scholarly journals Individual alpha power predicts language comprehension

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Wang ◽  
Yifei He ◽  
Burkhard Maess ◽  
Jinxing Yue ◽  
Luyao Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

Alpha power attenuation during cognitive task performing has been suggested to reflect a process of release of inhibition, increase of excitability, and thereby benefit the improvement of performance. Here, we hypothesized that changes in individual alpha power during the execution of a complex language comprehension task may correlate with the individual performance in that task. We tested this using magnetoencephalography (MEG) recorded during comprehension of German sentences of different syntactic complexity. Results showed that neither the frequency nor the power of the spontaneous oscillatory activity at rest were associated with the individual performance. However, during the execution of a sentences processing task, the individual alpha power attenuation did correlate with individual language comprehension performance. Source reconstruction localized effects in temporal-parietal regions of both hemispheres. While the effect of increased task difficulty is localized in the right hemisphere, the difference in power attenuation between tasks of different complexity exhibiting a correlation with performance was localized in left temporal-parietal brain regions known to be associated with language processing. From our results, we conclude that in-task attenuation of individual alpha power is related to the essential mechanisms of the underlying cognitive processes, rather than merely to general phenomena like attention or vigilance.

The Structural Language Network

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela D. Friederici ◽  
Noam Chomsky
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Fiber Tracts ◽  
White Matter Fiber Tracts ◽  
The Right

An adequate description of the neural basis of language processing must consider the entire network both with respect to its structural white matter connections and the functional connectivities between the different brain regions as the information has to be sent between different language-related regions distributed across the temporal and frontal cortex. This chapter discusses the white matter fiber bundles that connect the language-relevant regions. The chapter is broken into three sections. In the first, we look at the white matter fiber tracts connecting the language-relevant regions in the frontal and temporal cortices; in the second, the ventral and dorsal pathways in the right hemisphere that connect temporal and frontal regions; and finally in the third, the two syntax-relevant and (at least) one semantic-relevant neuroanatomically-defined networks that sentence processing is based on. From this discussion, it becomes clear that online language processing requires information transfer via the long-range white matter fiber pathways that connect the language-relevant brain regions within each hemisphere and between hemispheres.

The Brain Basis of Language Processing: From Structure to Function

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 1357-1392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela D. Friederici
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Posterior Portion ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Marker Studies ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Brain

Language processing is a trait of human species. The knowledge about its neurobiological basis has been increased considerably over the past decades. Different brain regions in the left and right hemisphere have been identified to support particular language functions. Networks involving the temporal cortex and the inferior frontal cortex with a clear left lateralization were shown to support syntactic processes, whereas less lateralized temporo-frontal networks subserve semantic processes. These networks have been substantiated both by functional as well as by structural connectivity data. Electrophysiological measures indicate that within these networks syntactic processes of local structure building precede the assignment of grammatical and semantic relations in a sentence. Suprasegmental prosodic information overtly available in the acoustic language input is processed predominantly in a temporo-frontal network in the right hemisphere associated with a clear electrophysiological marker. Studies with patients suffering from lesions in the corpus callosum reveal that the posterior portion of this structure plays a crucial role in the interaction of syntactic and prosodic information during language processing.

scholarly journals A Review on Treatment-Related Brain Changes in Aphasia

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 402-433
Author(s):  
Klara Schevenels ◽  
Cathy J. Price ◽  
Inge Zink ◽  
Bert De Smedt ◽  
Maaike Vandermosten
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Language Recovery ◽  
Brain Changes ◽  
The Right

Numerous studies have investigated brain changes associated with interventions targeting a range of language problems in patients with aphasia. We strive to integrate the results of these studies to examine (1) whether the focus of the intervention (i.e., phonology, semantics, orthography, syntax, or rhythmic-melodic) determines in which brain regions changes occur; and (2a) whether the most consistent changes occur within the language network or outside, and (2b) whether these are related to individual differences in language outcomes. The results of 32 studies with 204 unique patients were considered. Concerning (1), the location of treatment-related changes does not clearly depend on the type of language processing targeted. However, there is some support that rhythmic-melodic training has more impact on the right hemisphere than linguistic training. Concerning (2), we observed that language recovery is not only associated with changes in traditional language-related structures in the left hemisphere and homolog regions in the right hemisphere, but also with more medial and subcortical changes (e.g., precuneus and basal ganglia). Although it is difficult to draw strong conclusions, because there is a lack of systematic large-scale studies on this topic, this review highlights the need for an integrated approach to investigate how language interventions impact on the brain. Future studies need to focus on larger samples preserving subject-specific information (e.g., lesion effects) to cope with the inherent heterogeneity of stroke-induced aphasia. In addition, recovery-related changes in whole-brain connectivity patterns need more investigation to provide a comprehensive neural account of treatment-related brain plasticity and language recovery.

