Nonlinguistic Functions Research Articles

Cognitive training incorporating temporal information processing improves linguistic and non-linguistic functions in people with aphasia

People with aphasia (PWA) often present deficits in non-linguistic cognitive functions, such as executive functions, working memory, and temporal information processing (TIP), which intensify the associated speech difficulties and hinder the rehabilitation process. Therefore, training targeting non-linguistic cognitive function deficiencies may be useful in the treatment of aphasia. The present study compared the effects of the novel Dr. Neuronowski® training method (experimental training), which particularly emphasizes TIP, with the linguistic training commonly applied in clinical practice (control training). Thirty four PWA underwent linguistic and non-linguistic assessments before and after the training as well as a follow-up assessment. Patients were randomly assigned to either experimental (n = 18) or control groups (n = 16). The experimental training improved both non-linguistic functions (TIP and verbal short-term and working memory) and linguistic functions: phoneme discrimination, sentence comprehension, grammar comprehension, verbal fluency, and naming. In contrast, the control training improved only grammar comprehension and naming. The follow-up assessment confirmed the stability of the effects of both trainings over time. Thus, in PWA, Dr. Neuronowski® training appears to have broader benefits for linguistic and non-linguistic functions than does linguistic training. This provides evidence that Dr. Neuronowski® may be considered a novel tool with potential clinical applications.

Dilemmatic Role of Legal Interpreters in Assisting Foreigners in Legal Setting

Foreigners who are involved in court cases need legal interpreters. This is because not all foreigners speak Indonesian fluently, and few of the officials who deal with matters involving foreigners can speak English. This study investigates the roles and functions of legal interpreters in assisting foreigners in legal setting. This study used a quantitative descriptive research design to gather data using questionnaires and in-person interviews. The results of the surveys and in-person interviews were qualitatively and descriptively assessed, as well as formally and informally presented. According to the data analysis findings, a legal interpreter has two roles: the first is a linguistic role to verbally translate messages from investigators, prosecutors, or lawyers to foreigners, and the second is a non-linguistic role that goes beyond serving as verbal intermediaries to further the parties' interests. The non-linguistic functions of an interpreter include finding translators for text translation, acting as a liaison to transmit the parties' wishes, serving as a mediator during negotiations, and helping to protect the interests of the parties during negotiations. Professional legal interpreters performed a variety of non-linguistic duties and tasks that presented several ethical challenges. Although they are aware that they go against the legal interpreters' code of ethics, they must still carry out the duties in the manner expected of amateur interpreters.

Is Reduced Visual Processing the Price of Language?

We suggest a later timeline for full language capabilities in Homo sapiens, placing the emergence of language over 200,000 years after the emergence of our species. The late Paleolithic period saw several significant changes. Homo sapiens became more gracile and gradually lost significant brain volumes. Detailed realistic cave paintings disappeared completely, and iconic/symbolic ones appeared at other sites. This may indicate a shift in perceptual abilities, away from an accurate perception of the present. Language in modern humans interact with vision. One example is the McGurk effect. Studies show that artistic abilities may improve when language-related brain areas are damaged or temporarily knocked out. Language relies on many pre-existing non-linguistic functions. We suggest that an overwhelming flow of perceptual information, vision, in particular, was an obstacle to language, as is sometimes implied in autism with relative language impairment. We systematically review the recent research literature investigating the relationship between language and perception. We see homologues of language-relevant brain functions predating language. Recent findings show brain lateralization for communicative gestures in other primates without language, supporting the idea that a language-ready brain may be overwhelmed by raw perception, thus blocking overt language from evolving. We find support in converging evidence for a change in neural organization away from raw perception, thus pushing the emergence of language closer in time. A recent origin of language makes it possible to investigate the genetic origins of language.

Relationship Between Cognitive Functions and Multilevel Language Processing: Data From Chinese Speakers With Aphasia and Implications.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between nonverbal cognitive functions and language processing of people with aphasia (PWA) by taking a data-driven approach, as well as multiple cognitive components and multilevel linguistic perspectives. It is hypothesized that language performance is differentially associated with cognitive processing of PWA, with executive functions (EFs) playing a stronger role in language tasks with increasing linguistic complexity. A language battery assessing word comprehension/production, sentence comprehension, and discourse production, together with a series of nonlinguistic cognitive tasks targeting simple/complex attention, short-term/working memory, or EFs, was administered to 53 Cantonese-speaking PWA. Cognitive factors extracted from principal component analysis applied to the cognitive battery served as predictors in four multiple regression analyses to predict PWA's performance at various linguistic levels. Two cognitive factors, representing (a) simple attention and memory and (b) EF, were extracted. The former predicted performance in word processing tasks, whereas EF significantly predicted performance in all language tasks with increasing contribution as a function of linguistic complexity. The results based on Chinese PWA provide comprehensive evidence for the view that language performance is the end product of interaction between linguistic and nonlinguistic functions and have clear implications for clinical management of PWA.

