Cognitive Representation in Specific Language Impairment

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究旨在探讨特殊语言障碍儿童内隐学习的本质。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，还是由于特定语法模块的表征缺陷。近年来，研究者提出：(1)特殊语言障碍儿童的句法、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)特殊语言障碍儿童词汇能力相对较弱，表明其具有完整的陈述性学习系统，可能是其语言习得的一种补偿机制。程序记忆用于学习顺序、认知和知觉运动技能。然而，最近的研究表明，特殊语言障碍可能是一种超越程序学习的一般内隐学习障碍，包括类别学习、统计和人工语法学习，而且这种内隐学习障碍可能超越知觉运动系统，包括听觉和视觉模式。本研究的目的是确定特殊语言障碍儿童的内隐学习是一般领域障碍还是特定领域障碍。共有170名儿童将参加这个为期5年的项目，其中包括85名7-9岁的特殊语言障碍儿童和85名在实足年龄、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将直接检验与CA对照（N = 45）相比，患有SLI的儿童（N = 45）在具有听觉、视觉和知觉运动同构的任务中，内隐学习是否在内隐分类、统计和人工语法学习方面受到损害。研究4-6将检查内隐类别、统计和人工语法学习在听觉模态中的性质和时间过程，并询问这些知识是否会在特殊语言障碍儿童（N = 40）和CA对照组（N = 40）中转移到视觉和知觉运动模态。研究7-9询问内隐学习是否不仅预测语言障碍儿童（N = 85）和CA对照组（N = 85）的句法和词法知识，还预测词汇知识。从理论上讲，这些研究通过澄清特定情态或一般内隐学习缺陷在多大程度上可能导致这些儿童的语言障碍，扩展了我们对特殊语言障碍儿童的语言和非语言缺陷的理解。在临床上，这些研究将为促进特殊语言障碍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，并将为那些在沟通、阅读、写作和学业失败方面存在严重困难的学龄特殊语言障碍儿童开发有效的干预模式。本研究的目的是探讨特殊语言障碍儿童的内隐学习。有证据表明，患有特殊语言障碍的儿童可能在内隐学习方面存在领域一般缺陷。内隐学习是渐进的，是在多次试验或范例的持续基础上发生的，似乎是典型发育儿童学习语言的机制。本项目提出的研究解决了我们对特殊语言障碍儿童内隐学习能力的理解差距，直接检查了特殊语言障碍儿童可能存在的一般内隐学习障碍的程度。这项研究的结果将为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，并将有助于开发有效的干预模式，用于有严重沟通、阅读、写作困难和学业失败风险的学龄语言障碍儿童。

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.