Cortical tracking of lexical speech units in a multi-talker background is immature in school-aged children

Available online 1 December 2022Children have more difficulty perceiving speech in noise than adults. Whether this difficulty relates to an immature processing of prosodic or linguistic elements of the attended speech is still unclear. To address the impact of noise on linguistic processing per se, we assessed how babble noise impacts the cortical tracking of intelligible speech devoid of prosody in school-aged children and adults. Twenty adults and twenty children (7-9 years) listened to synthesized French monosyllabic words presented at 2.5 Hz, either randomly or in 4-word hierarchical structures wherein 2 words formed a phrase at 1.25 Hz, and 2 phrases formed a sentence at 0.625 Hz, with or without babble noise. Neuromagnetic responses to words, phrases and sentences were identified and source-localized. Children and adults displayed significant cortical tracking of words in all conditions, and of phrases and sentences only when words formed meaningful sentences. In children compared with adults, the cortical tracking was lower for all linguistic units in conditions without noise. In the presence of noise, the cortical tracking was similarly reduced for sentence units in both groups, but remained stable for phrase units. Critically, when there was noise, adults increased the cortical tracking of monosyllabic words in the inferior frontal gyri and supratemporal auditory cortices but children did not. This study demonstrates that the difficulties of school-aged children in understanding speech in a multi-talker background might be partly due to an immature tracking of lexical but not supra-lexical linguistic units.Maxime Niesen and Marc Vander Ghinst were supported by the Fonds Erasme (Brussels, Belgium). Mathieu Bourguignon and Julie Ber- tels have been supported by the program Attract of Innoviris (grants 2015-BB2B-10 and 2019-BFB-110). Julie Bertels has been supported by a research grant from the Fonds de Soutien Marguerite-Marie Delacroix (Brussels, Belgium). Xavier De Tiège is Clinical Researcher at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS-FNRS, Brussels, Belgium). We warmly thank Mélina Houinsou Hans for her statistical support during the re- view process

The role of reading experience in atypical cortical tracking of speech and speech-in-noise in dyslexia

Available online 5 March 2022Dyslexia is a frequent developmental disorder in which reading acquisition is delayed and that is usually associ- ated with difficulties understanding speech in noise. At the neuronal level, children with dyslexia were reported to display abnormal cortical tracking of speech (CTS) at phrasal rate. Here, we aimed to determine if abnormal tracking relates to reduced reading experience, and if it is modulated by the severity of dyslexia or the presence of acoustic noise. We included 26 school-age children with dyslexia, 26 age-matched controls and 26 reading-level matched controls. All were native French speakers. Children’s brain activity was recorded with magnetoencephalography while they listened to continuous speech in noiseless and multiple noise conditions. CTS values were compared between groups, conditions and hemispheres, and also within groups, between children with mild and severe dyslexia. Syllabic CTS was significantly reduced in the right superior temporal gyrus in children with dyslexia com- pared with controls matched for age but not for reading level. Severe dyslexia was characterized by lower rapid automatized naming (RAN) abilities compared with mild dyslexia, and phrasal CTS lateralized to the right hemi- sphere in children with mild dyslexia and all control groups but not in children with severe dyslexia. Finally, an alteration in phrasal CTS was uncovered in children with dyslexia compared with age-matched controls in babble noise conditions but not in other less challenging listening conditions (non-speech noise or noiseless conditions); no such effect was seen in comparison with reading-level matched controls. Overall, our results confirmed the finding of altered neuronal basis of speech perception in noiseless and babble noise conditions in dyslexia compared with age-matched peers. However, the absence of alteration in comparison with reading-level matched controls demonstrates that such alterations are associated with reduced reading level, suggesting they are merely driven by reduced reading experience rather than a cause of dyslexia. Finally, our result of altered hemispheric lateralization of phrasal CTS in relation with altered RAN abilities in severe dyslexia is in line with a temporal sampling deficit of speech at phrasal rate in dyslexia.Florian Destoky, Julie Bertels and Mathieu Bourguignon have been supported by the program Attract of Innoviris (Grants 2015-BB2B-10 and 2019-BFB-110). Julie Bertels has been supported by a research grant from the Fonds de Soutien Marguerite-Marie Delacroix (Brussels, Bel- gium). Xavier De Tiège is Post-doctorate Clinical Master Specialist at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS, Brussels, Belgium). Mathieu Bourguignon has been supported by the Marie Sk ł odowska- Curie Action of the European Commission (Grant 743562). The MEG project at the CUB Hôpital Erasme and this study were financially supported by the Fonds Erasme (Research convention “Les Voies du Savoir ”, Brussels, Belgium). The PET-MR project at the CUB Hôpital Erasme is supported by the Association Vinçotte Nuclear (AVN, Brussels, Belgium)

