Monthly Archives: July 2011
Phonological development in children learning Finnish: A review
The language to which children are exposed has been shown to have a direct effect on their early phonological development. Despite a growing body of data from cross-linguistic studies and studies on phonological development in various language environments, English still often serves as a benchmark for comparative studies. This article reviews general trends in phonological development and compares them with the latest studies on children acquiring Finnish. The main goal is to explore the course and timing of the development in children acquiring Finnish by bringing together recent research from phonemic inventories and phonotactics, including word length acquisition. Key developmental steps of phonological development are identified and directions for future research are recommended.
from First Language
A comparative and dynamic approach to the development of determiner use in three children acquiring different languages
The study investigates the development of determiner use in three children acquiring French, Austrian German and Dutch, from the onset of language until age 3;0. Noun constructions (determiner omission, correct bare nouns, filler and determiner uses) in the children and in their inputs are analysed, providing evidence of similarities in developmental shape as well as differences in frequencies and timing. As expected, determiner use was delayed in the Germanic languages as compared to French. Differences between the Austrian and the Dutch child were explained by language properties and by child characteristics. Modelling dynamic input–output relations provided evidence of styles of long-term parental adaptation (accommodation for the French and complementarity for the Dutch and Austrian children).
from First Language
Topicalization and object omission in child language
This article offers a closer look at the relationship between object omission in child language and the acquisition of object clitics. The study isolates a context in French where the use of an object clitic is not only possible, or optimal, but mostly obligatory in the adult grammar, namely the clitic left-dislocation context. In addition, the article contrasts French with English, a language that requires a null element in a similar context, topicalization. By exploring the topicalization structures, the study separates the acquisition of object clitics from object omission phenomena. The results confirm those obtained from other experimental methods and from naturalistic observation: French children, in contrast to adults, uniformly prefer null objects across different domains; they continue to do so even in a syntactically triggered context such as clitic left-dislocation. Thus, the article provides evidence for a null object stage in child acquisition independent of the parametric settings of the target language.
from First Language
Auditory Feedback Control of Vocal Pitch during Sustained Vocalization: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adult Aging
These findings demonstrate that the pitch-shift reflex systematically changes across the adult lifespan. Understanding aging-related changes to the role of auditory feedback is critically important for our theoretical understanding of speech production and the clinical applications of that knowledge.
from PLoS ONE
Auditory Memory Decrements, Without Dissimulation, among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Questions have been raised about whether poor performance on memory tasks by individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) might be the result of poor or variable effort or disease-related disruption of neural circuits supporting memory functions. The present study examined performance on a measure of task engagement and on an auditory memory task among 45 patients with MDD (M age = 47.82, SD = 19.55) relative to 32 healthy controls (HC; M age = 51.03, SD = 22.09). One-hundred percent of HC and MDD volunteers performed above the threshold for adequate effort on a formal measure of task engagement. The MDD subjects performed significantly more poorly than the HC subjects on an auditory learning and memory test. The present results suggest that auditory memory difficulties do occur among those with MDD and that decrements in performance in this group may be related to factors other than lack of effort.
Processing Speed and Working Memory Performance in Those with Both ADHD and a Reading Disorder Compared with Those with ADHD Alone
In previous studies, children with both Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a Reading Disorder were found to have more difficulties with processing speed, working memory, and timed as opposed to non-timed executive functioning (EF) measures when compared with those with either disorder alone. The current study found that older adolescents and adults with both disorders also had more difficulties on processing speed and working memory measures than individuals who only had ADHD. There were no differences among non-timed EF scores. These results add support to the premise that common underlying features may be contributing to the high co-morbidity between these disorders and associated cognitive weaknesses.
Additive Neurocognitive Deficits in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Depressive Symptoms
The purpose of this study was to examine the possible additive neurocognitive deficits in adults with both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and serious depressive symptoms. Participants were 54 university students who completed a psycho-educational assessment. Three groups were examined: a group with comorbid ADHD and elevated depressive symptoms (ADHD + DEP; N = 18); a group with ADHD only (N = 18); and a group with elevated depressive symptoms only (DEP; N = 18). Group differences were examined on a battery of neurocognitive tests. The ADHD + DEP group performed significantly worse than the other groups on processing speed tasks and delayed recall of conceptual verbal information and significantly worse than the ADHD group on shifting tasks. Depressive symptom severity was significantly correlated with processing speed, verbal memory performance, and shifting in the ADHD and ADHD + DEP groups. Results suggest that the co-occurrence of ADHD and depressive symptoms in adults is associated with additional neurocognitive impairment.
