The Neurobiology of Sensory and Language Processing in Language-Impaired Children

1993 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen J. Neville ◽  
Sharon A. Coffey ◽  
Phillip J. Holcomb ◽  
Paula Tallal
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Temporal Discrimination ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Neurophysiological Studies ◽  
Abnormal Performance

Clinical, behavioral, and neurophysiological studies of developmental language impairment (LI), including reading disability (RD), have variously emphasized different factors that may contribute to this disorder. These include abnormal sensory processing within both the auditory and visual modalities and deficits in linguistic skills and in general cognitive abilities. In this study we employed the event-related brain potential (ERP) technique in a series of studies to probe and compare Merent aspects of functioning within the same sample of LI/RD children. Within the group multiple aspects of processing were affected, but heterogeneously across the sample. ERP components linked to processing within the superior temporal gyrus were abnormal in a subset of children that displayed abnormal performance on an auditory temporal discrimination task. An early component of the visual ERP was reduced in amplitude in the group as a whole. The relevance of this effect to current conceptions of substreams within the visual system is discussed. During a sentence processing task abnormal hemispheric specialization was observed in a subset of children who scored poorly on tests of grammar. By contrast the group as a whole displayed abnormally large responses to words requiring contextual integration. The results imply that multiple factors can contribute to the profile of language impairment and that different and specific deficits occur heterogeneously across populations of LI/RD children.

scholarly journals Functional topography of auditory areas derived from the combination of electrophysiological recordings and cortical electrical stimulation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnès Trébuchon ◽  
F.-Xavier Alario ◽  
Catherine Liégeois-Chauvel
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Posterior Part ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Depth Electrodes ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings

The posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) has long been known to be a crucial hub for auditory and language processing, at the crossroad of the functionally defined ventral and dorsal pathways. Anatomical studies have shown that this “auditory cortex” is composed of several cytoarchitectonic areas whose limits do not consistently match macro-anatomic landmarks like gyral and sulcal borders. The functional characterization of these areas derived from brain imaging studies has some limitations, even when high field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used, because of the variability observed in the extension of these areas between hemispheres and individuals. In patients implanted with depth electrodes, in vivo recordings and direct electrical stimulations of the different sub-parts of the posterior STG allow to delineate different auditory sub-fields in Heschl’s gyrus (HG), Planum Temporale (PT), the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus anterior to HG, the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), and the region at the parietal-temporal boundary commonly labelled “Spt”. We describe how this delineation can be achieved using data from electrical cortical stimulation combined with local field potentials and time frequency analysis recorded as responses to pure tones and syllables. We show the differences in functional roles between the primary and non-primary auditory areas, in the left and the right hemispheres. We discuss how these findings help understanding the auditory semiology of certain epileptic seizures and, more generally, the neural substrate of hemispheric specialization for language.

scholarly journals Functional Topography of Auditory Areas Derived From the Combination of Electrophysiological Recordings and Cortical Electrical Stimulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnès Trébuchon ◽  
F.-Xavier Alario ◽  
Catherine Liégeois-Chauvel
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Posterior Part ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Depth Electrodes ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
The Right

The posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) has long been known to be a crucial hub for auditory and language processing, at the crossroad of the functionally defined ventral and dorsal pathways. Anatomical studies have shown that this “auditory cortex” is composed of several cytoarchitectonic areas whose limits do not consistently match macro-anatomic landmarks like gyral and sulcal borders. The only method to record and accurately distinguish neuronal activity from the different auditory sub-fields of primary auditory cortex, located in the tip of Heschl and deeply buried in the Sylvian fissure, is to use stereotaxically implanted depth electrodes (Stereo-EEG) for pre-surgical evaluation of patients with epilepsy. In this prospective, we focused on how anatomo-functional delineation in Heschl’s gyrus (HG), Planum Temporale (PT), the posterior part of the STG anterior to HG, the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), and the region at the parietal-temporal boundary commonly labeled “SPT” can be achieved using data from electrical cortical stimulation combined with electrophysiological recordings during listening to pure tones and syllables. We show the differences in functional roles between the primary and non-primary auditory areas, in the left and the right hemispheres. We discuss how these findings help understanding the auditory semiology of certain epileptic seizures and, more generally, the neural substrate of hemispheric specialization for language.

