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Cortical thickness of Broca's area and right homologue is related to grammar learning aptitude and pitch discrimination proficiency

Novén, Mikael LU ; Schremm, Andrea LU ; Nilsson, Markus LU ; Horne, Merle LU orcid and Roll, Mikael LU (2019) In Brain and Language 188. p.42-47
Abstract

Aptitude for and proficiency in acquiring new languages varies in the human population but their neural bases are largely unknown. We investigated the influence of cortical thickness on language learning predictors measured by the LLAMA tests and a pitch-change discrimination test. The LLAMA tests are first language-independent assessments of language learning aptitude for vocabulary, phonetic working memory, sound-symbol correspondence (not used in this study), and grammatical inferencing. Pitch perception proficiency is known to predict aptitude for learning new phonology. Results show a correlation between scores in a grammatical meaning-inferencing aptitude test and cortical thickness of Broca's area (r(30) = 0.65, p = 0.0202) and... (More)

Aptitude for and proficiency in acquiring new languages varies in the human population but their neural bases are largely unknown. We investigated the influence of cortical thickness on language learning predictors measured by the LLAMA tests and a pitch-change discrimination test. The LLAMA tests are first language-independent assessments of language learning aptitude for vocabulary, phonetic working memory, sound-symbol correspondence (not used in this study), and grammatical inferencing. Pitch perception proficiency is known to predict aptitude for learning new phonology. Results show a correlation between scores in a grammatical meaning-inferencing aptitude test and cortical thickness of Broca's area (r(30) = 0.65, p = 0.0202) and other frontal areas (r(30) = 0.66, p = 0.0137). Further, a correlation was found between proficiency in discriminating pitch-change direction and cortical thickness of the right Broca homologue (r(30) = 0.57, p = 0.0006). However, no correlations were found for aptitude for vocabulary learning or phonetic working memory. Results contribute to locating cortical regions important for language-learning aptitude.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Broca's area, Cortical thickness, Inferior frontal gyrus, Language learning aptitude
in
Brain and Language
volume
188
pages
6 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:30572263
  • scopus:85058521570
ISSN
0093-934X
DOI
10.1016/j.bandl.2018.12.002
project
Tone-Grammar Interaction in the Human Brain: Mechanisms and Applications
The language melody game (LMG): Learning Swedish word accents using IT and digital media
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9096812b-c2e2-41e2-a8d6-58fdc082859f
date added to LUP
2019-01-02 13:31:08
date last changed
2024-03-02 15:02:29
@article{9096812b-c2e2-41e2-a8d6-58fdc082859f,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aptitude for and proficiency in acquiring new languages varies in the human population but their neural bases are largely unknown. We investigated the influence of cortical thickness on language learning predictors measured by the LLAMA tests and a pitch-change discrimination test. The LLAMA tests are first language-independent assessments of language learning aptitude for vocabulary, phonetic working memory, sound-symbol correspondence (not used in this study), and grammatical inferencing. Pitch perception proficiency is known to predict aptitude for learning new phonology. Results show a correlation between scores in a grammatical meaning-inferencing aptitude test and cortical thickness of Broca's area (r(30) = 0.65, p = 0.0202) and other frontal areas (r(30) = 0.66, p = 0.0137). Further, a correlation was found between proficiency in discriminating pitch-change direction and cortical thickness of the right Broca homologue (r(30) = 0.57, p = 0.0006). However, no correlations were found for aptitude for vocabulary learning or phonetic working memory. Results contribute to locating cortical regions important for language-learning aptitude.</p>}},
  author       = {{Novén, Mikael and Schremm, Andrea and Nilsson, Markus and Horne, Merle and Roll, Mikael}},
  issn         = {{0093-934X}},
  keywords     = {{Broca's area; Cortical thickness; Inferior frontal gyrus; Language learning aptitude}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{42--47}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Brain and Language}},
  title        = {{Cortical thickness of Broca's area and right homologue is related to grammar learning aptitude and pitch discrimination proficiency}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2018.12.002}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.bandl.2018.12.002}},
  volume       = {{188}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}