Sensitivity and Test–Retest Reliability of the International Shopping List Test in Assessing Verbal Learning and Memory in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease
The International Shopping List Test (ISLT) was developed specifically to assess verbal list learning and memory in people from different language and cultural backgrounds. In this paper, we describe three studies that examined the sensitivity and reliability of the ISLT in assessing verbal list learning and memory impairment in English-speaking people with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and evaluated whether measures of retention-weighted recall (RWR) provided greater sensitivity and/or reliability relative to conventional list learning performance measures (e.g., free recall). In Study 1, we compared ISLT performance between patients with AD and matched controls and found that AD patients showed a large magnitude impairment on all ISLT performance measures (Cohen’s d values >2). The RWR measure was more sensitive to detecting AD-related impairment than the free recall measure for Trial 1, although the most sensitive measures of the ISLT were free recall from Trial 3 and delayed recall. In Study 2, we compared RWR and free recall measures between 10- and 12-word versions of the ISLT, but found no difference between performance measures for the different list lengths. In Study 3, we evaluated test–retest reliabilities of the different outcome measures derived from the ISLT and found that measures of free recall had higher reliabilities than the RWR measures. Taken together, results of these studies suggest that measures of total free recall during learning trials and delayed recall from the 12-word version of the ISLT provide the greatest sensitivity to detecting verbal list learning and memory impairment in AD and that this task shows good test–retest reliability.
Examining the Black–White Achievement Gap Among Low-Income Children Using the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development
The Black–White achievement gap in children’s reading and mathematics school performance from 4½ years of age through fifth grade was examined in a sample of 314 lower income American youth followed from birth. Differences in family, child care, and schooling experiences largely explained Black–White differences in achievement, and instructional quality was a stronger predictor for Black than White children. In addition, the achievement gap was detected as young as 3 years of age. Taken together, the findings suggest that reducing the Black–White achievement gap may require early intervention to reduce race gaps in home and school experiences during the infant and toddler years as well as during the preschool and school years.
from Child Development
Can Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders “Hear” a Speaking Face?
This study used eye-tracking methodology to assess audiovisual speech perception in 26 children ranging in age from 5 to 15 years, half with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and half with typical development. Given the characteristic reduction in gaze to the faces of others in children with ASD, it was hypothesized that they would show reduced influence of visual information on heard speech. Responses were compared on a set of auditory, visual, and audiovisual speech perception tasks. Even when fixated on the face of the speaker, children with ASD were less visually influenced than typical development controls. This indicates fundamental differences in the processing of audiovisual speech in children with ASD, which may contribute to their language and communication impairments.
from Child Development
Bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation modulates tinnitus intensity and tinnitus-distress-related brain activity
Bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), with the anodal electrode overlying the right and the cathodal electrode overlying the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, has been shown to suppress tinnitus significantly in 30% of patients. The source localized resting-state electrical activity is recorded before and after bifrontal tDCS in patients who respond to tDCS to unravel the mechanism by which tDCS suppresses tinnitus. The present electroencephalography study (N = 12) provides support for the ability of bifrontal tDCS to suppress tinnitus intensity and tinnitus-related distress by modulation of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal area and right primary auditory cortex in resting-state spontaneous brain activity. These findings provide direct support for tDCS having an impact not only directly on the underlying dorsolateral prefrontal cortex but also indirectly on functionally connected brain areas relevant for tinnitus distress and tinnitus intensity, respectively.
from the European Journal of Neuroscience
A communication-based intervention for nonverbal children with autism: What changes? Who benefits?
