scholarly journals Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Listening Effort in Young Children with Cochlear Implants

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Amanda Saksida ◽  
Sara Ghiselli ◽  
Stefano Bembich ◽  
Alessandro Scorpecci ◽  
Sara Giannantonio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Hearing Children

Very early bilateral implantation is thought to significantly reduce the attentional effort required to acquire spoken language, and consequently offer a profound improvement in quality of life. Despite the early intervention, however, auditory and communicative outcomes in children with cochlear implants remain poorer than in hearing children. The distorted auditory input via the cochlear implants requires more auditory attention resulting in increased listening effort and fatigue. Listening effort and fatigue may critically affect attention to speech, and in turn language processing, which may help to explain the variation in language and communication abilities. However, measuring attention to speech and listening effort is demanding in infants and very young children. Three objective techniques for measuring listening effort are presented in this paper that may address the challenges of testing very young and/or uncooperative children with cochlear implants: pupillometry, electroencephalography, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We review the studies of listening effort that used these techniques in paediatric populations with hearing loss, and discuss potential benefits of the systematic evaluation of listening effort in these populations.

Bilingual effects on cognitive shifting and prefrontal activations in young children

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 729-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Moriguchi ◽  
Kanda Lertladaluck
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nursery School ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Neural Processing ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Cognitive Shifting

Aims and objectives: Bilingual children constantly experience spontaneous switching between languages in everyday settings, and some researchers suggest that this experience leads to an advantage in task performance during executive function tasks. Neural processing during executive function tasks remains largely unknown, especially in young bilingual children. Methodology: Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, this study examined whether young children who attended an immersion second-language program demonstrated enhanced cognitive shifting and lateral prefrontal activation. Data and analysis: We recruited children ( N = 24) who attended an international nursery school, and examined whether their performance on cognitive shifting, and whether the oxygenated hemoglobin changes in the prefrontal regions during the task, were correlated with the children’s second-language verbal age and the length of time the children had been speaking the second language. Findings: Results revealed that the verbal age of the second language and the length of time speaking it were significantly correlated with behavioral performances of cognitive shifting tasks. However, they were not correlated with the activations in the lateral prefrontal regions. Originality: We examined the neural correlates of bilingual effects on cognitive shifting and prefrontal activations in young children. Implications: The results suggest that second-language experience may not be directly related to neural processing in the lateral prefrontal cortex, at least in young children.

Pediatric Cochlear Implant Mapping Via Telepractice

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (18) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle L. Hughes ◽  
Jenny L. Goehring ◽  
Margaret K. Miller ◽  
Sara N. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Testing ◽  
Testing Methods ◽  
Speech Processor ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Behavioral Methods

Several studies have empirically examined the feasibility and outcomes of remote programming for adults with cochlear implants. Results indicate that equivalent programming levels can be obtained in both the remote and in-person conditions, suggesting that distance technology is a viable alternative to traditional in-person programming methods. Young children, however, require different audiological testing methods to obtain the behavioral responses necessary for speech-processor programming. No studies have empirically evaluated the use of remote programming with the behavioral methods specific to testing young children. Further, young children present additional challenges to behavioral testing (e.g., ability to condition or cooperate) that can lead to the need for additional visits beyond those required for regular programming. This paper describes the potential benefits of remote programming over those achieved for adults, and describes the study design and preliminary results from our current study aimed at validating the use of remote processor programming for young children with cochlear implants (CIs).

Shedding Light on Language Function and Its Development with Optical Brain Imaging

2019 ◽  
pp. 153-185
Author(s):  
Yasuyo Minagawa ◽  
Alejandrina Cristia
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Range Of Movement ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Data Contamination ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Scientific Attention

