Word Learning in the Developing Brain : ERP Dynamics of Learning Word-Object Associations

This dissertation investigated electrophysiological measures of individual differences in toddlers’ ability to learn novel object labels and process familiar object words and their referents. The studies measured both visual and auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to pictures of objects and words in a longitudinal sample of 20- to 24-month-olds, an age of dynamic vocabulary development. These ERP measures were related to the children’s productive vocabulary size as well as behavioral measures of word comprehension and object recognition.Study I aimed to test children’s ability to map familiar words to versions of their referents displaying reduced visual information (only overall shape or isolated parts), and whether this ability correlated with vocabulary size. Children with larger vocabularies showed a stronger N400 incongruity effect in response to words paired with correct vs. incorrect shape referents specifically, and the N400 effect in the shape condition also correlated with the children’s ability to overtly identify objects from their overall shape in a behavioral test. These results are discussed in relation to previous research demonstrating the emergence of a shape bias in children’s Word extension, as well as improvements in object shape recognition, during the second year of life.Study II investigated individual differences in novel word-object mapping andchanges with age in this ability. The overall sample showed ERP evidence of novel word learning (an N400 semantic incongruity effect) after five consistent word-object pairings at 24 months but not at 20 months. Children with large vocabularies demonstrated the same linear attenuation of N400 amplitude during novel word repetition as is commonly seen in adults, while children with smaller vocabularies did not show such attenuation until the end of the learning phase.Study III focused on the 20 month data set and explored how visual ERPs weremodulated as object-word pairs were presented repeatedly, and how these measures of visual object processing related to successful fast mapping of the novel words to the objects. A larger attenuation of the Nc component (associated with attention) predicted successful word learning, measured as a larger N400 incongruity effect to the novel words after training. Furthermore, better initial recognition of familiar objects correlated with a stronger N400 effect to the words for those objects. The results present novel evidence for a link between efficient visual processing of objects and word learning ability.Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the rapid vocabulary growth and striking individual differences in productive vocabulary development seen during children’s second year are linked to the dynamics of specific brain mechanisms involved in semantic processing of words and their referents

Visual event-related potentials to novel objects predict rapid word learning ability in 20-month-olds

In an event-related potentials (ERP) study, twenty-month-old children (n = 37) were presented with pseudowords to map to novel object referents in five presentations. Quicker attenuation of the visual Negative central component (Nc) to novel objects predicted a larger difference in N400 amplitude between congruous and incongruous presentations of pseudowords at test. Furthermore, better initial recognition of familiar objects (Nc difference between familiar and novel objects) predicted the strength of the N400 incongruity effect to the verbal labels of these real objects. This study presents novel evidence for a link between efficient visual processing of objects and word learning ability. © 2016 Kristina Borgström, Janne von Koss Torkildsen, and Magnus Lindgren

Substantial gains in word learning ability between 20 and 24 months: A longitudinal ERP study

This longitudinal ERP study investigated changes in children’s ability to map novel words to novel objects during the dynamic period of vocabulary growth between 20 and 24 months. During this four-month period the children on average tripled their productive vocabulary, an increase which was coupled with changes in the N400 effect to pseudoword-referent associations. Moreover, productive vocabulary size was related to the dynamics of semantic processing during novel word learning. In children with large productive vocabularies, the N400 amplitude was linearly reduced during the five experimental learning trials, consistent with the repetition effect typically seen in adults, while in children with smaller vocabularies the N400 attenuation did not appear until the end of the learning phase. Vocabulary size was related only to modulation of the N400 to pseudowords, not to real words. These findings demonstrate a remarkable development of fast mapping ability between 20 and 24 months

Event-related potentials during word mapping to object shape predict toddlers’ vocabulary size

