Global and localized network characteristics of the resting brain predict and adapt to foreign language learning in older adults

Resting brain (rs) activity has been shown to be a reliable predictor of the level of foreign language (L2) proficiency younger adults can achieve in a given time-period. Since rs properties change over the lifespan, we investigated whether L2 attainment in older adults (aged 64–74 years) is also predicted by individual differences in rs activity, and to what extent rs activity itself changes as a function of L2 proficiency. To assess how neuronal assemblies communicate at specific frequencies to facilitate L2 development, we examined localized and global measures (Minimum Spanning Trees) of connectivity. Results showed that central organization within the beta band (~ 13–29.5 Hz) predicted measures of L2 complexity, fluency and accuracy, with the latter additionally predicted by a left-lateralized centro-parietal beta network. In contrast, reduced connectivity in a right-lateralized alpha (~ 7.5–12.5 Hz) network predicted development of L2 complexity. As accuracy improved, so did central organization in beta, whereas fluency improvements were reflected in localized changes within an interhemispheric beta network. Our findings highlight the importance of global and localized network efficiency and the role of beta oscillations for L2 learning and suggest plasticity even in the ageing brain. We interpret the findings against the background of networks identified in socio-cognitive processes

Reflections of idiographic long-term memory characteristics in resting-state neuroimaging data

Translational applications of cognitive science depend on having predictive models at the individual, or idiographic, level. However, idiographic model parameters, such as working memory capacity, often need to be estimated from specific tasks, making them dependent on task-specific assumptions. Here, we explore the possibility that idiographic parameters reflect an individual's biology and can be identified from task-free neuroimaging measures. To test this hypothesis, we correlated a reliable behavioral trait, the individual rate of forgetting in long-term memory, with a readily available task-free neuroimaging measure, the resting-state EEG spectrum. Using an established, adaptive fact-learning procedure, the rate of forgetting for verbal and visual materials was measured in a sample of 50 undergraduates from whom we also collected eyes-closed resting-state EEG data. Statistical analyses revealed that the individual rates of forgetting were significantly correlated across verbal and visual materials. Importantly, both rates correlated with resting-state power levels in the low (13–15 Hz) and upper (15–17 Hz) portion of the beta frequency bands. These correlations were particularly strong for visuospatial materials, were distributed over multiple fronto-parietal locations, and remained significant even after a correction for multiple comparisons (False Discovery Rate) and after robust correlation methods were applied. These results suggest that computational models could be individually tailored for prediction using idiographic parameter values derived from inexpensive, task-free imaging recordings

Bi-multilingual Language Engagement Shapes the Brain’s Functional Connectivity: An Aging Study on Resting State Brain Rhythms Correlated to Executive Functions

Bi-multilingualism have been argued to help maintain cognitive functioning in aging through increased resilience to cognitive decline, known as cognitive reserves (CR). Researchers have argued that bi-multilingualism imposes unique cognitive demands that can change the brain’s structural and functional integrity. In order to investigate the effects of multilingual engagement on cognition, behaviourally and neurologically, resting state (RS) oscillations were collected through electroencephalography (EEG) in healthy Norwegian-English bi multilingual adults in various stages of adulthood. Additionally, behavioural responses in terms of reaction times (RT) were captured through a non-linguistic flanker task and further correlated to RS dynamics. Negative main effects of language experience, operationalised as multilingual diversity (MLD), were found in the alpha and gamma bands, while also indications in said frequency bands indicated a flattening effect of age-related cognitive decline for those with a higher MLD. The MLD did not indicate increased flanker efficiency, where only older age significantly increased RTs. No correlations were found between the RS functional connectivity and flanker performance. These findings might suggest that higher multilingual engagement will slow down the age-related decline in the brain’s functional connectivity, as this negative main effect of MLD is likely due to no CR trade-off for the younger participants

Riding the (brain) waves! Using neural oscillations to inform bilingualism research