scholarly journals Resting state alpha oscillatory activity is a valid and reliable marker of schizotypy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Trajkovic ◽  
Francesco Di Gregorio ◽  
Francesca Ferri ◽  
Chiara Marzi ◽  
Stefano Diciotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Normal Population ◽  
Alpha Activity ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Loop Current ◽  
Clinical Tool ◽  
Reliable Marker ◽  
The Right

AbstractSchizophrenia is among the most debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders. However, clear neurophysiological markers that would identify at-risk individuals represent still an unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate possible alterations in the resting alpha oscillatory activity in normal population high on schizotypy trait, a physiological condition known to be severely altered in patients with schizophrenia. Direct comparison of resting-state EEG oscillatory activity between Low and High Schizotypy Group (LSG and HSG) has revealed a clear right hemisphere alteration in alpha activity of the HSG. Specifically, HSG shows a significant slowing down of right hemisphere posterior alpha frequency and an altered distribution of its amplitude, with a tendency towards a reduction in the right hemisphere in comparison to LSG. Furthermore, altered and reduced connectivity in the right fronto-parietal network within the alpha range was found in the HSG. Crucially, a trained pattern classifier based on these indices of alpha activity was able to successfully differentiate HSG from LSG on tested participants further confirming the specific importance of right hemispheric alpha activity and intrahemispheric functional connectivity. By combining alpha activity and connectivity measures with a machine learning predictive model optimized in a nested stratified cross-validation loop, current research offers a promising clinical tool able to identify individuals at-risk of developing psychosis (i.e., high schizotypy individuals).

scholarly journals Emotional aspects of language

ANALES RANM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 135 (135(02)) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
J.A. Hinojosa ◽  
E.M. Moreno ◽  
P. Ferré ◽  
M.A. Pozo
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Emotional Content ◽  
Current Work ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Emotional Aspects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
And Linguistics

Up to date the study of the relationship between language and emotion has received little attention from researchers. In the current work we will summarize evidence coming from the fields of developmental psychology and affective neurolinguistics. The results from different studies indicate that learning emotional language has its own idiosyncrasy. Also, the emotional content of words, sentences and texts modulates several levels of language processing, including phonological, lexico-semantic and morpho-syntactic aspects of language comprehension and production. Finally, the interactions between language and emotion involve the activation of several brain regions linked to distinct affective and linguistics processes, like parts of frontal and temporal cortices or subcortical structures such as the amygdala. Overall, the results of these studies clearly show that emotional content determines certain aspects of how we acquire and process language.

scholarly journals Functional connectivity in task-negative network of the Deaf: effects of sign language experience

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evie Malaia ◽  
Thomas M Talavage ◽  
Ronnie B Wilbur
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Sensory Deprivation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Visual Signal ◽  
Deaf Signers

Prior studies investigating cortical processing in Deaf signers suggest that life-long experience with sign language and/or auditory deprivation may alter the brain’s anatomical structure and the function of brain regions typically recruited for auditory processing (Emmorey et al., 2010; Pénicaud, et al., 2012 inter alia). We report the first investigation of the task-negative network in Deaf signers and its functional connectivity – the temporal correlations among spatially remote neurophysiological events. We show that Deaf signers manifest increased functional connectivity between posterior cingulate/precuneus and left medial temporal gyrus (MTG), but also inferior parietal lobe and medial temporal gyrus in the right hemisphere- areas that have been found to show functional recruitment specifically during sign language processing. These findings suggest that the organization of the brain at the level of inter-network connectivity is likely affected by experience with processing visual language, although sensory deprivation could be another source of the difference. We hypothesize that connectivity alterations in the task negative network reflect predictive/automatized processing of the visual signal.

scholarly journals Time Perception through the Processing of Verb Tenses: An ERP study regarding Mental Time Travel

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charalabos Papageorgiou ◽  
Anastasios E. Giannopoulos ◽  
Athanasios S. Fokas ◽  
Paul M. Thompson ◽  
Nikolaos C. Kapsalis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Time Travel ◽  
Temporal Organization ◽  
Mental Time Travel ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Alpha Oscillations ◽  
Biological Time ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Right

ABSTRACTHumans are equipped with the so-called Mental Time Travel (MTT) ability, which allows them to consciously construct and elaborate past or future scenes. The mechanisms underlying MTT remain elusive. This study focused on the late positive potential (LPP) and alpha oscillations, considering that LPP covaries with the temporal continuity whereas the alpha oscillations index the temporal organization of perception. To that end, subjects were asked to focus on performing two mental functions engaging working memory, which involved mental self-projection into either the present-past (PP) border or the present-future (PF) border. To evaluate underlying mechanisms, the evoked frontal late positive potentials (LPP) as well as their cortical sources were analyzed via the standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) technique. The LPP amplitudes - in the left lateral prefrontal areas that were elicited during PF tasks - were significantly higher than those associated with PP, whereas opposite patterns were observed in the central and right prefrontal areas. Crucially, the LPP activations of both the PP and PF self-projections overlapped with the brain’s default mode network and related interacting areas. Finally, we found enhanced alpha-related activation with respect to PP in comparison to PF, predominantly over the right hemisphere central brain regions (specifically, the precentral gyrus). These findings confirm that the two types of self-projection, as reflected by the frontally-distributed LPP, share common cortical resources that recruit different brain regions in a balanced way. This balanced distribution of brain activation might signify that biological time tends to behave in a homeostatic way.