Language can be described as a ubiquitous marvel: Nearly all humans acquire and process their native language(s) effortlessly. The neural bases of both acquisition and processing have long captured scientific attention. The study of the brain networks underlying language development, perception, and production was facilitated by the advent of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which has led to a remarkable expansion of language studies, particularly on developing populations. This chapter introduces the technique, discussing the advantages and disadvantages relative to other common methods. It is argued that fNIRS provides an interesting compromise for the case of language studies in particular, given that it has a moderate spatial resolution, it is inexpensive and silent, and it is moderately tolerant of a range of movement. The chapter then turns to experimental design, instrumentation, and data analyses. In addition to laying out a number of potential options for each, it provides readers with useful practical advice, ranging from how to decide on the placement of optodes on the participant’s head to how to avoid data contamination due to muscular and other diverse artefacts. Next, the chapter provides a brief summary of three key strands of research in the study of language acquisition. In particular, it discusses the evidence for and against the presence of specific biases leading to left-dominant speech processing, the emergence of multi-region brain networks for language processing, and the use of fNIRS among clinical populations. It concludes by discussing likely advances in the near future of the technique.

scholarly journals The neurodevelopmental basis of humor appreciation: A fNIRS study of young children

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0259422
Author(s):  
Naama Mayseless ◽  
Allan L. Reiss
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Pronounced Increase ◽  
Humor Appreciation

Humor is crucial for social development. Despite this, very few studies have examined the neurodevelopment of humor in very young children, and none to date have used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study this important cognitive construct. The main aim of the current study was to characterize the neural basis of humor processing in young children between the ages of 6–8 years. Thirty-five healthy children (6–8 years old) watched funny and neutral video clips while undergoing fNIRS imaging. We observed activation increases in left temporo-occipito-parietal junction (TOPJ), inferior-parietal lobe (IPL), dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior parietal lobe (SPL) regions. Activation in left TOPJ was positively correlated with age. In addition, we found that coherence increased in humor viewing compared to neutral content, mainly between remote regions. This effect was different for boys and girls, as boys showed a more pronounced increase in coherence for funny compared to neutral videos, more so in frontoparietal networks. These results expand our understanding of the neurodevelopment of humor by highlighting the effect of age on the neural basis of humor appreciation as well as emphasizing different developmental trajectories of boys and girls.

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Lloyd-Fox
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Object Processing ◽  
Set Up

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) provides an essential bridge between our knowledge of adult human brain function and our current understanding of the developing brain. The capacity for fNIRS to provide localized measures of functional activation within awake and mobile infants, combined with a low set-up time and high tolerance to movement, far outweigh the limitations of fNIRS. To date, fNIRS has been applied to the study of object processing, social cognition, language, attention, learning and memory, functional connectivity, and recently to social and affective touch. Furthermore, it has been adopted by researchers targeting specific developmental populations including developmental disorders, cochlear implants and hearing loss, prematurity, and global health environmental and psychosocial risk factors. As fNIRS research continues to rapidly expand, it is paramount that the interpretation of, and subsequent claims arising from, fNIRS data are informed by a clear understanding of the complexities of fNIRS measurements.

scholarly journals Inhibitory Control in Children 4–10 Years of Age: Evidence From Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Task-Based Observations

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhou ◽  
Elizabeth M. Planalp ◽  
Lauren Heinrich ◽  
Colleen Pletcher ◽  
Marissa DiPiero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Prefrontal Function ◽  
The Right

Executive function (EF) is essential to child development, with associated skills beginning to emerge in the first few years of life and continuing to develop into adolescence and adulthood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), which follows a neurodevelopmental timeline similar to EF, plays an important role in the development of EF. However, limited research has examined prefrontal function in young children due to limitations of currently available neuroimaging techniques such as functional resonance magnetic imaging (fMRI). The current study developed and applied a multimodal Go/NoGo task to examine the EF component of inhibitory control in children 4–10 years of age. Cortical activity was measured using a non-invasive and child-friendly neuroimaging technique – functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Children’s response accuracy and reaction times were captured during the fNIRS session and compared with responses obtained using the standardized assessments from NIH Toolbox cognition battery. Results showed significant correlations between the behavioral measures during the fNIRS session and the standardized EF assessments, in line with our expectations. Results from fNIRS measures demonstrated a significant, age-independent effect of inhibitory control (IC) in the right PFC (rPFC), and an age-dependent effect in the left orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC), consistent with results in previous studies using fNIRS and fMRI. Thus, the new task designed for fNIRS was suitable for examining IC in young children, and results showed that fNIRS measures can reveal prefrontal IC function.

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