Visual Implicit Learning Abilities in Infants at Familial Risk for Language and Learning Impairments.

Massimo Molteni,Chiara Cantiani,Hermann Bulf,Roberta Bettoni,Viola Macchi Cassia,Valentina Riva

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031877

Abstract

The ability of infants to track transitional probabilities (Statistical Learning—SL) and to extract and generalize high-order rules (Rule Learning—RL) from sequences of items have been proposed as being pivotal for the acquisition of language and reading skills. Although there is ample evidence of specific associations between SL and RL abilities and, respectively, vocabulary and grammar skills, research exploring SL and RL as early markers of language and learning (dis)abilities is still scarce. Here we investigated the efficiency of visual SL and RL skills in typically developing (TD) seven-month-old infants and in seven-month-old infants at high risk (HR) for language learning impairment. Infants were tested in two visual-habituation tasks aimed to measure their ability to extract transitional probabilities (SL task) or high-order, repetition-based rules (RL task) from sequences of visual shapes. Post-habituation looking time preferences revealed that both TD and HR infants succeeded in learning the statistical structure (SL task), while only TD infants, but not HR infants, were able to learn and generalize the high-order rule (RL task). These findings suggest that SL and RL may contribute differently to the emergence of language learning impairment and support the hypothesis that a mechanism linked to the extraction of grammar structures may contribute to the disorder.

Highlights

Mastery of language can be difficult for some children
Several studies have shown that developmental language disorders and developmental dyslexia are often characterized by substantial overlap and heterogeneity of reading and linguistic impairments, and cannot always be differentiated
Nineteen included in the high risk (HR) group (seven with positive family history for developmental language included in the HR group, and 19 infants of disorder, eight for developmental dyslexia, and four for both conditions), and 19 infants the same age were included in the typically developing (TD) group

Summary

Introduction

Around 7% of preschool children experience difficulties with expressive and/or receptive oral language and receive a diagnosis of developmental language disorder [1,2]. Several studies have shown that developmental language disorders and developmental dyslexia are often characterized by substantial overlap and heterogeneity of reading and linguistic impairments, and cannot always be differentiated (see e.g., [6]). Similarities of language phenotypes and comorbidity of language and reading problems [7] suggest that developmental language disorders and developmental dyslexia share common risk factors at either biological, neurocognitive, or environmental levels. For these reasons, the term ‘language learning impairment’ is widely used to encompass difficulties with expressive and/or receptive oral language and reading disabilities [8]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion