THE COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF COMPREHENSION

理解力的认知神经科学

• 批准号: 6520855
• 负责人: PHILLIP J HOLCOMB
• 金额: $ 24.41万
• 依托单位: TUFTS UNIVERSITY MEDFORD
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1989
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1989-07-01 至 2006-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6520855
• 关键词: auditory stimulus; behavioral /social science research tag; brain electrical activity; brain mapping; comprehension; evoked potentials; functional magnetic resonance imaging; human subject; language; neural information processing; neuroanatomy; reading; semantics; speech recognition; visual perception; visual stimulus; young adult human (21-34)

DESCRIPTION: The aim of the proposed research is to continue our study of comprehension processes in the human brain. The primary approach will entail the recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) from 64 scalp electrodes while subjects engage in a series of experiments designed to tap specific information processes associated with language comprehension. In addition we will begin to use event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (er-fMRI) methodology in a limited number of studies where the potential for combining techniques offers the greatest promise. Our research has three related foci. The first is to use ERPs, and now er-fMRI. to test and elaborate on current cognitive theories of online language comprehension. We propose that this cognitive neuroscience approach will help better tie cognitive theories of comprehension to theories of brain function. The second focus is on improving our understanding of the relationship between ERP measures of comprehension and the cognitive/linguistic processes they are hypothesized to reflect. The final focus is on combining ERPs with er-fMRI in a select subset of 3 parallel experiments which will use the same paradigms in the same subjects. The data will be quantitatively combined to produce temporo-spatial maps which will provide greater insights into the time-course of the functional neuroanatomy underlying language comprehension. The proposed experiments will examine linguistic processes across three levels of comprehension. 1. Word Level Studies. In four experiments we propose to investigate hypotheses of the functional significance of the N400 by recording ERPs and er-fMRI data to words presented in isolation. 2. Sentence Level Studies. In five experiments we will test hypotheses about processes involved in recognizing words in natural spoken sentences and the functional significance of three ERP components thought to reflect semantic/pragmatic and syntactic processes associated with comprehension. 3. Discourse Level Studies. In a series of ten experiments we will look at four devices used in comprehending pieces of text larger than single sentences. We will test theories of how comprehenders attach pronouns to their referents, make inferences between sentences, understand metaphors and use coherence within and between sentences in text. While the proposed experiments will be performed in normal young adult subjects, one goal of this research is to provide a framework for studying cognitive and language processes in language impaired adults and children.

描述：拟议研究的目的是继续我们的研究 人脑中的理解过程。主要方法将需要 来自64个头皮电极的事件相关电位（ERP）的记录 受试者进行一系列旨在利用特定信息的实验 与语言理解相关的过程。另外，我们将开始 使用与事件相关的功能磁共振成像（ER-FMRI）方法 在有限的研究中，有可能结合技术的潜力 提供最大的希望。我们的研究有三个相关的焦点。第一个是 使用ERP，现在是ER-FMRI。测试和详细说明当前的认知 在线语言理解的理论。我们建议这种认知 神经科学方法将有助于更好地联系理解的认知理论 脑功能理论。第二个重点是改善我们 了解ERP理解与 他们假设他们反映的认知/语言过程。决赛 重点是将ERP与ER-FMRI组合在3平行的选定子集中 在同一受试者中使用相同范式的实验。数据 将被定量合并以产生颞空间图 对功能性神经解剖学的时间顺序提供更多的见解 基本语言理解。提出的实验将检查 三个层次理解层面的语言过程。 1。单词级别 研究。在四个实验中，我们建议研究 通过将ERP和ER-FMRI数据记录到单词中，N400的功能意义 孤立地提出。 2。句子级别的研究。在五个实验中，我们将 测试关于识别自然口语单词涉及过程的过程的假设 句子和三个ERP组件的功能意义 反映与之相关的语义/务实和句法过程 理解。 3。话语水平研究。在一系列十个实验中，我们 将查看用于理解大于文本的四个设备 单句。我们将测试理解者如何将代词附加到的理论 他们的指称人，推断句子之间，了解隐喻和 使用文本中和句子之间的连贯性。而提议 实验将在正常的年轻成人受试者中进行，这是一个目标 研究是为研究认知和语言提供框架 语言流程受损成人和儿童。