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Aleksandra M.Herman1, Maciej Gaca1, Agnieszka Kulesza1,
Alicja Olszewska1, Dawid Droździel1, Katarzyna Jednoróg2, Artur Marchewka1
1Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
2Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
Abstract: The human brain is active during rest and is organised into intrinsic functional networks. However, it remains unknown to what extent the communication within and between these functional networks changes in adults undergoing cross-modal training. Eighteen Braille-naïve sighted participants took part in an extensive 7-month-long tactile Braille reading course. Seventeen age and gender-matched participants were also recruited as a passive control group. We measured functional connectivity within and between eight brain networks in a longitudinal resting-state fMRI study with five imaging sessions over seven months. We tested for a group-by-time interaction to determine whether training to read in a tactile domain produces changes in resting-state functional connectivity. While functional connectivity within resting-state networks did not change significantly, we observed some changes in functional connectivity between resting-state networks. Specifically, functional connectivity between the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) and Somatosensory Network (SMN) was strengthened during training in the Braille group with no changes in the Control group. This suggests that cross-modal training, such as learning to read in a different modality, might invoke changes in communication between separate brain networks. The increased functional connectivity between DAN and SMN might reflect increased attention paid to tactile signals in Braille learners.
Funding: This study was supported by the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) grant number 2018/30/E/HS6/00206. AH is supported by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP).
Marta Wójcik, Katarzyna Jednoróg, Agnieszka Dębska
Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
Abstract: Fluent reading requires building orthographic and phonological representations (i.e. knowledge how to spell and pronounce words). In developmental dyslexia deficits in both areas are often reported. Thus, to specify those issues on a neural level, we designed an fMRI study in the Rapid Adaptation Paradigm in which we tested two groups of children (aged 9-13): control (CON; n = 30) and with dyslexia (DYS; n = 33). In scanner we repeatedly presented words that shared phonology but differ in orthography (homophones, e.g. kret-kred), shared both (kret-kret) or differed in both (kret-noga). Our results on a whole-brain level confirmed between-group differences in the reading network; e.g. in homophone condition in the left IFG (opercularis, triangularis) (CON>DYS, .001, p<0.05, FWEcc) – regions involved in phonological processing also often disrupted in dyslexia (Paz-Alonso et al., 2018). During presentation we will introduce ROI comparisons based on an independent localizer task that allows to define individual orthographic and phonological areas for each participant. We aim to demonstrate the atypical rapid adaptation patterns in DYS (Glezer et al., 2016). Finally, we will employ multivariate pattern analysis to discuss the stability of representations. DYS should produce less stable neural representations indicating general problems with processing lexical stimuli.
Funding: "Neural and cognitive basis of spelling impairment” National Science Centre grant 2019/35/HS6/01677.
Agata Wolna1, Jakub Szewczyk2, Michele Diaz3, Aleksandra Domagalik4, Marcin Szwed1, Zofia Wodniecka1
1Language and Bilingualism Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
2Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
3Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center, the Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, United States
4Center for Brain Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
Abstract: This study attempted to characterize neural basis of speech production in the native (L1) and a second (L2) language. Many neuroimaging studies found differences in brain activity corresponding to speaking in a second language compared to the native language (L2 vs. L1). However, it is unclear whether these differences reflect increased engagement of cognitive control or differences in language-specific computations.
We addressed this question in an fMRI study in which forty-one Polish-English bilinguals named pictures. We compared activity within the domain-general cognitive control network and the language network (bilateral ROIs) to examine which is more sensitive to L2 processing (i.e., L2>L1). We also looked at three more specific functional networks supporting articulation, interference resolution and lexical retrieval.
Our results show that speaking in L2 compared to L1 engaged more strongly the left but not right domain-general cognitive control network. On the contrary, we found no differences between languages in the left language-specific network while the right language-specific network was engaged more strongly in processing of L1 compared to L2. Production in L2 was also associated with a higher activity within left-lateralized ROIs in networks engaged in interference resolution and lexical retrieval but not in articulation.
Funding: This research was possible thanks to the grant from National Science Centre awarded to Zofia Wodniecka (Opus 2017/27/B/HS6/00959).
Jonas Walther1, Alba Casado1,2, Agata Wolna1, Jakub Szewczyk1,3, Zofia Wodniecka1
1Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
2Research Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Granada, Spain
3Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Abstract: The present study explored how the neural mechanisms of native language lexical access in migrants change after long-term immersion in a foreign language (L2) environment and after reimmersion in a native language (L1) environment. We tested Polish-English migrants living for about ten years in the UK (L2 environment) and Polish-English controls living in Poland (L1 environment). All participants performed a picture-naming task while we recorded their electrophysiological responses. The migrants were tested before and after visiting the L1 environment, while the controls were tested twice in their L1 environment. We focused on exploring two event-related components associated with the ease of lexical access: P2 and N300. We found that re-immersion in L1 modulated the P2 in the migrants, such that higher amplitudes were evoked in response to picture naming during immersion in the L2 environment compared to after a reimmersion in the L1 environment. However, we did not find a modulation of the N300 by group or by reimmersion. These results seem to indicate that migrants experience increased difficulty in the L1 lexical access while being immersed in an L2 environment, which can be overcome after a short-term reimmersion in the L1 environment.
Funding: The research was possible thanks to a National Science Centre grant (2015/18/E/HS6/00428) awarded to Z.W.
Anna Stróż1 , Szymon Bocian1 , Anna Duszyk-Bogorodzka1,2, Marian Dovgialo1, Piotr Durka1
1Biomedical Physics Division, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
2Behavioural Neuroscience Lab, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
Abstract: Concurrent Hierarchical Tracking (CHT) is a paradigm allowing for observation of neural activity associated with rhythmicity of auditory stream stimuli composed of words, phrases or sentences. Within this paradigm, durations of each stimulus entity (e.g. monosyllabic words), constructed phrases and sentences are constant. Therefore, the stimuli streams contain predetermined frequencies, which are related to the rhythmicity of words, phrases or sentences. Comprehension of single words may lead to the emergence of higher linguistic entities, such as phrases or sentences (e.g. small dog eats bone). Standard approach to detection of these frequencies in EEG was based upon Inter-Trial Phase Coherence. However, this approach detects only phasic relationships between trials, without inspection of their spectro-temporal properties.
We present preliminary results of ERP and spectro-temporal analyses conducted on the basis of the pilot EEG datasets (N=9) recorded in the CHT paradigm, revealing statistically significant effects in the time-frequency space and ERP. Obtained results may help us to better understand the dynamics of activities related to hierarchical language comprehension.
Funding: The research was supported by the IDUB programme grant “IV.4.1. A complex programme of support for UW PhD students – 1st research competition”.