Inaccurate cortical tracking of speech in adults with impaired speech perception in noise

Published:10 September 2021Impaired speech perception in noise despite normal peripheral auditory function is a common problem in young adults. Despite a growing body of research, the pathophysiology of this impairment remains unknown. This magnetoencephalography study characterizes the cortical tracking of speech in a multi-talker background in a group of highly selected adult subjects with impaired speech perception in noise without peripheral auditory dysfunction. Magnetoencephalographic signals were recorded from 13 subjects with impaired speech perception in noise (six females, mean age: 30 years) and matched healthy subjects while they were listening to 5 different recordings of stories merged with a multi-talker background at different signal to noise ratios (No Noise, þ10, þ5, 0 and 5dB). The cortical tracking of speech was quantified with coherence between magnetoencephalographic signals and the temporal envelope of (i) the global auditory scene (i.e. the attended speech stream and the multi-talker background noise), (ii) the attended speech stream only and (iii) the multi-talker background noise. Functional connectivity was then estimated between brain areas showing altered cortical tracking of speech in noise in subjects with impaired speech perception in noise and the rest of the brain. All participants demonstrated a selective cortical representation of the attended speech stream in noisy conditions, but subjects with impaired speech perception in noise displayed reduced cortical tracking of speech at the syllable rate (i.e. 4–8Hz) in all noisy conditions. Increased functional connectivity was observed in subjects with impaired speech perception in noise in Noiseless and speech in noise conditions between supratemporal auditory cortices and left-dominant brain areas involved in semantic and attention processes. The difficulty to understand speech in a multi-talker background in subjects with impaired speech perception in noise appears to be related to an inaccurate auditory cortex tracking of speech at the syllable rate. The increased functional connectivity between supratemporal auditory cortices and language/attention-related neocortical areas probably aims at supporting speech perception and subsequent recognition in adverse auditory scenes. Overall, this study argues for a central origin of impaired speech perception in noise in the absence of any peripheral auditory dysfunction.Marc Vander Ghinst, Gilles Naeije and Maxime Niesen were supported by a research grant from the Fonds Erasme (Brussels, Belgium). Mathieu Bourguignon was supported by the Program Attract of Innoviris (grant 2015-BB2B-10), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant PSI2016-77175-P) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action of the European Commission (grant 743562). Gilles Naeije and Xavier De Tie`ge are Post-doctorate Clinical Master Specialist at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS-FNRS, Brussels, Belgium). This study and the MEG project at the CUB Hoˆpital Erasme were financially supported by the Fonds Erasme (Research Convention ‘Les Voies du Savoir’, Fonds Erasme, Brussels, Belgium)

Synchrony, metastability, dynamic integration, and competition in the spontaneous functional connectivity of the human brain

