Patterns Of Language Dominance Research Articles

A Domain-General Monitoring Account of Bilingual Language Control in Recognition: The Role of Language Dominance and Bilingual Experience.

The ability of bilingual individuals to manage two competing languages is assumed to rely on both domain-specific language control and domain-general control mechanisms. However, previous studies have reported mixed findings about the extent and nature of cross-domain generality. The present study examined the role of language dominance, along with bilingual language experience, in the relationship between word recognition and domain-general cognitive control. Two single-language lexical decision tasks (one in L1 and another in L2) and a domain-general flanker task were administered to bilinguals who live in the sociolinguistic context of a minority and a majority language, namely, Uyghur (L1) and Chinese (L2), respectively. The results showed a diversity in language dominance patterns with better performance in L2 than L1 in the recognition modality, even for participants who self-identified as globally being dominant in L1. This finding reflected all bilinguals’ self-evaluation that their preferred language for reading was L2, suggesting that language dominance is dynamic, depending on what language modality is measured. Furthermore, it was found that an earlier onset age of L2 acquisition (but not recent exposure) and a higher across-modality dominance in L2 were related to faster L2 word recognition. When self-reported language dominance was operationalised as a grouping variable, it was further found that both across-modality L1- and L2-dominant bilingual participants demonstrated a significant relationship between L2 word recognition and domain-general monitoring control, while only L1-dominant bilinguals additionally tapped into inhibitory control, indexed by the flanker effect during L2 word recognition. These findings suggest that language dominance has an impact on the extent and nature of the overlap in control mechanisms across specific linguistic and domain-general cognitive domains and add evidence to a domain-general monitoring account of bilingual word recognition.

Adolescent language outcomes in a complex trilingual context: When typical does not mean unproblematic

This study examined the long-term language outcomes of adolescents in the complex multilingual context of Iceland, where children learn Icelandic as a first (L1) or second language (L2), in a background of incidental English from internet and media sources. Method50 adolescents enrolled in grades 8, 9 and 10 in Reykjavik (Iceland) public schools (27 L1 speakers and 23 L2 speakers) participated. Standardized language tests and language samples were collected in Icelandic and English. Self-ratings and parent ratings of language proficiency were obtained in Icelandic, English and, for L2 speakers, in the home language as well. ResultsAs in previous studies, L2 speakers scored far below L1 speakers on formal tests of Icelandic, and also in conversation. The groups were similar in their English skills, with both groups scoring far below L1 English norms. Self-rated performance agreed well with measured performance. For the L2 speakers, self-rated performance in the home language was similar to performance in Icelandic and English. L1 speakers demonstrated much higher performance in Icelandic than English; L2 speakers’ performance was more evenly distributed over their three languages. DiscussionThe considerable English exposure available in Iceland leads to similar English skills for both L1 and L2 groups, but affects their overall language development in different ways. L1 adolescents maintain a clear dominance in Icelandic, whereas the proficiency of the L2 group is more equally distributed across their three languages, leading to unpredictable patterns of language dominance and at the group level, low performance compared to native speaker expectations in all three languages. These language outcomes in adolescence are of great concern as they do not equip the L2 speakers with the functional communication skills they require for further schooling and jobs. The study calls for a reconsideration of typical multilingual outcomes as necessarily implying unproblematic language skills and suggest that language policy changes are required in Iceland to ensure that children graduate compulsory education with solid language skills that allow them to pursue their goals.

Predicting hemispheric dominance for language production in healthy individuals using support vector machine

We used a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to assess hemispheric pattern of language dominance of 47 individuals categorized as non-typical for language from their hemispheric functional laterality index (HFLI) measured on a sentence minus word-list production fMRI-BOLD contrast map. The SVM classifier was trained at discriminating between Dominant and Non-Dominant hemispheric language production activation pattern on a group of 250 participants previously identified as Typicals (HFLI strongly leftward). Then, SVM was applied to each hemispheric language activation pattern of 47 non-typical individuals. The results showed that at least one hemisphere (left or right) was found to be Dominant in every, except 3 individuals, indicating that the "dominant" type of functional organization is the most frequent in non-typicals. Specifically, left hemisphere dominance was predicted in all non-typical right-handers (RH) and in 57.4% of non-typical left-handers (LH). When both hemisphere classifications were jointly considered, four types of brain patterns were observed. The most often predicted pattern (51%) was left-dominant (Dominant left-hemisphere and Non-Dominant right-hemisphere), followed by right-dominant (23%, Dominant right-hemisphere and Non-Dominant left-hemisphere) and co-dominant (19%, 2 Dominant hemispheres) patterns. Co-non-dominant was rare (6%, 2 Non-Dominant hemispheres), but was normal variants of hemispheric specialization. In RH, only left-dominant (72%) and co-dominant patterns were detected, while for LH, all types were found, although with different occurrences. Among the 10 LH with a strong rightward HFLI, 8 had a right-dominant brain pattern. Whole-brain analysis of the right-dominant pattern group confirmed that it exhibited a functional organization strictly mirroring that of left-dominant pattern group. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5871-5889, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Menstrual cycle corrupts reliable and valid assessment of language dominance: Consequences for presurgical evaluation of patients with epilepsy