scholarly journals Preservation of Language Processing and Auditory Performance in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness: A Multimodal Assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Ferraro ◽  
Anna Nigri ◽  
Ludovico D'Incerti ◽  
Cristina Rosazza ◽  
Davide Sattin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Minimally Conscious State ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Conscious State ◽  
Disorders Of Consciousness ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
The Core ◽  
Core Language ◽  
The Impact

The impact of language impairment on the clinical assessment of patients suffering from disorders of consciousness (DOC) is unknown or underestimated and may mask the presence of conscious behavior. In a group of DOC patients (n = 11; time post-injury range: 5–252 months), we investigated the main neural functional and structural underpinnings of linguistic processing, and their relationship with the behavioral measures of the auditory function using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). We assessed the integrity of the brainstem auditory pathways, of the left superior temporal gyrus and arcuate fasciculus, the neural activity elicited by passive listening of an auditory language task, and the mean hemispheric glucose metabolism. Our results support the hypothesis of a relationship between the level of preservation of the investigated structures/functions and the CRS-R auditory subscale scores. Moreover, our findings indicate that patients in minimally conscious state minus (MCS−): (1) when presenting the auditory startle (at the CRS-R auditory subscale) might be aphasic in the receptive domain, being severely impaired in the core language structures/functions; (2) when presenting the localization to sound might retain language processing, being almost intact or intact in the core language structures/functions. Despite the small group of investigated patients, our findings provide a grounding of the clinical measures of the CRS-R auditory subscale in the integrity of the underlying auditory structures/functions. Future studies are needed to confirm our results that might have important consequences for the clinical practice.

scholarly journals Typical and atypical language brain organization based on intrinsic connectivity and multitask functional asymmetries

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loïc Labache ◽  
Bernard Mazoyer ◽  
Marc Joliot ◽  
Fabrice Crivello ◽  
Isabelle Hesling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Joint Investigation ◽  
Intrinsic Connectivity ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
State Organization

Based on the joint investigation in 287 healthy volunteers (150 left-Handers (LH)) of language task-induced asymmetries and intrinsic connectivity strength of the sentence-processing supramodal network, we show that individuals with atypical rightward language lateralization (N = 30, 25 LH) do not rely on an organization that simply mirrors that of typical leftward lateralized individuals. Actually, the resting-state organization in the atypicals showed that their sentence processing was underpinned by left and right networks both wired for language processing and highly interacting by strong interhemispheric intrinsic connectivity and larger corpus callosum volume. Such a loose hemispheric specialization for language permits the hosting of language in either the left and/or right hemisphere as assessed by a very high incidence of dissociations across various language task-induced asymmetries in this group.

scholarly journals Typical and atypical language brain organization based on intrinsic connectivity and multitask functional asymmetries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loïc Labache ◽  
Bernard Mazoyer ◽  
Marc Joliot ◽  
Fabrice Crivello ◽  
Isabelle Hesling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Joint Investigation ◽  
Intrinsic Connectivity ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
State Organization

ABSTRACTBased on the joint investigation in 287 healthy volunteers (150 Left-Handers (LH)) of language task-induced asymmetries and intrinsic connectivity strength of the sentence-processing supramodal network, we show that individuals with atypical rightward language lateralization (N = 30, 25 LH) do not rely on an organization that simply mirrors that of typical leftward lateralized individuals. Actually, the resting-state organization in the atypicals showed that their sentence processing was underpinned by left and right networks both wired for language processing and highly interacting by strong interhemispheric intrinsic connectivity and larger corpus callosum volume. Such a loose hemispheric specialization for language permits the hosting of language in either the left and/or right hemisphere as assessed by a very high incidence of dissociations across various language task-induced asymmetries in this group.

Working Memory and Language

2007 ◽  
pp. 756-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Gathercole
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Term Memory

This article examines what roles, if any, working memory plays in the human capabilities to handle language. One possibility is that language comprehension is dependent upon working memory, as a consequence of the ephemeral nature of the speech input. A second is that the working memory system supports the learning of language rather than language processing per se. The article argues that in fact this is by far the most significant contribution made by working memory to the human facility with language. Individually and in concert, the subsystems of working memory play vital and highly specific roles, both in language learning in particular and in learning more generally. The article first describes the concept of working memory, and then discusses sentence processing and short-term memory, vocabulary acquisition and verbal short-term memory, and specific language impairment and working memory.