scholarly journals Moral judgement by the disconnected left and right cerebral hemispheres: a split-brain investigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 170172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor M. Steckler ◽  
J. Kiley Hamlin ◽  
Michael B. Miller ◽  
Danielle King ◽  
Alan Kingstone
Keyword(s):  
Brain Research ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Moral Judgement ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Split Brain ◽  
Moral Judgements ◽  
The Right ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient

Owing to the hemispheric isolation resulting from a severed corpus callosum, research on split-brain patients can help elucidate the brain regions necessary and sufficient for moral judgement. Notably, typically developing adults heavily weight the intentions underlying others' moral actions, placing greater importance on valenced intentions versus outcomes when assigning praise and blame. Prioritization of intent in moral judgements may depend on neural activity in the right hemisphere's temporoparietal junction, an area implicated in reasoning about mental states. To date, split-brain research has found that the right hemisphere is necessary for intent-based moral judgement. When testing the left hemisphere using linguistically based moral vignettes, split-brain patients evaluate actions based on outcomes, not intentions. Because the right hemisphere has limited language ability relative to the left, and morality paradigms to date have involved significant linguistic demands, it is currently unknown whether the right hemisphere alone generates intent-based judgements. Here we use nonlinguistic morality plays with split-brain patient J.W. to examine the moral judgements of the disconnected right hemisphere, demonstrating a clear focus on intent. This finding indicates that the right hemisphere is not only necessary but also sufficient for intent-based moral judgement, advancing research into the neural systems supporting the moral sense.

Bihemispheric Language: How the Two Hemispheres Collaborate in the Processing of Language

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman D. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Central Question ◽  
Linguistic Processing ◽  
Figures Of Speech ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
The Right

Speech production in most people is strongly lateralized to the left hemisphere (LH), but language understanding is generally a bilateral activity. At every level of linguistic processing that has been investigated experimentally, the right hemisphere (RH) has been found to make characteristic contributions, from the processing of the affective aspects of intonation, through the appreciation of word connotations, the decoding of the meaning of metaphors and figures of speech, to the understanding of the overall coherency of verbal humour, paragraphs and short stories. If both hemispheres are indeed engaged in linguistic decoding and both processes are required to achieve a normal level of understanding, a central question concerns how the separate language functions on the left and right are integrated. This chapter reviews relevant studies on the hemispheric contributions to language processing and the role of interhemispheric communications in cognition.

scholarly journals Estimation of gender-specific connectional brain templates using joint multi-view cortical morphological network integration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Chaari ◽  
Hatice Camgöz Akdağ ◽  
Islem Rekik
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Network Clustering ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Clustering Model ◽  
Net Method ◽  
The Right ◽  
Gender Specific

Abstract The estimation of a connectional brain template (CBT) integrating a population of brain networks while capturing shared and differential connectional patterns across individuals remains unexplored in gender fingerprinting. This paper presents the first study to estimate gender-specific CBTs using multi-view cortical morphological networks (CMNs) estimated from conventional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Specifically, each CMN view is derived from a specific cortical attribute (e.g. thickness), encoded in a network quantifying the dissimilarity in morphology between pairs of cortical brain regions. To this aim, we propose Multi-View Clustering and Fusion Network (MVCF-Net), a novel multi-view network fusion method, which can jointly identify consistent and differential clusters of multi-view datasets in order to capture simultaneously similar and distinct connectional traits of samples. Our MVCF-Net method estimates a representative and well-centered CBTs for male and female populations, independently, to eventually identify their fingerprinting regions of interest (ROIs) in four main steps. First, we perform multi-view network clustering model based on manifold optimization which groups CMNs into shared and differential clusters while preserving their alignment across views. Second, for each view, we linearly fuse CMNs belonging to each cluster, producing local CBTs. Third, for each cluster, we non-linearly integrate the local CBTs across views, producing a cluster-specific CBT. Finally, by linearly fusing the cluster-specific centers we estimate a final CBT of the input population. MVCF-Net produced the most centered and representative CBTs for male and female populations and identified the most discriminative ROIs marking gender differences. The most two gender-discriminative ROIs involved the lateral occipital cortex and pars opercularis in the left hemisphere and the middle temporal gyrus and lingual gyrus in the right hemisphere.

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