The study of the brains’ oscillatory activity has been a standard technique to gain insights into human neurocognition for a relatively long time. However, as a complementary analysis to ERPs, only very recently has it been utilized to study bilingualism and its neural underpinnings. Here, we provide a theoretical and methodological starter for scientists in the (psycho)linguistics and neurocognition of bilingualism field(s) to understand the bases and applications of this analytical tool. Towards this goal, we provide a description of the characteristics of the human neural (and its oscillatory) signal, followed by an in-depth description of various types of EEG oscillatory analyses, supplemented by figures and relevant examples. We then utilize the scant, yet emergent, literature on neural oscillations and bilingualism to highlight the potential of how analyzing neural oscillations can advance our understanding of the (psycho)linguistic and neurocognitive understanding of bilingualism

Examining individual differences in language learning: A neurocognitive model of language aptitude

A common practice in the cognitive neurosciences is to investigate population-typical phenomena, treating individuals as equal except for a few outliers that are usually discarded from analyses or that disappear on group-level patterns. Only a few studies to date have captured the heterogeneity of language processing across individuals as so-called “individual differences”; fewer have explicitly researched language aptitude, which designates an individual’s ability for acquiring foreign languages. Existing studies show that, relative to average learners, very gifted language learners display different task-related patterns of functional activation and connectivity during linguistic tasks, and structural differences in white and grey matter morphology, and in white matter connectivity. Despite growing interest in language aptitude, there is no recent comprehensive review, nor a theoretical model to date that includes the neural level. To fill this gap, we review neuroscientific research on individual differences in language learning and language aptitude and present a first, preliminary neurocognitive model of language aptitude. We suggest that language aptitude could arise from an advantageous neurocognitive profile, which leads to high intrinsic motivation and proactive engagement in language learning activities. On the neural level, interindividual differences in the morphology of the bilateral auditory cortex constrain individual neural plasticity, as is evident in the speed and efficiency of language learning. We suggest that language learning success is further dependent upon highly efficient auditory-motor connections (speech-motor networks) and the structural characteristics of dorsal and ventral fibre tracts during language learning

Brain changes associated with language development and learning: A primer on methodology and applications

Brain plasticity associated with second language acquisition and learning has been a focus of research in the past two decades. Recent research on cognitive neuroscience has enriched current understanding on the neurological underpinning of second language learning. Beyond behavioral findings, examining brain functions and structures provides a biological explanation of how language acquisition (as a natural experience) and learning (as an active skill and knowledge acquisition process) shapes the human brain. Together, combining cognitive neuroscience methods and second language acquisition and learning has offered an opportunity for cross-disciplinary collaboration. To facilitate cross-disciplinary understanding and potential research collaboration, this review paper aims to provide an overview of the major cognitive neuroscience methodologies adopted to study second language acquisition and learning. A selection of empirical studies covers second language acquisition in developing children, bilingualism as a naturally-occurring experience, and short-term second language learning in laboratory settings. Brain structural (diffusion tensor imaging, DTI; and voxel-based morphometry, VBM) and functional (electroencephalography, EEG; and event-related potentials, EPRs) methods are briefly discussed with suggested further readings. The paper ends with future directions using these methodologies to explore brain changes in response to second language teaching and learning experience

Multilingual experience modulates resting-state functional connectivity and executive functioning in cognitive aging

