-speaking individuals displaying varying degrees of "mimicking" capacity, based on natural language text, sentence, and word imitations either in their second language English or in Hindi and Tamil, languages they had never been exposed to. The large subject pool was strictly controlled for previous language experience prior to magnetic resonance imaging. The late-onset (around 10 years) bilinguals showed significant individual differences as to how they employed their left-hemisphere speech areas: higher hemodynamic activation in a distinct fronto-parietal network accompanied low ability, while high ability paralleled enhanced gray matter volume in these areas concomitant with decreased hemodynamic responses. Finally and unexpectedly, males were found to be more talented foreign speech mimics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Maria Reiterer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, MR Research Group, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Cervenka MC, Boatman-Reich DF, Ward J, Franaszczuk PJ, Crone NE. Language mapping in multilingual patients: electrocorticography and cortical stimulation during naming. Front Hum Neurosci 2011; 5:13. [PMID: 21373361 PMCID: PMC3044479 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2011.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Accepted: 01/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Multilingual patients pose a unique challenge when planning epilepsy surgery near language cortex because the cortical representations of each language may be distinct. These distinctions may not be evident with routine electrocortical stimulation mapping (ESM). Electrocorticography (ECoG) has recently been used to detect task-related spectral perturbations associated with functional brain activation. We hypothesized that using broadband high gamma augmentation (HGA, 60–150 Hz) as an index of cortical activation, ECoG would complement ESM in discriminating the cortical representations of first (L1) and second (L2) languages. We studied four adult patients for whom English was a second language, in whom subdural electrodes (a total of 358) were implanted to guide epilepsy surgery. Patients underwent ECoG recordings and ESM while performing the same visual object naming task in L1 and L2. In three of four patients, ECoG found sites activated during naming in one language but not the other. These language-specific sites were not identified using ESM. In addition, ECoG HGA was observed at more sites during L2 versus L1 naming in two patients, suggesting that L2 processing required additional cortical resources compared to L1 processing in these individuals. Post-operative language deficits were identified in three patients (one in L2 only). These deficits were predicted by ECoG spectral mapping but not by ESM. These results suggest that pre-surgical mapping should include evaluation of all utilized languages to avoid post-operative functional deficits. Finally, this study suggests that ECoG spectral mapping may potentially complement the results of ESM of language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie C Cervenka
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cheung MC, Chan AS, Sze SL. Increased theta coherence during Chinese reading. Int J Psychophysiol 2009; 74:132-8. [PMID: 19720089 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2009.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2009] [Revised: 08/11/2009] [Accepted: 08/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
EEG coherence has been used extensively in the investigation of language processing of English words. In contrast, relatively less is known about the EEG coherence pattern in the language processing of Chinese characters. Given the involvement of distinct and overlapping regions in the brain during English and Chinese reading, and activation in the left and right hemisphere found in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on Chinese reading, the present study aimed to investigate the EEG coherence pattern associated with Chinese reading, and to determine if higher interhemispheric coherence was found in Chinese reading. EEG coherence of 32 healthy normal participants during a resting condition, English, and Chinese reading were computed and compared. The results revealed that Chinese reading was generally associated with higher theta coherence than the resting condition and English reading. Specifically, theta coherence during Chinese reading showed an increased intrahemispheric connection in the left hemisphere and interhemispheric connections over the temporal, central and parietal/occipital regions, compared to English reading. These results suggest that interhemispheric cooperation between neuronal substrates in these regions is associated with Chinese reading, and that both hemispheres are involved in Chinese reading.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-chun Cheung
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Grabner RH, Brunner C, Leeb R, Neuper C, Pfurtscheller G. Event-related EEG theta and alpha band oscillatory responses during language translation. Brain Res Bull 2007; 72:57-65. [PMID: 17303508 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2007.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2006] [Revised: 12/06/2006] [Accepted: 01/02/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent investigations on oscillatory EEG dynamics by means of event-related synchronisation and desynchronisation (ERS/ERD) suggest that first language semantic information processing is primarily reflected in the theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha (7-13 Hz) frequency bands. In this pilot study we explore whether similar ERS/ERD patterns emerge during language translation and which frequency bands sensitively respond to the difficulty of translation and the translation success. Thirteen female students of translation and interpreting were visually presented high and low frequency English words that had to be translated into German. Time-frequency representations of ERS/ERD between 2 and 50 Hz displayed a theta ERS response about 200-600 ms after word presentation, a beta ERD from about 400 ms, and alpha ERS and ERD patterns about 200-400 ms after word presentation. Statistical analyses of the ERS/ERD data in the theta (4-7 Hz), two alpha frequency bands (7-10 Hz and 10-13 Hz), and a beta band (20-30 Hz) predominantly revealed: (a) higher parietal theta ERS and frontal upper alpha ERD during the translation of low as compared to high frequency words, and (b) generally stronger ERD in the lower alpha band and larger left-hemispheric upper alpha ERD for successfully translated in contrast to not translated low frequency words. These findings provide first evidence of the sensitivity of the theta and alpha ERS/ERD measure to lexical-semantic processes involved in language translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roland H Grabner
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2/III; A-8010 Graz, Austria.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|