Processing subject focus across two Spanish varieties

Probus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-127
Author(s):  
Bradley Hoot ◽  
Tania Leal
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Word Order ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Final Position ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
New Information ◽  
Basic Facts

AbstractLinguists have keenly studied the realization of focus – the part of the sentence introducing new information – because it involves the interaction of different linguistic modules. Syntacticians have argued that Spanish uses word order for information-structural purposes, marking focused constituents via rightmost movement. However, recent studies have challenged this claim. To contribute sentence-processing evidence, we conducted a self-paced reading task and a judgment task with Mexican and Catalonian Spanish speakers. We found that movement to final position can signal focus in Spanish, in contrast to the aforementioned work. We contextualize our results within the literature, identifying three basic facts that theories of Spanish focus and theories of language processing should explain, and advance a fourth: that mismatches in information-structural expectations can induce processing delays. Finally, we propose that some differences in the existing experimental results may stem from methodological differences.

Timing, Storage, and Comparison of Stimulus Duration Engage Discrete Anatomical Components of a Perceptual Timing Network

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 2185-2197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer T. Coull ◽  
Bruno Nazarian ◽  
Franck Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Stimulus Duration ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Temporal Discrimination ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Motor Preparation ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Temporal Encoding ◽  
Perceptual Timing ◽  
The Right

The temporal discrimination paradigm requires subjects to compare the duration of a probe stimulus to that of a sample previously stored in working or long-term memory, thus providing an index of timing that is independent of a motor response. However, the estimation process itself comprises several component cognitive processes, including timing, storage, retrieval, and comparison of durations. Previous imaging studies have attempted to disentangle these components by simply measuring brain activity during early versus late scanning epochs. We aim to improve the temporal resolution and precision of this approach by using rapid event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to time-lock the hemodynamic response to presentation of the sample and probe stimuli themselves. Compared to a control (color-estimation) task, which was matched in terms of difficulty, sustained attention, and motor preparation requirements, we found selective activation of the left putamen for the storage (“encoding”) of stimulus duration into working memory (WM). Moreover, increased putamen activity was linked to enhanced timing performance, suggesting that the level of putamen activity may modulate the depth of temporal encoding. Retrieval and comparison of stimulus duration in WM selectively activated the right superior temporal gyrus. Finally, the supplementary motor area was equally active during both sample and probe stages of the task, suggesting a fundamental role in timing the duration of a stimulus that is currently unfolding in time.

Sentence processing in language-impaired children under conditions of filtering and time compression

1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Stark ◽  
James W. Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Monitoring Task ◽  
Time Compression ◽  
Lower Accuracy ◽  
On Line ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Monitoring Performance

ABSTRACTNineteen language-impaired (LI) and 20 language-normal (LN) children participated in an on-line word-monitoring task. Words were presented in lists and in sentences readily comprehended by younger children. The sentences were unaltered, tow-pass filtered, and time- compressed. Both groups had shorter mean response times (MRTs), but lower accuracy, for words in sentences than words in lists. The LI children had significantly longer MRTs under sentence conditions and lower accuracy overall than the LN children. Filtering had an adverse effect upon accuracy and MRT for both subject groups. Time compression did not, suggesting that the reduction in high-frequency information and the rate of presentation exert different effects. Subject differences in attention, as well as in linguistic competence and motor control, may have influenced word-monitoring performance.

Early Lexical Acquisition in Children with Specific Language Impairment

1982 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence B. Leonard ◽  
Richard G. Schwartz ◽  
Kathy Chapman ◽  
Lynne E. Rowan ◽  
Patricia A. Prelock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Lexical Acquisition ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Linguistic Development ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Similar Tendency

This study examined the characteristics of early lexical acquisition in children with specific language impairment. Sixteen unfamiliar words and referents were exposed across 10 sessions to language-impaired and normal children matched for level of linguistic development. Posttesting revealed similar comprehension-production gaps in the two groups of children. In addition, both groups showed greater comprehension and production of words referring to objects than words referring to actions. However, the language-impaired children's object word bias was not as marked as that of the normal children. For both groups, words containing initial consonants within the children's production repertoires were more likely to be acquired in production than words containing consonants absent from the children's phonologies. A similar tendency was not seen for comprehension.

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