Available online 3 June 2019.The human brain is functionally organized into large-scale neural networks that are dynamically interconnected. Multiple short-lived states of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) identified transiently synchronized networks and cross-network integration. However, little is known about the way brain couplings covary as rsFC states wax and wane. In this magnetoencephalography study, we explore the synchronization structure among the spontaneous interactions of well-known resting-state networks (RSNs). To do so, we extracted modes of dynamic coupling that reflect rsFC synchrony and analyzed their spatio-temporal features. These modes identified transient, sporadic rsFC changes characterized by the widespread integration of RSNs across the brain, most prominently in the β band. This is in line with the metastable rsFC state model of resting-state dynamics, wherein our modes fit as state transition processes. Furthermore, the default-mode network (DMN) stood out as being structured into competitive cross-network couplings with widespread DMN-RSN interactions, especially among the β-band modes. These results substantiate the theory that the DMN is a core network enabling dynamic global brain integration in the β band.This work was supported by the Action de Recherche Concert ee (ARC Consolidation 2015–2019, “Characterization of the electrophysiological bases, the temporal dynamics and the functional relevance of resting state network” attributed to X.D.T.) and by the research convention “Les Voies du Savoir” (Fonds Erasme, Brussels, Belgium). M.B. benefited from the program Attract of Innoviris (grant 2015-BB2B-10), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant PSI2016-77175-P), and theMarie Skłodowska-Curie Action of the European Commission (grant 743562). M.V.G. and G.N.were supported by the Fonds Erasme. N.C. benefited from a research grant from the ARC Consolidation (2014–2017, “Characterization of the electrophysiological bases, the temporal dynamics and the functional relevance of resting state network” attributed to X.D.T.) and from the Fonds Erasme (research convention “Les Voies du Savoir”). X.D.T. is Post-doctorate Clinical Master Specialist at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS, Brussels, Belgium). The MEG project at the CUB – H^opital Erasme is financially supported by the Fonds Erasme (research convention “Les Voies du Savoir”)

Cortical tracking of speech in noise accounts for reading strategies in children

Humans’ propensity to acquire literacy relates to several factors, including the ability to understand speech in noise (SiN). Still, the nature of the relation between reading and SiN perception abilities remains poorly understood. Here, we dissect the interplay between (1) reading abilities, (2) classical behavioral predictors of reading (phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid automatized naming), and (3) electrophysiological markers of SiN perception in 99 elementary school children (26 with dyslexia). We demonstrate that, in typical readers, cortical representation of the phrasal content of SiN relates to the degree of development of the lexical (but not sublexical) reading strategy. In contrast, classical behavioral predictors of reading abilities and the ability to benefit from visual speech to represent the syllabic content of SiN account for global reading performance (i.e., speed and accuracy of lexical and sublexical reading). In individuals with dyslexia, we found preserved integration of visual speech information to optimize processing of syntactic information but not to sustain acoustic/phonemic processing. Finally, within children with dyslexia, measures of cortical representation of the phrasal content of SiN were negatively related to reading speed and positively related to the compromise between reading precision and reading speed, potentially owing to compensatory attentional mechanisms. These results clarify the nature of the relation between SiN perception and reading abilities in typical child readers and children with dyslexia and identify novel electrophysiological markers of emergent literacy

Galectin-1, -3, -7 Expressions in Congenital and Acquired Pediatric Cholesteatomas Compared to External Auditory Canal Skin

Objectives. There is a classical distinction based on clinical criteria between acquired and congenital cholesteatomas. To determine if these two types of lesions show different immunohistochemical features, we have studied the expression patterns of three distinctive galectins (animal lectins implied especially in cellular proliferation and apoptosis) in both types of cholesteatomas and compared it to their expression patterns in external auditory canal skin. Methods. Our study is based on nine acquired and eight congenital cholesteatomas, obtained from children during ear surgery. Six specimens of normal adult auditory meatal skin served as control. Specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies with galectin-1 and galectin-3, and a polyclonal antibody with galectin-7. Results. We did not observe any differences in the galectin distribution pattern between congenital and acquired pediatric cholesteatomas. Compared to the control group, cholesteatomas present some particular features. There was no expression of galectin-1 and a lower expression of galectin-3 in the epithelium. Furthermore, we observed a preferentially nuclear distribution of galectin-7 in cholesteatomas, whereas it is essentially cytoplasmic in the control group. Conclusion. The data reported in this study suggest, on the basis of a lesser marked galectin-3 in cholesteatomas epithelium compared with an external auditory canal skin, that an immature keratinocytes population is at the origin of these lesions and that galectin-3 and galectin-7 play a part in the capacity as apoptosis modulators. Our study does not establish a difference in the galectin expressions of congenital and acquired cholesteatomas, but it constitutes however an additional argument in favor of the "undifferentiated" origin of keratinocytes in cholesteatomas. © 2012 by Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Insights into the neural bases of speech perception in noise