Objective: This article examines the form and function of spontaneous communication and outcome predictors in nonverbal children with autism following classroom-based intervention (Picture Exchange Communication System [PECS] training). Method: 84 children from 15 schools participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of PECS (P. Howlin, R. K. Gordon, G. Pasco, A. Wade, & T. Charman, 2007). They were aged 4–10 years (73 boys). Primary outcome measure was naturalistic observation of communication in the classroom. Multilevel Poisson regression was used to test for intervention effects and outcome predictors. Results: Spontaneous communication using picture cards, speech, or both increased significantly following training (rate ratio [RR] =1.90, 95% CI [1.46, 2.48], p < .001; RR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.35, 2.32], p < .001; RR = 3.74, 95% CI [2.19, 6.37], p < .001, respectively). Spontaneous communication to request objects significantly increased (RR = 2.17, 95% CI [1.75, 2.68], p < .001), but spontaneous requesting for social purposes did not (RR = 1.34, 95% CI [0.83, 2.18], p = .237). Only the effect on spontaneous speech persisted by follow-up (9 months later). Less severe baseline autism symptomatology (lower Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule [ADOS] score; C. Lord et al., 2000) was associated with greater increase in spontaneous speech (RR = 0.90, 95% CI [0.83, 0.98], p = .011) and less severe baseline expressive language impairment (lower ADOS item A1 score), with larger increases in spontaneous use of speech and pictures together (RR = 0.62, 95% CI [0.44, 0.88], p = .008). Conclusion: Overall, PECS appeared to enhance children's spontaneous communication for instrumental requesting using pictures, speech, or a combination of both. Some effects of training were moderated by baseline factors. For example, PECS appears to have increased spontaneous speech in children who could talk a little at baseline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)
Reading compounds in neglect dyslexia: the headedness effect
Reading compound words was studied in neglect dyslexia in order to assess the influence of ‘headedness’. The ‘head’ of a compound is the component that determines the grammatical category, the syntactic (e.g., the gender) and the semantic properties of the compound as a whole. For example, in the word ‘blackberry’ berry is the compound’s head. The question was addressed of whether or not the privileged status of the head constituent influences processing and determines behavioural patterns in the breakdown of spatial attention in neglect. Italian right-headed (e.g. capobanda, band leader) and left-headed compounds (e.g. astronave, spaceship) were administered to 18 participants affected by neglect dyslexia. Left-headed compounds were read better than right-headed compounds. This result was not due to factors such as frequency, familiarity, age of acquisition or imageability, since these effects were controlled. It is suggested that attention is captured by the head component after implicit reading of the whole word. The head would require a relatively lighter processing load than the modifier and benefit from top-down facilitation.
from Neuropsychologia
Audiometric characteristics of a Dutch family with Muckle-Wells syndrome
Hearing impairment in MWS is variable and shows resemblance to previously described intra-cochlear conductive hearing impairment. This could be helpful in elucidating the pathogenesis of hearing impairment in Muckle-Wells syndrome. Other associated symptoms of MWS were mild and nonspecific in the present family. Therefore, even without any obvious syndromic features, MWS can be the cause of sensorineural hearing impairment, especially when combined with (mild) skin rash and musculoskeletal symptoms. An early diagnosis of Muckle-Wells syndrome is essential to prevent irreversible damage from amyloidosis. The effect of IL-1β inhibitors on hearing impairment is more controversial, but an early start of treatment seems to be essential. Therefore, our results are of importance in patient care and counselling.
from Hearing Research
Predictability and Novelty in Literal Language Comprehension: An ERP Study
Linguists have suggested one mechanism for the creative extension of meaning in language involves mapping, or constructing correspondences between conceptual domains. For example, the sentence, “The clever boys used a cardboard box as a boat,” sets up a novel mapping between the concepts cardboard box and boat, while “His main method of transportation is a boat,” relies on a more conventional mapping between method of transportation and boat. To examine the electrophysiological signature of this mapping process, electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded from the scalp as healthy adults read three sorts of sentences: low-cloze (unpredictable) conventional (“His main method of transportation is a boat,”), low-cloze novel mapping (“The clever boys used a cardboard box as a boat,”), and high-cloze (predictable) conventional (“The only way to get around Venice is to navigate the canals in a boat,”). Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were time-locked to sentence final words. The novel and conventional conditions were matched for cloze probability (a measure of predictability based on the sentence context), lexical association between the sentence frame and the final word (using latent semantic analysis), and other factors known to influence ERPs to language stimuli. The high-cloze conventional control condition was included to compare the effects of mapping conventionality to those of predictability. The N400 component of the ERPs was affected by predictability but not by conventionality. By contrast, a late positivity was affected both by the predictability of sentence final words, being larger for words in low-cloze contexts that made target words difficult to predict, and by novelty, as words in the novel condition elicited a larger positivity 700–900 ms than the same words in the (cloze-matched) conventional condition.
from Brain Research
