Examining Neural Markers of Implicit Speech Rhythm during Silent Reading

语言节奏，即口语中音调、响度和语速的变化模式，在语言习得和理解中起着重要作用。例如，儿童早期对语言节奏的敏感性被发现是获得良好阅读技能的一个预测指标，当语言理解或产生中断时，引入节奏规律可以有所帮助。然而，节奏规律是否影响阅读以及如何影响阅读，目前尚不清楚。在美国国家科学基金会的资助下，中田纳西州立大学的Cyrille Magne博士将研究语言节奏如何影响英语书面句子的结构和意义的处理。Magne博士将使用电生理学方法来测量阅读过程中语言节奏对大脑活动的影响。Magne博士希望回答这样的问题：节奏信息是否被积极地用于限制阅读，规律的节奏是否可以被用作促进阅读理解的手段。从这项研究中获得的知识有可能对教育和临床应用产生深远的影响。具体来说，这些发现可能对试图使用神经标记来支持开发阅读评估、进度监测和干预新方法的研究人员至关重要。实验结果可能会导致发现对阅读障碍（如阅读障碍）研究有用的生物标记。此外，该项目还为学校从业人员提供了一个独特的机会，他们目前正在中田纳西州立大学攻读读写研究博士学位，可以使用认知神经科学工具进行研究。最后，Magne博士将参与大数据共享工作，提供数据以支持NSF的其他协调工作，这些工作的目的是在stem相关课程的教学中使用真实数据，并使那些原本无法访问这些数据的人能够参与发现科学。该项目由刺激竞争研究实验项目办公室（EPSCoR）共同资助。

Speech rhythm, the patterns of varying pitch, loudness and tempo in spoken language, plays a major role in language acquisition and comprehension. For example, sensitivity to speech rhythm during early childhood has been found to be a predictor of acquisition of good reading skills and introducing rhythmic regularity can help when speech comprehension or production is disrupted. Yet it remains unclear whether and how rhythmic regularity affects reading. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Cyrille Magne, Ph.D., of Middle Tennessee State University, will investigate how linguistic rhythm affects the processing of both structure and meaning of written sentences in English. Dr. Magne will use electrophysiological methods to measure how linguistic rhythm influences brain activity during reading. Dr. Magne expects to answer the question whether rhythmic information is actively used to constrain reading and whether a regular rhythm may be used as a mean to facilitate reading comprehension.The knowledge obtained from this research has the potential to have far-reaching impacts on both educational and clinical applications. Specifically, the findings may be of crucial importance for researchers attempting to use neural markers to support the development of new methods for reading assessment, progress monitoring, and intervention. The experimental findings may lead to discovery of biological markers useful in the study of reading disorders such as dyslexia. Furthermore, this project also offers a unique opportunity for school practitioners, currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Literacy Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, to conduct research using cognitive neuroscience tools. Finally, Dr. Magne will participate in the big data sharing effort by making the data available to support other coordinated NSF efforts that aim to make use of real data in the teaching of STEM-related courses and to enable participation in discovery science by those who would otherwise have no access to such data.This project is cofunded by the Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).