Pour pouvoir communiquer efficacement dans son environnement social naturel, l’être humain doit pouvoir isoler le discours de son interlocuteur des autres voix composants le bruit ambiant. Cette situation, connue sous l’expression « d’effet cocktail party », va engager notre cerveau dans différents processus auditifs et attentionnels lui permettant d’analyser spécifiquement le signal acoustique de son interlocuteur. La façon dont le cerveau procède pour extraire les attributs acoustiques de la voix d’intérêt de l’ensemble de la scène auditive restent toutefois méconnus. Cette méconnaissance est d’autant plus importante que certaines populations peuvent présenter des troubles de compréhension dans le bruit alors que leur système auditif périphérique ne présente aucun déficit (comme les enfants ou chez certains jeunes adultes). L’objectif de cette thèse de doctorat était d’identifier les mécanismes corticaux permettant la compréhension dans le bruit et d’évaluer si ceux-ci étaient déficitaires dans deux populations souffrant de troubles de compréhension dans le bruit sans atteinte auditive périphérique. Pour y parvenir, nous avons étudié par magnétoencéphalographie le couplage entre l’activité corticale d’un auditeur et les différentes voix constituant une scène auditive de type cocktail party. Ces investigations ont été menées chez des sujets sains (étude I), chez des enfants (étude II) ainsi que chez des jeunes adultes présentant des troubles isolés de la compréhension dans le bruit (étude III). Nos études ont révélé que le cortex auditif suit sélectivement la voix d’intérêt plutôt que la scène auditive globale. Ce couplage « cerveau-parole » se produit à des fréquences correspondant aux fluctuations rythmiques de la prosodie (<1 Hz), des mots (1–4 Hz) et des syllabes (4–8 Hz), et diminue lorsque le niveau de bruit augmente. De plus, le couplage « cerveau-parole » à <1 Hz est latéralisé dans l'hémisphère gauche en présence d’un bruit de type cocktail party. Enfin, une diminution de ce couplage au rythme syllabique est associée aux difficultés de compréhension dans le bruit, que ce soit chez les enfants ou chez les jeunes adultes.Nos travaux ont ainsi démontré que ce couplage sélectif à la voix d'intérêt lors de situations de type cocktail party est essentiel à la compréhension en milieu bruyant. Une diminution de ce couplage au niveau syllabique est associée à un déficit de compréhension dans le bruit, soutenant ainsi l’hypothèse d’une origine centrale aux troubles de compréhension dans le bruit sans atteinte auditive périphérique.Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Médecine)info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Les acouphènes: quelle prise en charge en 2013?

Tinnitus is a common symptom, affecting nearly 10% of the adult population. Even if most of the patients support it, it can be particularly disabling in some cases. Recent advances in neuroscience have greatly improved the understanding of its pathophysiology, resulting in development of new therapeutic strategies. The management of tinnitus requires a systematic and rational approach to avoid incomplete diagnosis procedures and unnecessary exams. The diagnostic approach will be held to identify the causal pathology. Etiological treatment, if it is possible, will be the first therapeutic step. Various symptomatic treatments, such as tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or neuromodulation will promote habituation to the tinnitus, to ensure that the latter won't cause discomfort anymore.English AbstractJournal ArticleReviewSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Tinnitus management in 2013

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Do functional networks reflect brain rhythmic interactions? Investigating the power bias in MEG envelope functional connectivity

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe