Cognitive Representation in Specific Language Impairment

描述(申请人提供)：本项目的目的是调查有特殊语言障碍(SLI)儿童的内隐学习的性质。一个关键的问题是，这些儿童的语言障碍是由于认知处理机制受损，还是特定语法模块的表征缺陷。最近，有人提出：(1)SLI儿童的句法、词法、听觉加工和工作记忆缺陷是由于程序性内隐学习缺陷所致；(2)SLI儿童相对较少的词汇能力表明，一个完整的陈述性学习系统可能在他们的语言习得中起到补偿机制的作用。程序记忆用于学习顺序运动、认知运动和知觉运动技能。然而，最近的研究表明，SLI可能是一种领域一般性的内隐学习障碍，它超越了程序性学习，包括类别学习、统计学习和人工语法学习，这种内隐学习障碍可能超出知觉运动系统，也包括听觉和视觉通道。本项目的目的是确定SLI儿童的内隐学习是一种领域一般性的还是领域特异性的损害。共有170名儿童将参与这项为期5年的项目，其中包括85名SLI儿童，7-9岁，以及85名在年龄、非语言智商和母亲教育方面匹配的正常语言控制(CA)儿童。本研究共提出9项内隐学习研究。研究1-3将直接考察SLI儿童(N=45)在具有听觉、视觉和知觉运动同构的任务上的内隐类别学习、统计学习和人工语法学习是否与CA对照组(N=45)相比受到损害。研究4-6将考察听觉通道中内隐类别、统计和人工语法学习的性质和时间进程，并询问这些知识是否在SLI(N=40)和CA对照组(N=40)的儿童中转移到视觉和知觉运动通道。研究7-9询问，在SLI儿童(N=85)和CA对照组(N=85)儿童中，内隐学习是否不仅预测句法和词法知识，而且还预测词汇知识。从理论上讲，这些研究扩展了我们对SLI儿童语言和非语言缺陷的理解，阐明了特定的或一般的内隐学习缺陷可能在多大程度上导致这些儿童的语言障碍。在临床上，这些研究将对促进SLI儿童抽象表征的内隐学习所需的干预的性质和强度提供有价值的见解，并将为SLI学龄儿童开发有效的干预模式，这些儿童在沟通、阅读、写作和学习失败方面存在严重困难的风险。公共卫生相关性这个项目的目的是调查特殊语言障碍(SLI)儿童的内隐学习。有证据表明，SLI儿童在内隐学习方面可能存在全局性缺陷。内隐学习是渐进的，在多个试验或样本的基础上持续进行，似乎是典型发育中的儿童学习语言的机制。本项目中提出的研究通过直接检测SLI儿童可能有一般内隐学习障碍的程度，解决了我们对SLI儿童内隐学习能力理解上的差距。这项研究的结果将对促进语言障碍儿童语言学习所需的干预的性质和强度提供有价值的见解，并将有助于为语言障碍学龄儿童制定有效的干预模式，这些学龄儿童在沟通、阅读、写作和学习失败方面存在严重困难的风险。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this project is to investigate the nature of implicit learning in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). A key question is whether the language impairments seen in these children are due to impaired cognitive processing mechanisms or are a representational deficit in a specific grammar module. Recently, it has been proposed that: (1) the syntax, morphology, auditory processing, and working memory deficits seen in children with SLI are due instead to a procedural implicit learning deficit, and (2) the relatively spared vocabulary abilities in children with SLI suggests an intact declarative learning system that may function as a compensatory mechanism in their language acquisition. Procedural memory is used in the learning of sequential, cognitive, and perceptual motor skills. Recent work suggests, however, that SLI may instead be a domain general implicit learning impairment that extends beyond procedural learning to include category learning, statistical, and artificial grammar learning, and that this implicit learning impairment may extend beyond the perceptual motor system to include the auditory and visual modalities as well. The purpose of this project is to determine if implicit learning in children with SLI is a domain general or domain specific impairment. A total of 170 children will participate in this 5-year project, including 85 children with SLI, 7-9 years of age and 85 normal language controls (CA) matched on chronological age, nonverbal IQ, and maternal education. A total of 9 implicit learning studies are proposed. Studies 1-3 will examine directly whether implicit learning in children with SLI (N = 45) is impaired for implicit category, statistical, and artificial grammar learning on tasks designed to have auditory, visual, and perceptual motor isomorphs as compared to CA controls (N = 45). Studies 4-6 will examine the nature and time course of implicit category, statistical, and artificial grammar learning in the auditory modality and ask if this knowledge transfers to visual and perceptual motor modalities in children with SLI (N = 40) and CA controls (N = 40). Studies 7-9 ask whether implicit learning predicts not only syntax and morphology knowledge, but also vocabulary knowledge, in both children with SLI (N = 85) and CA controls (N = 85). Theoretically, these studies extend our understanding of linguistic and nonlinguistic deficits in children with SLI by clarifying the extent to which modality specific or general implicit learning deficits may contribute to the language impairments seen in these children. Clinically, these studies will provide valuable insights into the nature and intensity of intervention that may be required to facilitate the implicit learning of abstract representations in children with SLI, and will lead to the development of effective intervention models for school-aged children with SLI who are at risk for severe difficulties in communication, reading, writing, and academic failure. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The purpose of this project is to investigate implicit learning in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). There is evidence to suggest that children with SLI may have a domain general deficit in implicit learning. Implicit learning is gradual, occurring on an ongoing basis across multiple trials or exemplars, and appears to be the mechanism by which language is learned in typically developing children. The studies proposed in this project address the gap in our understanding of implicit learning abilities in children with SLI by directly examining the extent to which children with SLI may have a modality general implicit learning impairment. The findings from this research will provide valuable insights into the nature and intensity of intervention that may be required to facilitate the language learning in children with language impairments, and will aid the development of effective intervention models for school-aged children with language impairments who are at risk for severe difficulties in communication, reading, writing, and academic failure.