An Electrophysiological Study of Print Processing in Kindergarten: The Contribution of the Visual N1 as a Predictor of Reading Outcome

Sensitivity to print is characterized by a left occipito-temporal negativity to words in the event-related potential N1. This sensitivity is modulated by reading skills and may thus represent a neural marker of reading competence. Here we studied the development of the N1 in regular and poor readers from preschool age to school age to test whether the amplitude of the N1 predicts children's reading outcomes. Our results suggest a predictive value of the print-sensitive negativity over the right hemisphere. Whether this N1 may serve as a biomarker to improve prognosis in preliterate children should be clarified in future studies.     

Electrophysiological correlates of speech perception mechanisms and individual differences in second language attainment

In an increasingly globalized world mastering a second language (L2) provides a clear advantage. However, after early childhood, not everyone can easily learn a foreign language. The present study explored whether the large variability found in L2 attainment in the normal population, not diagnosed as learning disabled, is related to preattentive speech perception abilities. Using event‐related potentials (ERPs) we examined the mismatch negativity, P3a, and the late discriminative negativity (MMN‐P3a‐LDN) complex, which served as an index for preattentive foreign phonological contrast discrimination abilities. Our results show that, compared to unsuccessful L2 learners, successful L2 learners had shorter latencies of the MMN and P3a components and higher amplitudes of the LDN component. These results suggest that unsuccessful L2 learners have a deficient speech perception mechanism.     

Speech perception deficit in dyslexic adults as measured by mismatch negativity (MMN).

Deficits in phonological processing are known to play a major role in the aetiology of dyslexia, and speech perception is a prerequisite condition for phonological processing. Significant group differences between dyslexics and controls have been found in the categorical perception of synthetic speech stimuli. In a previous work, we have demonstrated that these group differences are already present at an early pre-attentive stage of signal processing in dyslexic children: the late component of the MMN elicited by passive speech perception was attenuated in comparison to a control group. In this study, 12 dyslexic adults and 13 controls were assessed using a passive oddball paradigm. Mismatch negativity (MMN) was determined for both tone and speech stimuli. The tone stimuli yielded two MMN components, but no group differences. Three components were found for the speech stimuli. Multivariate testing for group differences yielded a significant result, and univariate P values revealed significant differences between dyslexics and controls in two of the three time windows. This suggests that speech perception as measured on an early, pre-attentive level plays a major role in dyslexia not only in children (as shown in our previous study) but also in adults.     

脑电失匹配负波客观评估人工耳蜗语音感知的综述

人工耳蜗的语音感知是言语交流和听力康复领域的研究热点之一,传统的主观行为学评估手段存在诸多的限制,实验结果受到较多因素的影响,因此,使用基于脑电波成分之一的失匹配负波来进行客观评估的方法正日益受到重视。由于失匹配负波不需要被试注意力的调制,相比于其他行为学实验,可以获得更为客观和准确的研究结论,现阶段已经被广泛应用于人工耳蜗的相关研究领域中。从人工耳蜗的实现过程、失匹配负波的评估方法及其在人工耳蜗植入人群中的研究现状等方面,总结归纳这一领域的研究进展,其中包括利用脑电波评估人工耳蜗植入人群在语音及音乐方面的感知表现,以及在植入后的听力恢复情况等。最后对脑电波实验现存的挑战进行论述,并对其未来相关的研究前景进行展望。     

Normative Topographic ERP Analyses of Speed of Speech Processing and Grammar Before and After Grammatical Treatment

Typically developing (TD) preschoolers and age-matched preschoolers with specific language impairment (SLI) received event-related potentials (ERPs) to four monosyllabic speech sounds prior to treatment and, in the SLI group, after 6 months of grammatical treatment. Before treatment, the TD group processed speech sounds faster than the SLI group. The SLI group increased the speed of their speech processing after treatment. Posttreatment speed of speech processing predicted later impairment in comprehending phrase elaboration in the SLI group. During the treatment phase, change in speed of speech processing predicted growth rate of grammar in the SLI group.     

