Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar
Each language has a unique set of phonemic categories and phonotactic rules which determine permissible sound sequences in that language. Behavioral research demonstrates that one’s native language shapes the perception of both sound categories and sound sequences in adults, and neuroimaging results...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00170/full |
| _version_ | 1828498729501458432 |
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| author | Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai Alejandrina eCristia Bria eLong Inga eVendelin Yoko eHakuno Michel eDutat Luca eFilippin Dominique eCabrol Emmanuel eDupoux |
| author_facet | Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai Alejandrina eCristia Bria eLong Inga eVendelin Yoko eHakuno Michel eDutat Luca eFilippin Dominique eCabrol Emmanuel eDupoux |
| author_sort | Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Each language has a unique set of phonemic categories and phonotactic rules which determine permissible sound sequences in that language. Behavioral research demonstrates that one’s native language shapes the perception of both sound categories and sound sequences in adults, and neuroimaging results further indicate that the processing of native phonemes and phonotactics involves a left-dominant perisylvian brain network. Recent work using a novel technique, functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS), has suggested that a left-dominant network becomes evident towards the end of the first year of life as infants process phonemic contrasts. The present research project attempted to assess whether the same pattern would be seen for native phonotactics. We measured brain responses in Japanese- and French-learning infants to two contrasts: Abuna vs. Abna (a phonotactic contrast that is native in French, but not in Japanese) and Abuna vs. Abuuna (a vowel length contrast that is native in Japanese, but not in French). Results did not show a significant response to either contrast in either group, unlike both previous behavioral research on phonotactic processing and NIRS work on phonemic processing. To understand these null results, we performed similar NIRS experiments with Japanese adult participants. These data suggest that the infant null results arise from an interaction of multiple factors, involving the suitability of the experimental paradigm for NIRS measurements and stimulus perceptibility. We discuss the challenges facing this novel technique, particularly focusing on the optimal stimulus presentation which could yield strong enough hemodynamic responses when using the change detection paradigm. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T13:12:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc8c714a43d548fdbd1d21aaa2930cd8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T13:12:27Z |
| publishDate | 2013-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc8c714a43d548fdbd1d21aaa2930cd82022-12-22T01:06:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782013-04-01410.3389/fpsyg.2013.0017037902Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammarYasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai0Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai1Alejandrina eCristia2Bria eLong3Inga eVendelin4Yoko eHakuno5Michel eDutat6Luca eFilippin7Dominique eCabrol8Emmanuel eDupoux9Keio UniversityInstitut d’Etudes de la Cognition, Ecole Normale SupérieurNeurobiology of Language, Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsDepartment of Psychology, Harvard UniversityLaboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, EHESS, ENS-IEC, CNRSKeio UniversityLaboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, EHESS, ENS-IEC, CNRSLaboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, EHESS, ENS-IEC, CNRSAP-HP Cochin Port RoyalLaboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, EHESS, ENS-IEC, CNRSEach language has a unique set of phonemic categories and phonotactic rules which determine permissible sound sequences in that language. Behavioral research demonstrates that one’s native language shapes the perception of both sound categories and sound sequences in adults, and neuroimaging results further indicate that the processing of native phonemes and phonotactics involves a left-dominant perisylvian brain network. Recent work using a novel technique, functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS), has suggested that a left-dominant network becomes evident towards the end of the first year of life as infants process phonemic contrasts. The present research project attempted to assess whether the same pattern would be seen for native phonotactics. We measured brain responses in Japanese- and French-learning infants to two contrasts: Abuna vs. Abna (a phonotactic contrast that is native in French, but not in Japanese) and Abuna vs. Abuuna (a vowel length contrast that is native in Japanese, but not in French). Results did not show a significant response to either contrast in either group, unlike both previous behavioral research on phonotactic processing and NIRS work on phonemic processing. To understand these null results, we performed similar NIRS experiments with Japanese adult participants. These data suggest that the infant null results arise from an interaction of multiple factors, involving the suitability of the experimental paradigm for NIRS measurements and stimulus perceptibility. We discuss the challenges facing this novel technique, particularly focusing on the optimal stimulus presentation which could yield strong enough hemodynamic responses when using the change detection paradigm.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00170/fullBrainSpeech PerceptionInfantnear-infrared spectroscopyphonotacticsphoneme perception |
| spellingShingle | Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai Yasuyo eMinagawa-Kawai Alejandrina eCristia Bria eLong Inga eVendelin Yoko eHakuno Michel eDutat Luca eFilippin Dominique eCabrol Emmanuel eDupoux Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar Frontiers in Psychology Brain Speech Perception Infant near-infrared spectroscopy phonotactics phoneme perception |
| title | Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar |
| title_full | Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar |
| title_fullStr | Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar |
| title_short | Inights on NIRS sensitivity from a cross-linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar |
| title_sort | inights on nirs sensitivity from a cross linguistic study on the emergence of phonological grammar |
| topic | Brain Speech Perception Infant near-infrared spectroscopy phonotactics phoneme perception |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00170/full |
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