Behavioral and Neurologic Factors in Speech Learning

言语学习中的行为和神经因素

• 批准号: 7555945
• 负责人: PATRICK C M WONG
• 金额: $ 36.42万
• 依托单位: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-04-01 至 2013-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7555945
• 关键词: Acoustics; Adult; Applications Grants; Area; Auditory; Behavior; Behavioral; Brain; Cerebrum; Characteristics; Communication; Event; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Funding; Goals; Gray unit of radiation dose; Hand; Individual; Laboratories; Language; Language Development; Lead; Learning; Left; Link; Measurement; Measures; Mediating; Methods; Modeling; Nature; Neurologic; Neurosciences; Outcome; Paper; Parietal Lobe; Pattern; Phonetics; Principal Investigator; Process; Published Comment; Publishing; Relative (related person); Research; Resources; Scanning; Speech; Speech Perception; Speech Sound; Stimulus; Techniques; Testing; Training; Training Programs; Voice; Work; association cortex; base; comparative efficacy; cost effective; foreign language; gray matter; hemodynamics; interest; language processing; lexical; phonology; programs; relating to nervous system; remediation; research study; response; sound; success; theories; white matter

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research focuses on the behavioral and neurologic factors influencing spoken language (sound-to-word) learning, specifically the learning of non-native lexical tones and consonants in word identification in adulthood. Our behavioral-neural approach will enable the pursuit of our long-term goal of seeking the most desirable learning outcome mediated by behavioral training. The ten planned experiments in this grant application employ techniques that include behavioral training, neuroanatomic characterizations of learners of different learning abilities, and measurements of neurophysiologic (cerebral hemodynamic) changes associated with learning. The specific aims are to: 1) Compare the efficacy of non-native lexical tone and consonant training programs that emphasize low- versus high-stimulus variability in the training stimuli, and to compare neurophysiologic responses (measured by event-related fMRI) associated with the two training programs; 2) Investigate whether poor lexical learning can be remediated by additional training that focuses on phonetic (non-lexical pitch and consonant) learning and to examine neurophysiologic changes associated with such remediation; and 3) Characterize neuroanatomic differences between learners of different abilities. Guided by our newly proposed model of spoken language processing and learning called the Integrated Spoken Language Acquisition Network, we hypothesize the following: 1) Training with high-stimulus variability is the most efficacious, which is indicated by increased brain responses in auditory association cortex and the recruitment of the parietal lobe; 2) poor word learning resulting from a lack of phonetic representation and can be remediated by first training to establish such representations before word learning; and 3) poor learners can be identified by a relatively smaller left Heschl's Gyrus (driven by grey or white matter depending on the acoustic feature); however, successful learning can still be achieved with the appropriate remedial training. By understanding the efficacy of different training programs and how they benefit individuals of different learning profiles, as well as by identifying the neural characteristics of the different learners before and after training, we move a step closer to being able to place learners into training programs that are likely to be the most cost- effective and will likely lead to the most desirable learning outcomes. In an increasingly multi-lingual/multi-cultural world, many people, including adults, are interested in learning a foreign language even though it is difficult for them to do so. Learning a foreign language requires resources in our brain and changes occur as a result of learning. Our proposed research seeks to understand the changes that occur in the brain as adults learn to use foreign sounds in words, what effects different training methods have on the brain, and why certain individuals can learn more successfully (e.g., whether they have different brain organization before and after training).

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究重点是影响口语（声音到单词）学习的行为和神经因素，特别是成年后单词识别中非母语词汇声调和辅音的学习。我们的行为神经方法将使我们能够实现我们的长期目标，即通过行为训练来寻求最理想的学习结果。该拨款申请中计划进行的十项实验采用的技术包括行为训练、不同学习能力的学习者的神经解剖学特征以及与学习相关的神经生理（脑血流动力学）变化的测量。具体目标是： 1) 比较强调训练刺激中低刺激与高刺激变异性的非母语词汇声调和辅音训练计划的效果，并比较与这两种训练计划相关的神经生理反应（通过事件相关的功能磁共振成像测量）； 2）调查是否可以通过侧重于语音（非词汇音调和辅音）学习的额外训练来纠正不良的词汇学习，并检查与此类纠正相关的神经生理学变化； 3) 描述不同能力的学习者之间的神经解剖学差异。在我们新提出的口语处理和学习模型（称为综合口语习得网络）的指导下，我们假设如下：1）高刺激可变性的训练是最有效的，这通过听觉关联皮层的大脑反应增加和顶叶的招募来表明； 2）由于缺乏语音表示而导致的单词学习不良，可以通过在单词学习之前首先进行训练来建立此类表示来补救； 3）较差的学习者可以通过相对较小的左赫施尔回（由灰质或白质驱动，取决于声学特征）来识别；然而，通过适当的补习培训仍然可以实现成功的学习。通过了解不同培训计划的功效以及它们如何使不同学习情况的个人受益，以及通过识别培训前后不同学习者的神经特征，我们向能够将学习者安排到可能最具成本效益并可能带来最理想的学习结果的培训计划又迈进了一步。在一个日益多语言/多文化的世界中，许多人，包括成年人，都对学习外语感兴趣，尽管他们很难做到这一点。学习外语需要我们大脑的资源，并且学习的结果会发生变化。我们提出的研究旨在了解当成年人学习在单词中使用外来声音时大脑发生的变化，不同的训练方法对大脑有什么影响，以及为什么某些人可以更成功地学习（例如，他们在训练前后是否有不同的大脑组织）。