Children with dyslexia reveal abnormal native language representations: evidence from a study of mismatch negativity

Although a deficit perceiving phonemes, as indexed by the mismatch negativity (MMN), is apparent in developmental dyslexia (DD), studies have not yet addressed whether this deficit might be a result of deficient native language speech representations. The present study examines how a native-vowel prototype and an atypical vowel are discriminated by 9-year-old children with (n = 14) and without (n = 12) DD. MMN was elicited in all conditions in both groups. The control group revealed enhanced MMN to the native-vowel prototype in comparison to the atypical vowel. Children with DD did not show enhanced MMN amplitude to the native-vowel prototype, suggesting impaired tuning to native language speech representations. Furthermore, higher MMN amplitudes to the native-vowel prototype correlated with more advanced reading (r = - .47) and spelling skills (r = - .52).     

Reading Differences and Brain: Cortical Integration of Speech and Print in Sentence Processing Varies With Reader Skill

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the impact of literacy skills in young adults on the distribution of cerebral activity during comprehension of sentences in spoken and printed form. The aim was to discover where speech and print streams merge, and whether their convergence is affected by the level of reading skill. The results from different analyses all point to the conclusion that neural integration of sentence processing across speech and print varies positively with the reader's skill. Further, they identify the inferior frontal region as the principal site of speech–print integration and a major focus of reading comprehension differences. The findings provide new evidence of the role of the inferior frontal region in supporting supramodal systems of linguistic representation.     

Outcome evaluations in group decision making using the majority rule: An electrophysiological study

Event‐related brain potential (ERP) reflecting outcome evaluation is called feedback‐related negativity (FRN). The present study examined the evaluative processes for two different types of outcomes by recording ERPs from three participants during a group decision task. First, we examined the evaluative processing of outcomes associated with group decisions using the majority rule. Second, we investigated whether the majority rule influenced the evaluation of conflicts related to individual opinions among group members. We found that FRN for monetary loss associated with the group decision was reduced when the participant's opinion was in the minority. In addition, conflict of opinions among group members elicited FRN‐like negativity, and greater amplitudes were observed when the participant's opinion was in the minority. The present results suggested that the majority rule can modulate outcome evaluations in group decision making.     

Neural mismatch indices of vowel discrimination in monolingually and bilingually exposed infants: Does attention matter?

Neurophysiological studies of infant speech suggest that mismatch responses (MMRs) have predictive value for later language. Their value, however, is diminished because unexplained differences in the MMR patterns are seen across studies. The current study aimed to identify the functional nature of infant MMRs by recording event-related-potentials (ERPs) to an infrequent English vowel change in internal or final positions of a sequence of ten vowels in six-month-old monolingually and bilingually exposed infants. Increased negativity of the MMR (infrequent minus frequent) was found in final compared to internal positions and correlated with an index of increased attention to the final position. This pattern helps explain the overall greater negativity to the speech sounds in the bilingually exposed female infants. These findings substantially advance our understanding of neural indices of speech perception development and show promise for furthering our understanding of bilingual language development.     

Effect of second language exposure on brain activity for language processing among preschoolers

We investigated brain activity in 3-5-year-old preschoolers as they listened to connected speech stimuli in Japanese (first language), English (second language), and Chinese (a rarely exposed, foreign language) using near-infrared spectroscopy. Unlike the younger preschoolers who had been exposed to English for almost 1 year, brain activity in the bilateral frontal regions of the older preschoolers who had been exposed to English for almost 2 years was higher for Japanese and English speech stimuli than for Chinese. This tendency seemed to be similar to that observed in adults who had learned English for some years. These results indicate that exposure to a second language affects brain activity to language stimuli among preschoolers.     

