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Mismatch response to polysyllabic nonwords: a neurophysiological signature of language learning capacity
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Abstract:
Background: The ability to repeat polysyllabic nonwords such as ‘‘blonterstaping’’ has frequently been shown to correlate with language learning ability but it is not clear why such a correlation should exist. Three alternative explanations have been offered, stated in terms of differences in: (a) perceptual ability; (b) efficiency of phonological loop functioning; (c) preexisting vocabulary knowledge and/or articulatory skills. In the present study, we used event-related potentials to assess the contributions from these three factors to explaining individual variation in nonword repetition ability. Methodology/Principal Findings: 59 adults who were subdivided according to whether they were good or poor nonwordrepeaters participated. Electrophysiologically measured mismatch responses were recorded to changes in consonants as participants passively listened to a repeating four syllable CV-string. The consonant change could occur in one of four positions along the CV-string and we predicted that: (a) if nonword repetition depended purely on auditory discrimination ability, then reduced mismatch responses to all four consonant changes would be observed in the poor nonword-repeaters, (b) if it depended on encoding or decay of information in a capacity-limited phonological store, then a position specific decrease in mismatch response would be observed, (c) if neither cognitive capacity was involved, then the two groups of participants would provide equivalent mismatch responses. Consistent with our second hypothesis, a position specific difference located on the third syllable was observed in the late discriminative negativity (LDN) window (230–630 ms postsyllable onset). Conclusions/Significance: Our data thus confirm that people who are poorer at nonword repetition are less efficient in early processing of polysyllabic speech materials, but this impairment is not attributable to deficits in low level auditory discrimination. We conclude by discussing the significance of the observed relationship between LDN amplitude and nonword repetition ability and describe how this relatively little understood ERP component provides a biological window onto processes required for successful language learning. ; Citation: Barry, J. G., Hardiman, M. J. & Bishop, D. V. M. (2009). 'Mismatch response to polysyllabic nonwords: a neurophysiological signature of language learning capacity', PLoS ONE, 4(7), e6270. [Available at http://www.plosone.org]. © 2009 Barry et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Keyword:
electrophysiological techniques; Experimental psychology; language; mismatch response; phonological loop
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URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006270 http://www.plosone.org/
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Children who read words accurately despite language impairment: who are they and how do they do it?
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Autism and diagnostic substitution: evidence from a study of adults with a history of developmental language disorder
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Do children with autism 'switch off' to speech sounds? An investigation using event-related potentials
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The broader language phenotype of autism: a comparison with specific language impairment
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Hemispheric specialization for processing auditory nonspeech stimuli
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Developmental cognitive genetics: how psychology can inform genetics and vice versa
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Auditory event-related potentials differ in dyslexics even when auditory psychophysical performance is normal
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A case of exceptional reading accuracy in a child with Down syndrome: underlying skills and the relation to reading comprehension
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Executive functions in children with communication impairments, in relation to autistic symptomatology. 2: response inhibition
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Executive functions in children with communication impairments, in relation to autistic symptomatology. 1: generativity
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Genetic influences on language impairment and phonological short-term memory
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Are phonological processing deficits part of the broad autism phenotype?
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Exploring the borderlands of autistic disorder and specific language impairment: a study using standardised diagnostic instruments
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Motor immaturity and specific speech and language impairment: evidence for a common genetic basis
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Phonological processing, language, and literacy: a comparison of children with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss and those with specific language impairment
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How does the brain learn language? Insights from the study of children with and without language impairment
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