Neural Correlates of Discourse Processing in Adolescents

青少年话语处理的神经相关性

• 批准号: 10687822
• 负责人: Laurie E Cutting
• 金额: $ 67.6万
• 依托单位: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2027-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10687822
• 关键词: Address; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Arousal; Behavioral; Brain; Child; Cognitive; Coupled; Education; Educational Models; Emotional; Emotions; Failure; Foundations; Frequencies; Goals; Growth; Health; Individual Differences; Instruction; Knowledge; Language; Learning; Left; Link; Literature; Methods; Modeling; Neurocognitive; Outcome; Positioning Attribute; Prefrontal Cortex; Process; Psyche structure; Public Health; Reader; Reading; Research; Schools; Science; Testing; Text; Variant; Vocation; Work; behavioral study; cognitive control; comprehension deficit; executive function; experience; improved; insight; model building; neural; neural correlate; neural network; neural patterning; neuroimaging; neuromechanism; prevent; reading ability; reading comprehension; skills; success; support network; syntax; theories; third grade; trait

PROJECT SUMMARY About 60% of children can’t read proficiently, which is concerning as reading comprehension (RC) is linked to educational, vocational, and health outcomes. While a robust neurocognitive literature exists on word-level processes, a necessary but not sufficient skill for RC, similar studies at the discourse level (i.e., while reading passages/connected text) are largely absent in developing readers. This proposal tackles this needed research by systematically interrogating how adolescents’ neural variations during situation model formation (or building mental models while reading) results in RC success/failure. A critical consideration for such research is that texts are not monolithic, even though they are often treated as such: they vary by granular text features (e.g., word frequency) and by their superstructures, or whether a text is narrative (NarrT, stories) or expository (ExpT, informational text such as science passages). This is important, as ExpT is central for learning new material, while NarrT for socio-emotional growth. Notably, NarrT RC is easier than ExpT RC, a phenomenon which is poorly understood and not explained by granular text feature differences. Building upon our initial neurocognitive findings, along with existing theoretical and empirical work, we use neuroimaging coupled with behavioral methods to garner insights as to where (in the brain), when (at which text junctures), and thus how NarrT vs ExpT RC breaks down. Initial findings suggest that while both NarrT and ExpT rely on shared neurocognitive processes, they have distinctions that may be key for enhancing RC. NarrT uniquely relies on regions in a neural network linked to socio-emotional processes (e.g., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex), while ExpT uniquely relies on regions in a neural network that supports executive function/cognitive control (e.g., left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Our overarching hypothesis is that readers’ use of SocEMDMN vs FPN is a critical determinant of proficient situation model formation, and, thus, RC. We also posit that the enhanced socio- emotional NarrT context provokes greater connectivity between DisPDMN and SocEMDMN at key junctures in text, resulting in enriched intrinsic access to readers’ internal states, and thus a neurocognitive benefit for RC. Critically, pilot findings suggest that this enhanced socioemotional context can also be achieved in ExpT by embedding high emotion words [words with high arousal ratings] in ExpT, perhaps paving the way to bolster ExpT RC. Given that RC is a central avenue for learning new information after ~3rd grade, we are addressing a highly significant public health issue. To systematically test our hypotheses, we target 10-12 yo (N=220) who have crossed into the “reading to learn” stage to examine dynamic neural processes of ExpT vs NarrT online reading (situation model building; Aim 1); how readers’ individual differences (e.g., executive function, socio- emotional) modulate Aim 1’s findings (Aim 2); how Aims 1 & 2’s neural findings predict RC (Aim 3a); and, if enhancing the socioemotional context helps RC (Aim 3b). Our ultimate goal is to identify the best ways adolescents learn new information while reading so as to maximize academic success and prevent RC failure.

项目概要 大约 60% 的儿童无法熟练阅读，这令人担忧，因为阅读理解 (RC) 与 虽然在文字层面上存在着丰富的神经认知文献。 过程，RC 的必要但不充分的技能，在话语层面上的类似研究（即在阅读时） 段落/连接文本）在培养读者中基本上不存在，该提案解决了这一需要的研究。 通过系统地询问青少年在情境模型形成（或建立 阅读时的心理模型）会导致 RC 的成功/失败。此类研究的一个关键考虑因素是： 文本并不是单一的，尽管它们经常被这样对待：它们因细粒度的文本特征而异（例如， 词频）及其上层结构，或者文本是叙述性的（NarrT、故事）还是说明性的 （ExpT，信息文本，例如科学段落）这很重要，因为 ExpT 是学习新知识的核心。 值得注意的是，NarrT RC 比 ExpT RC 更容易，这是一种现象。 这是很难理解的，也不能用我们最初的文本特征差异来解释。 神经认知发现以及现有的理论和实证工作，我们使用神经影像学结合 行为方法来收集有关何处（在大脑中）、何时（在哪些文本接合点）以及如何进行的见解 NarrT 与 ExpT RC 的差异 初步研究结果表明，虽然 NarrT 和 ExpT 都依赖于共享。 神经认知过程中，它们有一些区别，这些区别可能是增强 NarrT 独特依赖的关键。 神经网络中与社会情感过程相关的区域（例如，背内侧前额叶皮层），而 ExpT 独特地依赖于神经网络中支持执行功能/认知控制的区域（例如，左 我们的总体假设是，读者对 SocEMDMN 与 FPN 的使用至关重要。 熟练情境模型形成的决定因素，因此，我们还假设增强的社会- 情感 NarrT 上下文在文本的关键时刻激发 DisPDMN 和 SocEMDMN 之间更大的联系， 从而丰富了读者内部状态的内在获取，从而为 RC 带来神经认知方面的好处。 至关重要的是，试点研究结果表明，这种增强的社会情感背景也可以在 ExpT 中通过以下方式实现： 在 ExpT 中嵌入高情感词 [具有高唤醒评级的词]，也许为支持铺平道路 ExpT RC。鉴于 RC 是三年级后学习新信息的主要途径，我们正在解决一个问题 为了系统地检验我们的假设，我们以 10-12 岁（N=220）人为目标。 已进入“从阅读中学习”阶段，在线检查 ExpT 与 NarrT 的动态神经过程 阅读（情境模型构建；目标 1）；读者的个体差异（例如，执行功能、社会差异） 情绪）调节目标 1 的发现（目标 2）；目标 1 和 2 的神经发现如何预测 RC（目标 3a）； 增强社会情感背景有助于 RC（目标 3b）。 青少年在阅读时学习新信息，以最大限度地取得学业成功并防止 RC 失败。