Literacy skills and communication methods of low-income older persons

The objectives of this study were to (a) characterize the literacy skills of low-income, community-dwelling, older adults, (b) determine how they obtain information, and (c) determine whether they have difficulty understanding written information provided by clinicians. We studied 177 subjects (mean age 72.2, range 60–94). None had cognitive or visual impairments that precluded assessing literacy. Reading skills were tested, sociodemographic data were recorded, and information was collected on whether subjects have trouble understanding information given to them by health providers. Data analysis determined if literacy was associated with how subjects obtain and understand medical information. The subjects' mean reading skills were at grade level 5, below those of the general US population. One-fourth of subjects reported difficulty understanding written information from clinicians; this was more frequent among poor readers (P = 0.0002). Ninety-seven percent of subjects, regardless of literacy, reported that television was their primary source of information. Health information for low-income seniors should be transmitted through literacy-appropriate communication methods.     

Suitability and readability assessment of educational print resources related to physical activity: implications and recommendations for practice

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to assess the suitability and readability level of publicly available educational print resources related to physical activity (PA). METHODS: Educational print resources related to PA (n=66) were requested from organizations (e.g., professional, commercial, government, and educational). The suitability assessment of materials (SAM) and the simple measure of gobbledygook (SMOG) readability measure were used to evaluate the suitability and readability of the PA resources. RESULTS: Of the 66 PA resources, suitability scores were superior in only 10 resources (15%), adequate in 36 resources (55%), and inadequate/not suitable in 20 resources (30%). The average reading grade level for the PA resources was a 10th grade level (S.D.=1.82; Rg=5th grade to 15th grade). Only 56.5% (n=35) of PA resources depicted a primary PA recommendation that was consistent with the public health recommendation for PA. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the majority of educational print resources related to PA have poor readability indices and inadequate to adequate suitability. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Health educators developing educational print resources related to PA must ensure these resources conform to the highest suitability standards. This includes developing resources that a) contain information consistent with current public health recommendations, and b) can be utilized by all individuals regardless of health literacy status.     

Speech perception of infants with high familial risk for dyslexia differ at the age of 6 months

As yet relatively little is known of the earliest signs of dyslexia. We present evidence showing that the speech perception of 6-month-old infants from dyslexic families differs significantly from that of infants from control families with normal reading parents; the former group needed a significantly longer duration to categorize speech sounds as long. The same difference appeared in their dyslexic parents. This study shows that differences in categorizing speech sounds according to duration, which is crucial to intelligibility in Finnish, are a factor associated with familial risk for dyslexia already at infancy, which persists until adulthood in many of those suffering from dyslexia.     

Early Intervention: Successful Pathways to Improving Intellectual Development

As yet relatively little is known of the earliest signs of dyslexia. We present evidence showing that the speech perception of 6-month-old infants from dyslexic families differs significantly from that of infants from control families with normal reading parents; the former group needed a significantly longer duration to categorize speech sounds as long. The same difference appeared in their dyslexic parents. This study shows that differences in categorizing speech sounds according to duration, which is crucial to intelligibility in Finnish, are a factor associated with familial risk for dyslexia already at infancy, which persists until adulthood in many of those suffering from dyslexia.     

Structural MRI studies of language function in the undamaged brain

In recent years, the demonstration that structural changes can occur in the human brain beyond those associated with development, ageing and neuropathology has revealed a new approach to studying the neural basis of behaviour. In this review paper, we focus on structural imaging studies of language that have utilised behavioural measures in order to investigate the neural correlates of language skills in the undamaged brain. We report studies that have used two different techniques: voxel-based morphometry of whole brain grey or white matter images and diffusion tensor imaging. At present, there are relatively few structural imaging studies of language. We group them into those that investigated (1) the perception of novel speech sounds, (2) the links between speech sounds and their meaning, (3) speech production, and (4) reading. We highlight the validity of the findings by comparing the results to those from functional imaging studies. Finally, we conclude by summarising the novel contribution of these studies to date and potential directions for future research.     