Bi-/multilingualism has been found to act favourably on the cognitive aging (CA) trajectory due to the increased executive functioning demands that dual-language use exerts on the brain leading to contributions to neurocognitive reserve and resilience. There is a gap in the literature on how individual differences in the degree of multilingualism influence this trajectory. Furthermore, other lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, have also been shown to influence CA, yet language experiences and lifestyle factors have rarely been examined together. This thesis aims to fill this gap by examining the unique influence of multilingual language engagement on intrinsic brain activity at-rest and working memory performance. A comprehensive language and lifestyle profile was calculated from native Norwegian multilingual speakers with English as one of their additional languages (n=90, mage=49,3, (SD=18.06), range 19-82. Resting-state Electroencephalography (rs-EEG) and working memory were assessed and regressed against a continuous measure of multilingualism (MLD) while controlling for other lifestyle-experiences. Results indicate a near-significant trend hinting that degree of multilingualism offsets the downwards aging trajectory of EEG coherence in alpha and gamma coherence across several electrode regions. A significant positive interaction between age and MLD was found for WM performance. An exploratory post-hoc analysis revealed a null relationship between functional connectivity and working memory. Results suggest that a higher degree of multilingualism leads to increased resilience against CA

Clinical use of music as an adjunct to evidence-based treatment for treating posttraumatic stress disorder

Substantial efforts have been made to provide evidence based therapeutic treatment for combat veterans seeking mental health services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Due to the clinical complexity of PTSD, discovering a muti-effect approach treating both the diagnostically significant PTS symptoms as well as the non-diagnostic associated features of PTSD would be beneficial. This independent investigation was developed to explore the relationship of music to the current evidence-based treatment practices for PTSD. The researcher explored the relationship between the physiological, psychological and social effects of both music and PTSD, the mechanisms of change intrinsic to PTSD therapy, and the clinical applications of music as an adjunct to in vivo exposure therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness. The uniquely holistic biopsychosocial processes engaged by music and the associated theoretical underpinnings informed the author\u27s approach. During the experience of working musically with trauma survivors, the author developed specific experiential and behavioral exercises to compliment the therapeutic elements of ACT, mindfulness and in vivo exposure therapy. The utilized approach included individual guitar lessons and group listening exercises designed to work musically with clients\u27 anxieties in vivo, foster mindfulness skills with the goal to become re-engaged in life by practicing noticing when thoughts become a distraction from fully participating in the present moment, and to provide a valued activity that can act as a bridge from the psychological principles of ACT to the ultimate goal of behavioral activatio

The Role of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy in Modifying Children’s Neural Profiles: A Resting EEG Study of Children’s Response to Experience

The neural networks responsible for coordinating top-down self-regulatory processes, or executive functions, undergo intense fine-tuning and reorganization in early childhood. For children faced with prolonged stress (e.g., chaotic household environment, uncertainty) or adversity (e.g., poverty, maltreatment), these executive function processes are sculpted to aid in retaining information about threats to well-being, which may be protective short-term, but can become particularly maladaptive over time. Interventions that modify the caregiving environment have been shown to buffer the effects of adversity on children’s neural development. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is one such intervention that has been shown to improve both parenting behavior and child outcomes in meta-analyses and is one of the only interventions evidenced to reduce child maltreatment recidivism. The present study sought to evaluate the effects of PCIT on 3-8-year-old children’s theta/beta ratio, a neural marker of attention regulation as measured by electroencephalogram (EEG). Next, this study sought to examine whether individual differences in parenting changes across the PCIT intervention were related to children’s theta/beta ratio, for the PCIT group only. Data for this dissertation were drawn from a randomized control trial investigating the biobehavioral mechanisms of change in parent and child self-regulation skills as a result of PCIT for child-welfare involved families (NIDA R01 036533; PIs: Skowron & Fisher). 204 parent-child dyads with a history of child welfare involvement were referred into the study by the local Lane County Department of Human Services and randomized to PCIT or services-as-usual control conditions. The hypothesis that adversity-exposed children in PCIT would show lower theta/beta ratios, indicative of better attention regulation, after accounting for psychosocial risk, was supported for the eyes-closed but not the eyes-open condition. The hypothesis that individual differences in parenting skill change in PCIT group would be associated with children’s post-treatment theta/beta ratio was not supported. Taken together, this study fills a valuable gap in understanding whether parenting intervention, namely PCIT, can modify children’s neural markers of attention regulation after accounting for early adversity exposure