PurposeFunctional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) is a valid and non-invasive tool for determining language dominance, e.g. in the context of presurgical evaluations. Beyond this, fTCD might be an ideal tool to study dynamics in language dominance over time. However, an essential prerequisite would be a high test–retest reliability. This was addressed in the present study. MethodsTest–retest reliability of hemispheric hemodynamics during open speech was determined in 11 male and 11 female healthy volunteers using the Animation Description Paradigm. Expressive language dominance was assessed weekly over an interval of 4–5 weeks. ResultsInternal consistency of the four measurements was excellent (split-half reliability 0.85–0.95), but test–retest reliability of the lateralization index was poor to moderate (rtt=0.37–0.74). Controlling for gender, test–retest reliabilities were better in men (rtt=0.67–0.78) as compared to women (rtt=0.04–0.70). When arranging the assessments in women around day one of menstruation – all were on contraceptives – a significant shift from left hemisphere dominance toward bilaterality (t=2.2 p=0.04) was evident around menstruation with significant reversal afterwards (t=−3.4 p=0.005). ConclusionA high intraindividual variability of language dominance patterns is indicated in women when assessed repeatedly by fTCD. Menstrual cycle appeared to be the source of inconsistency. The finding challenges the use of non-deactivating methods for language dominance assessment in epilepsy. Support for this is demonstrated with a female patient with epilepsy in whom language dominance assessed by repeated fMRI and fTCD varied concordantly with cycle but not so the repeated intracarotidal amobarbital test.

Crossed Aphasia in a Dextral Patient With Logopenic/Phonological Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia

Crossed aphasia is a rare phenomenon, with a prevalence of 1% to 2% among all right-handed patients. Two crossed aphasic patients with a nonfluent variant of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) have been reported previously. This report aims to document for the first time the occurrence of crossed logopenic progressive aphasia in a dextral patient. A 57-year-old monolingual housewife presented with word-finding difficulties. She was strongly right handed, had no clinical history for brain damage to the left hemisphere, and no left handers in her family history. Her language comprised simple, grammatically correct sentences with a fluctuating speech rate and intermittent word-finding pauses. Rare phonological errors were noted. Sentence repetition tasks showed impairments with grammatically complex sentences. Comprehension was intact as were writing and reading. The language disability remained isolated for 3 years. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging depicted somewhat asymmetrical atrophy of the parietal lobes (R>L), whereas single-photon-emitted computed tomographic imaging demonstrated hypoperfusion in the right parietal cortex, indicating right hemisphere dominance for language. This case report provides evidence that crossed PPA can present with a logopenic variant in addition to the nonfluent type demonstrated by others. Functional neuroimaging showed unexpected right-sided hypoperfusion in this case with only subtle structural brain asymmetry, implicating a reverse pattern of language dominance.

20. The WADA test: Lessons on language dominance and change of clinical indication with improvements in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of epilepsy

WADA tests are traditionally performed before brain surgery in order to prevent postoperative aphasia or global amnesia. While the WADA test still appears to be the gold standard for the detailed description of graded or dissociated language dominance patterns and for reversible simulation of lateralized hemispheric damage, its clinical indication has dramatically changed.

Crosslinguistic influence in two directions: The acquisition of dative constructions in Cantonese—English bilingual children

Previous studies suggest that language dominance and input ambiguity are the two major determinants of crosslinguistic influence in bilingual language acquisition. This article reports a case of bi-directional crosslinguistic transfer in the acquisition of dative constructions by Cantonese—English bilingual children. Longitudinal data of five bilingual children reveal qualitative and quantitative differences between bilingual and monolingual children in the development of English prepositional datives and Cantonese inverted double object datives. Individual differences among the five bilingual children largely correspond to their language dominance patterns, and input ambiguity also helps to explain some transfer effects. It is found that crosslinguistic influence is most likely to take place at vulnerable domains in language acquisition, and a great deal of the interaction between the two languages is observed in such domains. The findings suggest that crosslinguistic influence is pervasive in both directions of bilingual acquisition.

Neuroimaging study on brain asymmetries in situs inversus totalis

Situs inversus totalis (SI) is a rare condition in which all visceral organs are arranged as mirror images of the usual pattern. The objective of this study was to determine whether SI individuals have reversed brain asymmetries. We performed a neuroimaging study on 3 SI subjects and 11 control individuals with normally arranged visceral organs. The language-dominant hemisphere was determined by magnetoencephalography. Left-hemispheric dominance was observed in 1 SI subject and all controls, whereas right-hemispheric dominance was observed in the remaining 2 SI subjects. Statistical analysis revealed that language dominance patterns in SI subjects were different from those in the controls, suggesting that the developmental mechanisms underlying visceral organ asymmetries are related to those underlying functional brain asymmetry. Anatomical brain asymmetries were determined by magnetic resonance imaging. SI subjects had the same planum temporale (PT) asymmetry pattern as the controls, but a reversed petalia asymmetry pattern. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) asymmetry pattern varied within both groups, indicating a relationship between the rightward IFG and right-hemispheric language dominance. These results suggest that the developmental mechanisms underlying visceral organ asymmetries are related to those underlying petalia asymmetry but not to those underlying PT and IFG asymmetries, and that brain asymmetries might develop via multiple region-dependent mechanisms.