Investigation of Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Functions Related to Pragmatic Communication Abilities in Aphasia Patients

Investigation of Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Functions Related to Pragmatic Communication Abilities in Aphasia Patients

A Data-Based Approach for Selecting Pre- and Intra-Operative Language Mapping Tasks.

Background: Pre- and intra-operative language mapping in neurosurgery patients frequently involves an object naming task. The choice of the optimal object naming paradigm remains challenging due to lack of normative data and standardization in mapping practices. The aim of this study was to identify object naming paradigms that robustly and consistently activate classical language regions and could therefore be used to improve the sensitivity of language mapping in brain tumor and epilepsy patients.Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from two independent groups of healthy controls (total = 79) were used to generate threshold-weighted voxel-based consistency maps. This novel approach allowed us to compare inter-subject consistency of activation for naming single objects in the visual and auditory modality and naming two objects in a phrase or a sentence.Results: We found that the consistency of activation in language regions was greater for naming two objects per picture than one object per picture, even when controlling for the number of names produced in 5 s.Conclusion: More consistent activation in language areas for naming two objects compared to one object suggests that two-object naming tasks may be more suitable for delimiting language eloquent regions with pre- and intra-operative language testing. More broadly, we propose that the functional specificity of brain mapping paradigms for a whole range of different linguistic and non-linguistic functions could be enhanced by referring to databased models of inter-subject consistency and variability in typical and atypical brain responses.

A review on treatment-induced neuronal reorganization in aphasia

A review on treatment-induced neuronal reorganization in aphasia

Syntactic Processing in Broca's Area: Brodmann Areas 44 and 45

Brodmann areas 44 and 45 are known as Broca's area; however, their true functional roles are still unknown. Recent developments in neuroimaging techniques revealed the structures and functions of Broca's area in detail. More specifically regarding language functions, sufficient evidence has been accumulated that this region subserves the center of syntactic processing, not necessarily motor functions. Here, we review a role of Broca's area as the grammar center, including other roles in nonlinguistic functions.

Double substitution of non-linguistic perceptual functions

ABSTRACTThis study captured substitution of non-linguistic perceptual functions without awareness. Eighty participants were divided into four groups. All groups were exposed to a respondent-type training procedure in which nine letters were paired with words; four of those words were homophones to numbers for the experimental groups and not for the control groups. Following training, all groups were exposed to a testing condition. One experimental and one control group were given a series of simple mathematical problems containing an unknown shown as a letter. Their task was to substitute the letter for a number. The other experimental and control groups were presented with a simultaneous matching-to-sample test. The results were analyzed in terms of concordance between the number selected and the correspondent homophone word that had previously been trained. Significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups for two of the four homophone numbers, demonstrating substitution of perceptual functions.

A novel approach for investigating the functional segregation of linguistic functions within fronto-parietal networks

A novel approach for investigating the functional segregation of linguistic functions within fronto-parietal networks

Neuroscience of aphasia recovery: the concept of neural multifunctionality.

Aphasia therapy, while demonstrably successful, has been limited by its primary focus on language, with relatively less attention paid to nonlinguistic factors (cognitive, affective, praxic) that play a major role in recovery from aphasia. Neuroscientific studies of the past 15-20years have opened a breach in the wall of traditional clinico-anatomical teachings on aphasia. It is not an exaggeration to talk of a paradigm shift. The term "neural multifunctionality" denotes a complex web of neural networks supporting both linguistic and nonlinguistic functions in constant and dynamic interaction, creating language as we know it and contributing to recovery from aphasia following brain damage. This paper reviews scientific underpinnings of neural multifunctionality and suggests ways in which this new approach to understanding the neural basis of language can lead to meaningful, practical steps for improvements in aphasia therapy.

