Language prediction in aging and aphasia

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Language prediction in aging and aphasia Spyridoula Cheimariou1*, Thomas A. Farmer2 and Jean K. Gordon1 1 University of Iowa, Communication Sciences and Disorders, United States 2 University of Iowa, Psychological & Brain Sciences, United States Introduction Rapid and efficient communication is supported by our ability to predict upcoming input when comprehending language (Altmann & Kamide, 1999; Federmeier, 2007). Researchers have also tied the efficiency of language production to prediction processes, in line with the proposal that language comprehenders use the language production system to anticipate upcoming input (Dell & Chang, 2014; Pickering & Garrod, 2013). According to those models, the production system is responsible for pre-activating the upcoming word. However, later processes, such as detecting the violation of expectations, may be attributed to integration processes in the comprehension system. In this study, we ask whether and how younger and older healthy adults, and individuals with anomic aphasia, use prediction to process language. Previous work suggests that older adults show weaker predictability effects. Furthermore, if prediction makes use of production, we would expect that individuals with anomic aphasia, who have impaired language production, but relatively preserved comprehension, would not show robust pre-activation, but would show effects of prediction in later recognition processes. Methods Here, we report results from groups of younger (N=26; mean age= 24) and older (N=27, mean age = 67) healthy adults as well as preliminary results of one 67-year-old individual with mild anomic aphasia (IWA). Participants performed a picture-word matching task (from Dikker & Pylkkänen, 2011). There were two manipulations: the word either matched the picture (Match) or did not (Mismatch); the word could be predicted by the previous picture (e.g., the picture of an apple would predict the word “apple”) (Predictive) or could not (e.g., the picture of a grocery bag would not predict a specific word) (Non-Predictive). Two measures were collected: EEG coherence in the theta band before presentation of the target word and N400 ERP after target word presentation. The difference in each measure between conditions (Predictive vs Non-Predictive for coherence; Match vs Mismatch for N400) represents the predictability effect. Results and Discussion In the ERP measure, similar predictability effects were found for both younger and older healthy adults, contrary to previous studies (Federmeier, 2007). The size of the predictability effect for the IWA was within 1 SD of the older healthy group, indicating preserved integration processes during word recognition (Figure 1 right panel). However, the theta band coherence effect was larger (>1 SD) for the IWA than for either healthy group (Figure 1 left panel). This discrepancy in pre-activation of the target word was not as predicted (healthy groups showed no effect but the IWA showed an effect). However, it provides preliminary evidence that prediction processes hypothesized to be governed by the production system (here, EEG coherence) may be altered in expressive aphasia, whereas prediction processes hypothesized to depend on recognition processes (here, N400) was similar to the healthy adults. On-going data collection from additional individuals with aphasia will provide a clearer picture of the processes underlying prediction in individuals with aphasia affecting production and comprehension systems to varying degrees. Figure 1 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge financial support of the Communication Sciences and Disorders department, the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Delta Center at the University of Iowa. References Altmann, G. T., & Kamide, Y. (1999). Incremental interpretation at verbs: Restricting the domain of subsequent reference. Cognition, 73(3), 247-264. Dell, G. S., & Chang, F. (2014). The P-chain: Relating sentence production and its disorders to comprehension and acquisition. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 369(1634), 20120394. Dikker, S., & Pylkkanen, L. (2011). Before the N400: Effects of lexical–semantic violations in visual cortex. Brain and Language, 118(1), 23-28. Federmeier, K. D. (2007). Thinking ahead: The role and roots of prediction in language comprehension. Psychophysiology, 44(4), 491-505. Pickering, M. J., & Garrod, S. (2013). An integrated theory of language production and comprehension. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 36(04), 329-347. Keywords: Aging, Aphasia, language processing, prediction, ERP Conference: 54th Annual Academy of Aphasia Meeting, Llandudno, United Kingdom, 16 Oct - 18 Oct, 2016. Presentation Type: Poster Sessions Topic: Academy of Aphasia Citation: Cheimariou S, Farmer TA and Gordon JK (2016). Language prediction in aging and aphasia. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 54th Annual Academy of Aphasia Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2016.68.00094 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 29 Apr 2016; Published Online: 15 Aug 2016. * Correspondence: Ms. Spyridoula Cheimariou, University of Iowa, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Iowa City, Iowa, 52245, United States, spyridoula-cheimariou@uiowa.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. 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