大脑对早期、晚期冲突信息处理的事件相关电位研究

目的:进一步了解大脑处理冲突信息的机制。方法:采用脑事件相关电位(ERP)技术, 用经典的Flanker作业刺激范式组成的成对刺激作为视觉刺激,并通过低分辨率电磁地形图(LORETA) 技术,对16例健康正常受试者进行测检。结果:无论是失匹配状态、不一致Flanker作业,还是二者兼而有之,均可引出一负波。该冲突性负波主要分布在前、中头部。LORETA源定位分析显示该负波可能源于前额叶皮层、扣带回。结论:大脑存在一个探测及处理冲突信息的系统。该系统处理各种冲突信息,可能位于前额叶皮层、扣带回附近。     

Online health information and low-literacy African Americans

African Americans with low incomes and low literacy levels disproportionately suffer poor health outcomes from many preventable diseases. Low functional literacy and low health literacy impede millions of Americans from successfully accessing health information. These problems are compounded for African Americans by cultural insensitivity in health materials. The Internet could become a useful tool for providing accessible health information to low-literacy and low-income African Americans. Optimal health Web sites should include text written at low reading levels and appropriate cultural references. More research is needed to determine how African Americans with low literacy skills access, evaluate, prioritize, and value health information on the Internet.     

Residents' ability to identify patients with poor literacy skills.

PURPOSE: To determine whether residents could identify patients with poor literacy skills based on clinical interactions during a continuity clinic visit. The authors hypothesized residents would overestimate patients' literacy abilities and fail to recognize many patients at risk for poor literacy. METHOD: The Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine-Revised (REALM-R) was administered to screen patients for potential literacy problems. Residents were asked "Do you feel this patient has a literacy problem?" and answered yes or no. Continuity adjusted chi-square was used to test for overestimation of literacy abilities by residents. RESULTS: REALM-R scores and residents' evaluations of literacy were available for 182 patients. The residents believed 10% of patients (18) had literacy problems based on their clinical interactions. Only three patients passing the literacy screen were incorrectly identified as at risk for literacy. Of the 90% of patients (164) the residents perceived to have no literacy problem, 36% (59) failed the literacy screen. CONCLUSION: Resident physicians overestimated the literacy abilities of their patients. A significant portion of these residents' patients may not have the skills to effectively interact with the health care system and are at increased risk for adverse outcomes.     

阅读障碍儿童语音转录

目的:考查小学生识字、阅读理解双差组,识字单差组(阅读理解不差),阅读理解单差组(识字量不差)和识字量与阅读理解正常(双好)组及年龄较小但能力正常的阅读水平控制组在语音转录任务上的表现.方法:以自编的图形-语音和假字-语音转录为实验材料,通过录音呈现和记录的方式对入组的被试进行考察.结果:(1)以图形-语音转录为任务时,各组的成绩无显著差别.以假字-语音为任务时,双好组与双差组、双好组与识字单独差组有显著差异.(2)阅读障碍组(包括双差组和识字单差组)于图形-语音和假字-语音成绩存在显著相关,而正常组相关不显著.结论:以识字的解码障碍作为鉴别指标比阅读理解更能区分伴随语音转录缺陷的阅读障碍儿童.     

Functional health literacy and the quality of physician-patient communication among diabetes patients

While patients with poor functional health literacy (FHL) have difficulties reading and comprehending written medical instructions, it is not known whether these patients also experience problems with other modes of communication, such as face-to-face encounters with primary care physicians. We enrolled 408 English- and Spanish-speaking diabetes patients to examine whether patients with inadequate FHL report worse communication than patients with adequate FHL. We assessed patients' experiences of communication using sub-scales from the Interpersonal Processes of Care in Diverse Populations instrument. In multivariate models, patients with inadequate FHL, compared to patients with adequate FHL, were more likely to report worse communication in the domains of general clarity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 6.29, P<0.01), explanation of condition (AOR 4.85, P=0.03), and explanation of processes of care (AOR 2.70, p=0.03). Poor FHL appears to be a marker for oral communication problems, particularly in the technical, explanatory domains of clinician-patient dialogue. Research is needed to identify strategies to improve communication for this group of patients.