Language dominance, handedness and sex: Recessive X-linkage theory and test

The possibility is investigated that cerebral dominance for language and handedness share a common X-linkage and that the relation between the two is therefore a function of sex. In particular, an X-linked recessive account is shown to predict an overall configuration of language dominance, handedness and sex within which there is a sex effect in the pattern of language dominance among right-handed but not left-handed people. The recent accurate determination of cerebral dominance among relatively large samples of the general population by means of functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography makes it possible to test this new theory rigorously, and its parameter-free pattern of predictions is found to be supported.

Patterns of Language Dominance in Focal Left and Right Hemisphere Epilepsies: Relation to MRI Findings, EEG, Sex, and Age at Onset of Epilepsy

The present study evaluates results of language testing during intracarotid amobarbital procedures in 167 patients with either left (LHE,n= 81) or right hemisphere epilepsies (RHE,n= 86). In both groups there was a high rate of deviance from complete left hemisphere dominance of 24 and 31%, respectively. Whilst complete right hemisphere or incomplete left hemisphere language dominance were the prominent atypical patterns in LHE, RHE was associated with either bilateral dominance or incomplete left dominance. In LHE, atypical language dominance was frequently associated with an extratemporal localization of lesions or epileptic foci. The age at onset of epilepsy and the degree of right hemisphere language dominance correlated significantly in LHE but not in RHE. Finally, atypical dominance in LHE but not in RHE was associated with poorer language and nonlanguage functions, the latter being negatively correlated with the degree of right hemisphere language dominance. Conclusions are: (1) The data contradict the assumption of equipotentiality and favor the supposition of a predetermined left hemisphere superiority in language processing. (2) Atypical language dominance in LHE can largely be explained in terms of a plasticity dependent language shift as a consequence of early left hemisphere epilepsies and lesions. (3) Atypical dominance patterns in RHE appear to reflect the prevalence of genetically determined variants and the possibility of a language transfer from the right to the left hemisphere.

Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Patterns of Cerebral Language Dominance: An Amobarbital Study

As a part of presurgical evaluation, 173 patients received bilateral intracarotid amobarbital tests for determination of cerebral language dominance. Language testing during intracarotid amobarbital procedures (IAP) consisted of the following tasks: automatic speech, sentence comprehension, body commands, naming, repetition, reading, and spontaneous speech. Patterns of cerebral language dominance were evaluated and discussed on five levels of analysis: (1) quantification of language dominance on the basis of a lateralization index derived from the total language scores in each IAP; (2) determination of five dominance subpatterns (left or right dominant, strongly bilateral, and incomplete left or right dominant) according to quantification performed on level (I) and clinical judgment; (3) qualitative differentiation of three kinds of bilaterality (positive, negative, and general) according to total language performance in left and right IAP; (4) analysis of grouped linguistic subfunctions extracted from performance in specific IAP subtests; (5) extraordinary individual case histories. The distribution of lateralization indices revealed only partially continuous degrees of lateralization, especially between the left-dominant and bilateral subgroups. As for the clinically oriented classification, incomplete left dominance is frequent (16.2%), while incomplete right dominance does not occur at all. Atypical dominance patterns are mostly correlated to bilateral and/or extratemporal foci. Concerning grouped subfunctions, a rotated factor matrix statistic yields an analysis of clusters of IAP subtests, where functions involving expressive language capacities are separated from those that are purely receptive. Further analyses of bilaterality subpatterns suggest that there are mainly four bilaterality phenomena, namely interhemispheric dissociation, double representation, unilateal representation of subfunctions, and partial representation of subfunctions in either hemisphere. Application of these differentiations to individual cases yields additional evidence that can be used in patient selection for operation in order to avoid postoperative neuropsychological deficits, especially in candidates for extratemporal surgery. In conclusion, a multilevel analysis of LAP language data is recommended since it permits a detailed account of varieties of language dominance patterns and contributes to more adequate presurgical decision-making in planned operations in cognitively relevant brain areas.

Development of intra- and interlingual interference in bilinguals

Developmental changes in intra- and interlingual interference were followed in 74 German-Swedish bilingual and 15 trilingual subjects using Stroop tasks for vision. The results provide evidence that the differential pattern of interference is mainly determined by language usage. Intra- and interlingual interference follow language dominance patterns in an everchanging process; hence, it is the point of measurement that determines whether equivalent or different amounts of interference are obtained. Stimuli characteristics determine points of language balance but are—like cognitive capabilities—of minor importance for the differential pattern of interference. Stroop task performance cannot be taken as evidence for or against the interdependence hypothesis of bilingual storage, since the Stroop situation does not permit one language to be turned off. Prolonged response times in multilinguals, found in this study, are more congruent with the interdependence hypothesis. By providing this developmental perspective, the current findings can explain previous contradictory results.