What role does attention to different object properties play in early vocabulary development? This longitudinal study using event-related potentials in combination with behavioral measures investigated 20- and 24-month-olds’ (n = 38; n = 34; overlapping n = 24) ability to use object shape and object part information in word-object mapping. The N400 component was used to measure semantic priming by images containing shape or detail information. At 20 months, the N400 to words primed by object shape varied in topography and amplitude depending on vocabulary size, and these differences predicted productive vocabulary size at 24 months. At 24 months, when most of the children had vocabularies of several hundred words, the relation between vocabulary size and the N400 effect in a shape context was weaker. Detached object parts did not function as word primes regardless of age or vocabulary size, although the part-objects were identified behaviorally. The behavioral measure, however, also showed relatively poor recognition of the part-objects compared to the shape-objects. These three findings provide new support for the link between shape recognition and early vocabulary development

Influence of the Vilnius city expansion on the rural settlement of the suburbian areas

The expansion of economic centers is specifically observed in the resent during the suburbian processes in which local zones play an important role. To the account of suburbian zones the administrative and actual area, the level of facilities, range of services is growing. Use of land radically changes as well as the character of developed economy fields. Several tendencies can be noticed in the development of the territorial expansion of Vilnius the central city of Lithuania. Since the moment of foundation Vilnius has experienced different enlargement. Gradually slow growth was characteristic of the beginning of the 20th century. Subsequently the city signally enlarged in the following 50 years. It demonstrates that suburbian processes typical of Western Europe during past 50 years reached the Lithuanian territory. The biggest quantitative jump of this kind took place later. Vilnius expanded in 300 km2: large recreational territories, industrial and residential areas were attached. Simultaneously enlarged the suburbian zones of the capital, rapidly grew the facilities. Thus Vilnius has become the largest agglomeration in the country.Demographics which include the number of population, density, population in large settlements, the average population, the distribution and fluctuation of the average settlement in the resent 40 years. It represents the permanent processes in the suburbian areas. Regardless of the city gravitation, big suburbian zones with thousands of population have become satellites of Vilnius functioning as housing developments. The follows are: Avižieniai, Buivydiškės, Zujūnai, Vaičiūnai, Nemėžis, Skaidiškės, Pagiriai, Vaidotai, Rudamina. The big parts of large suburbian zones are already incorporated within the city limits. The expansion of Vilnius stimulates the growth of suburbian zones and succession of the city functions. The development of Vilnius directly influences the rural settlement of the suburbian areas

Toddlers’ shape recognition predicts language and working memory at 6-7 years

An electrophysiological measure of semantic processing (the N400) was used to assess shape recognition in toddlers. This measure strongly predicted working memory at 6-7 years. Moreover, a behavioral measure of shape recognition at 24 months was related to concurrent vocabulary and vocabulary skills at 6-7 years

Information map of care for woman with physiological course of childbirth

Teoretická rovina práce popisuje fyziologický porod, průběh a mechanismus porodu, péči porodní asistentky o ženu v průběhu fyziologického porodu. Dále je v teoretické části práce zmapována problematika edukace a edukační činnosti porodní asistentky během porodu. V praktické části jsou zpracovány tři plány péče poskytované formou ošetřovatelského procesu ženám s fyziologickým průběhem porodu. Na podkladě těchto plánů péče byl vytvořen návrh edukačního materiálu - informační mapy péče pro ženu s fyziologickým průběhem porodu. Na závěr byl vytvořen k informační mapě péče manuál pro porodní asistentky.Theoretical part of the work describes a normal birth, progress and delivery mechanism, midwifery care for the woman during physiological childbirth. The theoretical part of the work also identifies issues in education and educational activities of a midwife during childbirth. In the practical part are presented three plans of care provided by nursing process to women with physiological childbirth. On the basis of these care plans was created design of educational material - information map of care for woman with physiological course of childbirth. Finally was created a care manual for midwives to information maps.Katedra porodní asistence a zdravotně sociální práceHodnocení vedoucího: výborně Hodnocení oponenta: výborně Doplňující otázky k obhajobě: 1. Nabídla jste svůj informační manuál porodním asistentkám na porodním sále? Nebo alespoň jste manuál s nimi konzultovala? Byly by porodní asistentky s manuálem ochotné pracovat? Obhajoba bakalářské práce s prezentací výborná