Cognitive predictors of language impairment in Down syndrome

唐氏综合症语言障碍的认知预测因子

• 批准号: 8043550
• 负责人: FRANCES A CONNERS
• 金额: $ 33.65万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN TUSCALOOSA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-02-20 至 2014-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8043550
• 关键词: Adolescent; Affect; Age; Area; Awareness; Books; Brain; Child; Cognitive; Communication; Complex; Control Groups; Development; Down Syndrome; Etiology; Future; Genetic; Health; Impaired cognition; Impairment; Individual; Infant; Intellectual functioning disability; Intention; Intervention; Language; Language Delays; Language Development; Lead; Learning; Life; Link; Measures; Mediation; Memory; Memory impairment; Mental Retardation; Modeling; Nature; Participant; Pattern; Persons; Population; Process; Relative (related person); Research; Role; Schools; Structure; Syndrome; System; Techniques; Television; Testing; Time; Vocabulary; Work; age group; comparative; design; experience; group intervention; longitudinal design; phonology; syntax

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): People with Down syndrome (DS) are usually in the lowest 2% of the population in intellectual ability, yet their language ability is far lower than their intellectual ability. Severe language limitations have a profound and pervasive impact on life functioning of people with DS. Though much work has been done to understand the pattern of language abilities in individuals with DS, little is known about the nature of the underlying processes or mechanisms that result in this pattern. The broad, long-term objective of the proposed research is to identify cognitive predictors of language impairment in DS, especially syntax. We predict that impairments in implicit learning and phonological memory together lead to impairments in language in this group. The study uses a combined comparative/longitudinal design in which a DS group, age 10-21, and 2 control groups (CA and mixed etiology ID) are tested at Time 1 and the DS and mixed ID groups are tested again 2 years later at Time 2. Specific Aim 1 is to demonstrate that, in addition to the known impairment in phonological memory, there is also a severe impairment in implicit learning in DS. We expect participants with DS to perform more poorly than CA and ID groups on measures of implicit learning and phonological memory. The study also includes a typical developmental trajectory to evaluate implicit learning in the DS and mixed ID groups. Specific Aim 2 is to demonstrate that implicit learning and phonological memory impairments are linked to language impairment in DS. If so, then (a) implicit learning and phonological memory will correlate with concurrent language ability in DS and (b) implicit learning and phonological memory at Time 1 will predict rate of language development over two years in DS. Specific Aim 3 is to test a partial mediation model of the influence of implicit learning on language in DS, especially syntax. We suggest that implicit learning affects language directly, because it limits the acquisition of complex rule systems and covariations necessary for language acquisition, but also indirectly, through phonological memory. Poor implicit learning of covariations among phonologic units in one's native language leads to limitations in phonological memory, which constrain language acquisition. We will test the partial mediation model concurrently and longitudinally over two years. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Individuals with Down syndrome have specific expressive and receptive language difficulties that are even more pronounced than their difficulties in other areas of development. These language delays lead to lifelong communication problems. The focus of this research is to identify memory and learning impairments that are related to the specific pattern of language difficulties that characterize individuals with Down syndrome. Specifically, we propose that a combination of implicit (automatic) learning and phonological memory impairments will be related to the language difficulties experienced by persons with Down syndrome. If supported, these findings will have significant implications for the design of language interventions for this group. They would suggest that language interventions should incorporate more deliberate or explicit techniques to enhance implicit learning processes and support phonological memory during language learning.

描述（申请人提供）：唐氏综合症（DS）患者的智力通常处于人群中最低的2%，但他们的语言能力却远远低于智力。严重的语言限制对 DS 患者的生活功能产生深远而普遍的影响。尽管人们已经做了很多工作来了解 DS 患者的语言能力模式，但我们对导致这种模式的潜在过程或机制的性质知之甚少。本研究的广泛、长期目标是确定 DS 语言障碍的认知预测因素，尤其是语法障碍。我们预测，内隐学习和语音记忆的障碍共同导致该群体的语言障碍。该研究采用组合比较/纵向设计，其中 DS 组、年龄 10-21 岁和 2 个对照组（CA 和混合病因学 ID）在第 1 时间进行测试，DS 和混合 ID 组在 2 年后再次进行测试。时间2。具体目标1是证明，除了已知的语音记忆障碍外，DS中的内隐学习也存在严重障碍。我们预计患有 DS 的参与者在内隐学习和语音记忆方面的表现比 CA 和 ID 组更差。该研究还包括一个典型的发展轨迹，用于评估 DS 和混合 ID 组的内隐学习。具体目标 2 是证明内隐学习和语音记忆障碍与 DS 中的语言障碍有关。如果是这样，那么 (a) 内隐学习和语音记忆将与 DS 中的并发语言能力相关，(b) 时间 1 时的内隐学习和语音记忆将预测 DS 中两年内的语言发展速率。具体目标3是测试内隐学习对DS中语言（尤其是句法）影响的部分中介模型。我们认为内隐学习直接影响语言，因为它限制了语言习得所需的复杂规则系统和协变的习得，但也通过语音记忆间接影响语言。对母语语音单位之间的协变的内隐学习较差会导致语音记忆的限制，从而限制语言习得。我们将在两年内同时纵向地测试部分中介模型。公共卫生相关性：唐氏综合症患者具有特定的表达和接受语言困难，这些困难比其他发育领域的困难更为明显。这些语言发育迟缓会导致终生的沟通问题。这项研究的重点是确定与唐氏综合症患者特有的特定语言困难模式相关的记忆和学习障碍。具体来说，我们提出，内隐（自动）学习和语音记忆障碍的结合将与唐氏综合症患者经历的语言困难有关。如果得到支持，这些发现将对针对该群体的语言干预措施的设计产生重大影响。他们建议语言干预应纳入更多深思熟虑或明确的技术，以增强内隐学习过程并支持语言学习过程中的语音记忆。