Cortical thickness of Broca's area and right homologue is related to grammar learning aptitude and pitch discrimination proficiency
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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; Schremm, Andrea; Nilsson, Markus; Horne, Merle; Roll, Mikael.
I: Brain and Language, Bind 188, 2019, s. 42-47.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Cortical thickness of Broca's area and right homologue is related to grammar learning aptitude and pitch discrimination proficiency
AU - Novén, Mikael
AU - Schremm, Andrea
AU - Nilsson, Markus
AU - Horne, Merle
AU - Roll, Mikael
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Authors
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Broca's area
KW - Cortical thickness
KW - Inferior frontal gyrus
KW - Language learning aptitude
U2 - 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.12.002
DO - 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.12.002
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30572263
AN - SCOPUS:85058521570
VL - 188
SP - 42
EP - 47
JO - Brain and Language
JF - Brain and Language
SN - 0093-934X
ER -
ID: 305545677