Subcortical encoding of sound is enhanced in bilinguals and relates to executive function advantages
Subcortical encoding of sound is enhanced in bilinguals and relates to executive function advantages
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1201575109
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发表时间：
2012-05-15
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Kraus, Nina
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Krizman, Jennifer;Marian, Viorica;Kraus, Nina
双语深刻地影响大脑，在专用于语言处理和执行功能的皮层区域中产生功能和结构变化[Crinion J，et al.（2006）Science 312：1537-1540; Kim KHS，et al.（1997）Nature 388：171-174]。相比之下，音乐训练，另一种类型的感官丰富，转化为认知处理的专业知识，以及皮质和皮质下结构对声音的精细生物处理。因此，我们问双语是否也可以促进皮层下听觉加工的经验依赖性可塑性。我们发现，青少年双语者，听语音音节[da]，编码的刺激比年龄匹配。具体来说，双语者表现出增强的基频编码，这是一个已知的基础音高感知和听觉对象分组的特征。这种增强与执行功能优势有关。因此，通过与经验相关的注意调谐，双语听觉系统在自动处理声音方面变得非常高效。这项研究为听觉专家的全系统神经可塑性提供了生物学证据，有助于感觉和认知功能的紧密耦合。
Bilingualism profoundly affects the brain, yielding functional and structural changes in cortical regions dedicated to language processing and executive function [Crinion J, et al. (2006) Science 312: 1537-1540; Kim KHS, et al. (1997) Nature 388: 171-174]. Comparatively, musical training, another type of sensory enrichment, translates to expertise in cognitive processing and refined biological processing of sound in both cortical and subcortical structures. Therefore, we asked whether bilingualism can also promote experience-dependent plasticity in subcortical auditory processing. We found that adolescent bilinguals, listening to the speech syllable [da], encoded the stimulus more robustly than age-matched . Specifically, bilinguals showed enhanced encoding of the fundamental frequency, a feature known to underlie pitch perception and grouping of auditory objects. This enhancement was associated with executive function advantages. Thus, through experience- related tuning of attention, the bilingual auditory system becomes highly efficient in automatically processing sound. This study provides biological evidence for system-wide neural plasticity in auditory experts that facilitates a tight coupling of sensory and cognitive functions.