Neural Correlates of Discourse Processing in Adolescents

青少年话语处理的神经相关性

• 批准号: 10687822
• 负责人: Laurie E Cutting
• 金额: $ 67.6万
• 依托单位: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2027-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10687822
• 关键词: Address; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Arousal; Behavioral; Brain; Child; Cognitive; Coupled; Education; Educational Models; Emotional; Emotions; Failure; Foundations; Frequencies; Goals; Growth; Health; Individual Differences; Instruction; Knowledge; Language; Learning; Left; Link; Literature; Methods; Modeling; Neurocognitive; Outcome; Positioning Attribute; Prefrontal Cortex; Process; Psyche structure; Public Health; Reader; Reading; Research; Schools; Science; Testing; Text; Variant; Vocation; Work; behavioral study; cognitive control; comprehension deficit; executive function; experience; improved; insight; model building; neural; neural correlate; neural network; neural patterning; neuroimaging; neuromechanism; prevent; reading ability; reading comprehension; skills; success; support network; syntax; theories; third grade; trait

PROJECT SUMMARY About 60% of children can’t read proficiently, which is concerning as reading comprehension (RC) is linked to educational, vocational, and health outcomes. While a robust neurocognitive literature exists on word-level processes, a necessary but not sufficient skill for RC, similar studies at the discourse level (i.e., while reading passages/connected text) are largely absent in developing readers. This proposal tackles this needed research by systematically interrogating how adolescents’ neural variations during situation model formation (or building mental models while reading) results in RC success/failure. A critical consideration for such research is that texts are not monolithic, even though they are often treated as such: they vary by granular text features (e.g., word frequency) and by their superstructures, or whether a text is narrative (NarrT, stories) or expository (ExpT, informational text such as science passages). This is important, as ExpT is central for learning new material, while NarrT for socio-emotional growth. Notably, NarrT RC is easier than ExpT RC, a phenomenon which is poorly understood and not explained by granular text feature differences. Building upon our initial neurocognitive findings, along with existing theoretical and empirical work, we use neuroimaging coupled with behavioral methods to garner insights as to where (in the brain), when (at which text junctures), and thus how NarrT vs ExpT RC breaks down. Initial findings suggest that while both NarrT and ExpT rely on shared neurocognitive processes, they have distinctions that may be key for enhancing RC. NarrT uniquely relies on regions in a neural network linked to socio-emotional processes (e.g., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex), while ExpT uniquely relies on regions in a neural network that supports executive function/cognitive control (e.g., left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Our overarching hypothesis is that readers’ use of SocEMDMN vs FPN is a critical determinant of proficient situation model formation, and, thus, RC. We also posit that the enhanced socio- emotional NarrT context provokes greater connectivity between DisPDMN and SocEMDMN at key junctures in text, resulting in enriched intrinsic access to readers’ internal states, and thus a neurocognitive benefit for RC. Critically, pilot findings suggest that this enhanced socioemotional context can also be achieved in ExpT by embedding high emotion words [words with high arousal ratings] in ExpT, perhaps paving the way to bolster ExpT RC. Given that RC is a central avenue for learning new information after ~3rd grade, we are addressing a highly significant public health issue. To systematically test our hypotheses, we target 10-12 yo (N=220) who have crossed into the “reading to learn” stage to examine dynamic neural processes of ExpT vs NarrT online reading (situation model building; Aim 1); how readers’ individual differences (e.g., executive function, socio- emotional) modulate Aim 1’s findings (Aim 2); how Aims 1 & 2’s neural findings predict RC (Aim 3a); and, if enhancing the socioemotional context helps RC (Aim 3b). Our ultimate goal is to identify the best ways adolescents learn new information while reading so as to maximize academic success and prevent RC failure.

项目总结 大约60%的儿童不能熟练地阅读，这是令人担忧的，因为阅读理解与 教育、职业和健康成果。虽然强大的神经认知文献存在于单词水平 过程，这是RC的必要技能，但不是充分的技能，类似于语篇层面的研究(即阅读 段落/连接的文本)在发展中的读者中基本上是不存在的。这项建议解决了这项需要研究的问题。 通过系统地询问青少年在情境模型形成(或构建)过程中的神经变化 阅读时的心理模型)会导致RC的成功/失败。这类研究的一个关键考虑因素是 文本不是整体式的，即使它们经常被这样对待：它们因细粒度文本特征而不同(例如， 词频)和它们的上层建筑，或者文本是叙事性的(NarrT，故事)还是说明性的 (ExpT，信息性文本，如科学段落)。这一点很重要，因为ExpT是学习新知识的中心 材料，而NarrT用于社会情感成长。值得注意的是，NarrT RC比ExpT RC更容易，这是一种现象 这是很难理解的，也不能用细粒度文本特征差异来解释。在我们最初的基础上 神经认知的发现，以及现有的理论和经验工作，我们使用神经成像与 行为方法，以获得关于在哪里(在大脑中)、何时(在哪些文本接合处)以及如何获得洞察力的见解 NarrT vs ExpT RC崩溃。初步研究结果表明，虽然NarrT和ExpT都依赖于共享 神经认知过程，它们有可能是增强RC的关键。NarrT唯一依赖于 神经网络中与社会情绪过程相关的区域(例如，背内侧前额叶皮质)，而 ExpT独特地依赖于支持执行功能/认知控制的神经网络中的区域(例如，左 背外侧前额叶皮质)。我们的主要假设是，读者使用SocEMDMN与FPN是至关重要的 熟练情景模型形成的决定因素，因此，RC。我们还假设，增强的社会- 情绪化的叙事语境促使DisPDMN和SocEMDMN在文本的关键节点之间有更大的连通性， 从而丰富了对读者内部状态的内在接触，从而对RC具有神经认知方面的好处。 关键的是，试点研究结果表明，这种增强的社会情感背景也可以通过以下方式在ExpT中实现 在ExpT中嵌入高情感词汇[具有高唤醒评分的词汇]，或许为支持 ExpT RC。鉴于RC是三年级后学习新信息的主要途径，我们正在解决 非常重要的公共卫生问题。为了系统地检验我们的假设，我们的目标是10-12 YO(N=220) 已经进入了阅读学习阶段，以考察ExpT与NarrT Online的动态神经过程 阅读(情境模型建立；目标1)；读者的个体差异(例如，执行功能、社会功能和 情绪)调节目标1的S发现(目标2)；目标1和2的S的神经发现如何预测RC(目标3a)；以及，如果 加强社会情感背景有助于RC(目标3b)。我们的最终目标是找到最好的方法 青少年在阅读中学习新信息，从而最大限度地取得学业成功，防止RC失败。