The functional organization of the left STS: a large scale meta-analysis of PET and fMRI studies of healthy adults

The superior temporal sulcus (STS) in the left hemisphere is functionally diverse, with sub-areas implicated in both linguistic and non-linguistic functions. However, the number and boundaries of distinct functional regions remain to be determined. Here, we present new evidence, from meta-analysis of a large number of positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, of different functional specificity in the left STS supporting a division of its middle to terminal extent into at least three functional areas. The middle portion of the left STS stem (fmSTS) is highly specialized for speech perception and the processing of language material. The posterior portion of the left STS stem (fpSTS) is highly versatile and involved in multiple functions supporting semantic memory and associative thinking. The fpSTS responds to both language and non-language stimuli but the sensitivity to non-language material is greater. The horizontal portion of the left STS stem and terminal ascending branches (ftSTS) display intermediate functional specificity, with the anterior-dorsal ascending branch (fatSTS) supporting executive functions and motor planning and showing greater sensitivity to language material, and the horizontal stem and posterior-ventral ascending branch (fptSTS) supporting primarily semantic processing and displaying greater sensitivity to non-language material. We suggest that the high functional specificity of the left fmSTS for speech is an important means by which the human brain achieves exquisite affinity and efficiency for native speech perception. In contrast, the extreme multi-functionality of the left fpSTS reflects the role of this area as a cortical hub for semantic processing and the extraction of meaning from multiple sources of information. Finally, in the left ftSTS, further functional differentiation between the dorsal and ventral aspect is warranted.

Brain and language: evidence for neural multifunctionality.

This review paper presents converging evidence from studies of brain damage and longitudinal studies of language in aging which supports the following thesis: the neural basis of language can best be understood by the concept of neural multifunctionality. In this paper the term “neural multifunctionality” refers to incorporation of nonlinguistic functions into language models of the intact brain, reflecting a multifunctional perspective whereby a constant and dynamic interaction exists among neural networks subserving cognitive, affective, and praxic functions with neural networks specialized for lexical retrieval, sentence comprehension, and discourse processing, giving rise to language as we know it. By way of example, we consider effects of executive system functions on aspects of semantic processing among persons with and without aphasia, as well as the interaction of executive and language functions among older adults. We conclude by indicating how this multifunctional view of brain-language relations extends to the realm of language recovery from aphasia, where evidence of the influence of nonlinguistic factors on the reshaping of neural circuitry for aphasia rehabilitation is clearly emerging.

Clearing the garden-path: improving sentence processing through cognitive control training

How do general-purpose cognitive abilities affect language processing and comprehension? Recent research emphasises a role for cognitive control—also called executive function (EF)—when individuals must override early parsing decisions as new evidence conflicts with their developing interpretation. We tested if training on non-syntactic EF tasks improves readers' ability to recover from misanalysis during language processing. Participants completed pre/post-reading assessments containing temporarily ambiguous sentences susceptible to misinterpretation. Performance increases on a training task targeting conflict-resolution processes (n-back with “lures”) predicted improvements in garden-path recovery. N-back responders—those demonstrating reliable training gains—significantly increased their comprehension accuracy across assessments. Their posttest eye-movement patterns also revealed significantly improved real-time revision following entry into disambiguating sentence regions where cognitive control is hypothesised to engage. Untrained participants and n-back non-responders showed no performance changes. The results provide insight into how nonlinguistic functions contribute to parsing and interpretation and suggest that certain language skills are amenable to improvement via domain-general EF training.

Dysgraphia in Korean patients with Alzheimer's disease as a manifestation of bilateral hemispheric dysfunction

BackgroundIn writing, linguistic (i.e., spelling) and nonlinguistic (i.e., arranging strokes or letters) functions are processed by the left and right hemispheres, respectively. The configuration of Korean alphabet, ‘Hangul’ invokes nonlinguistic, visuospatial functions that other writing systems use less extensively. Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have bilateral involvement of temporoparietal–frontal areas that are responsible for processing language and visuospatial functions. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the nature of Hangul writing dysfunction, which may be associated with bilateral hemispheric impairments in AD. MethodsA sample of 75 patients with AD and 20 healthy controls (HC) performed a Hangul writing task. Neuroimaging positron emission tomography (PET) data of 22 patients were utilized to measure the regional brain glucose metabolism associated with Hangul writing. ResultsThe writing performance of the AD group was significantly reduced and different types of errors were observed as the disease got worse. Glucose hypometabolism correlated with Hangul writing impairment was located in the right occipitotemporal lobe and left temporoparietal lobe. ConclusionsThe PET findings demonstrate that impairment in Hangul writing performance in Korean AD patients is closely related to a functional decline in both the right and left hemispheres. The study provides a unique contribution to the knowledge of dysgraphia in a non-alphabetical writing system as well as the underlying neuropathology of dysgraphic features in such languages.

Functional specificity for high-level linguistic processing in the human brain

Neuroscientists have debated for centuries whether some regions of the human brain are selectively engaged in specific high-level mental functions or whether, instead, cognition is implemented in multifunctional brain regions. For the critical case of language, conflicting answers arise from the neuropsychological literature, which features striking dissociations between deficits in linguistic and nonlinguistic abilities, vs. the neuroimaging literature, which has argued for overlap between activations for linguistic and nonlinguistic processes, including arithmetic, domain general abilities like cognitive control, and music. Here, we use functional MRI to define classic language regions functionally in each subject individually and then examine the response of these regions to the nonlinguistic functions most commonly argued to engage these regions: arithmetic, working memory, cognitive control, and music. We find little or no response in language regions to these nonlinguistic functions. These data support a clear distinction between language and other cognitive processes, resolving the prior conflict between the neuropsychological and neuroimaging literatures.

The Evolution of Syntax: An Exaptationist Perspective

The evolution of language required elaboration of a number of independent mechanisms in the hominin lineage, including systems involved in signaling, semantics, and syntax. Two perspectives on the evolution of syntax can be contrasted. The “continuist” perspective seeks the evolutionary roots of complex human syntax in simpler combinatory systems used in animal communication systems, such as iteration and sequencing. The “exaptationist” perspective posits evolutionary change of function, so that systems today used for linguistic communication might previously have served quite different functions in earlier hominids. I argue that abundant biological evidence supports an exaptationist perspective, in general, and that it must be taken seriously when considering language evolution. When applied to syntax, this suggests that core computational components used today in language could have originally served non-linguistic functions such as motor control, non-verbal thought, or spatial reasoning. I outline three specific exaptationist hypotheses for spoken language. These three hypotheses each posit a change of functionality in a precursor circuit, and its transformation into a neural circuit or region specifically involved in language today. Hypothesis 1 suggests that the precursor mechanism for intentional vocal control, specifically direct cortical control over the larynx, was manual motor control subserved by the cortico-spinal tract. The second is that the arcuate fasciculus, which today connects syntactic and lexical regions, had its origin in intracortical connections subserving vocal imitation. The third is that the specialized components of Broca’s area, specifically BA 45, had their origins in non-linguistic motor control, and specifically hierarchical planning of action. I conclude by illustrating the importance of both homology (studied via primates) and convergence (typically analyzed in birds) for testing such evolutionary hypotheses.

Tone Deafness: A New Disconnection Syndrome?

Communicating with one's environment requires efficient neural interaction between action and perception. Neural substrates of sound perception and production are connected by the arcuate fasciculus (AF). Although AF is known to be involved in language, its roles in non-linguistic functions are unexplored. Here, we show that tone-deaf people, with impaired sound perception and production, have reduced AF connectivity. Diffusion tensor tractography and psychophysics were assessed in tone-deaf individuals and matched controls. Abnormally reduced AF connectivity was observed in the tone deaf. Furthermore, we observed relationships between AF and auditory-motor behavior: superior and inferior AF branches predict psychophysically assessed pitch discrimination and sound production perception abilities, respectively. This neural abnormality suggests that tone deafness leads to a reduction in connectivity resulting in pitch-related impairments. Results support a dual-stream anatomy of sound production and perception implicated in vocal communications. By identifying white matter differences and their psychophysical correlates, results contribute to our understanding of how neural connectivity subserves behavior.

Evidence of an evolutionary precursor to human language affixation in a non-human primate

Human language, and grammatical competence in particular, relies on a set of computational operations that, in its entirety, is not observed in other animals. Such uniqueness leaves open the possibility that components of our linguistic competence are shared with other animals, having evolved for non-linguistic functions. Here, we explore this problem from a comparative perspective, asking whether cotton-top tamarin monkeys (Saguinus oedipus) can spontaneously (no training) acquire an affixation rule that shares important properties with our inflectional morphology (e.g. the rule that adds -ed to create the past tense, as in the transformation of walk into walk-ed). Using playback experiments, we show that tamarins discriminate between bisyllabic items that start with a specific 'prefix' syllable and those that end with the same syllable as a 'suffix'. These results suggest that some of the computational mechanisms subserving affixation in a diversity of languages are shared with other animals, relying on basic perceptual or memory primitives that evolved for non-linguistic functions.

Cerebral Dominance in Musicians and Nonmusicians

Cerebral Dominance in Musicians and Nonmusicians