Cortical Morphology Underpinning the Link between Language Experience and Cognitive Performance
Poster No:
812
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Chenlu Ma1, Chenye Shen2, Chaoqiang Liu2, Kunyu Xu3, Anqi Qiu1
Institutions:
1the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China, 2National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, 3Fudan University, Shanghai, China
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
The relationship between language experience and cognitive performance remains a topic of ongoing debate. While some studies suggest that language experience is linked to domain-general cognitive abilities (Bialystok et al., 2012; Donnelly et al., 2015), others have raised questions about the extent of this association (Gunnerud et al., 2020; Lowe et al., 2021). Furthermore, the neural mechanisms underlying the potential cognitive benefits of language experience, including language-induced neuroplasticity, require further investigation.
Methods:
This study utilized neuroimaging and behavioral data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, comprising 3,145 early adolescents aged 9-10 years. Participants were categorized into two groups: those with additional language experience (Exp, n = 559) and those without (No-Exp, n = 2,586). We analyzed T1-weighted MRI data to extract cortical surface area, thickness, and sulcal depth, as well as cognitive performance assessed by the NIH Toolbox. Linear regression models examined the relationships between language experience, cognitive performance, and cortical morphology, controlling for age, sex, the engagement of other activities like music instrument training, and socio-economic factors like parental education and family income. Bootstrap tests validated the findings, and mediation analyses probed the mediating effects of cortical structure on the relationship between language experience and cognition. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons using random field theory (RFT) and false discovery rate (FDR) at p < 0.05.
Results:
Our analysis revealed that additional language experience is associated with improved cognitive performance, but reduced vocabulary. Individuals with additional language experience outperformed the No-Exp group in tasks of cognitive control, attention, and memory, but showed inferior performance in the Picture Vocabulary task (Fig 1a). Within the Exp group, increased years of language experience was positively correlated with cognitive control, while an earlier age of acquisition was associated with lower vocabulary scores (Fig 1b). Neuroimaging analyses revealed distinct patterns of brain morphology between the Exp and No-Exp groups, including differences in cortical thickness, surface area, and sulcal depth in brain regions involved in higher-order cognitive processes that actively participate in daily social interaction, including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), and anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC) (Fig 2a). Increased years of language experience were associated with structural changes in the posterior lingual gyrus (Fig 2b), while altered cortical surface area in regions including the lingual gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex, and medial orbitofrontal cortex mediated the relationship between language experience and reading performance (Fig 2c).
·Bilingual experience is associated with improvement in cognitive performance but reduced vocabulary.
·Neural correlates underlying language experience and its association with reading performance.
Conclusions:
This study provides evidence that additional language experience is associated with domain-general cognitive performance, which may be further enhanced by the increased years of experience. Neural correlates of language experience implicate brain regions involved in social and emotional processing, suggesting a domain-general pathway that underlies the relationship between language experience and reading improvement. Generally, this study provides new insights into the relationship between language experience and cognitive performance in early adolescence, shedding light on the neural mechanisms underlying language-induced neuroplasticity.
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Higher Cognitive Functions Other
Language:
Language Other 1
Lifespan Development:
Early life, Adolescence, Aging 2
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Normal Development
Keywords:
Cognition
Development
Language
Morphometrics
Plasticity
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel? NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
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Provide references using APA citation style.
Donnelly, S., Brooks, P. J., & Homer, B. D. (2015). Examining the Bilingual Advantage on Conflict Resolution Tasks: A Meta-Analysis. CogSci,
Gunnerud, H. L., Ten Braak, D., Reikerås, E. K. L., Donolato, E., & Melby-Lervåg, M. (2020). Is bilingualism related to a cognitive advantage in children? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(12), 1059.
Lowe, C. J., Cho, I., Goldsmith, S. F., & Morton, J. B. (2021). The bilingual advantage in children’s executive functioning is not related to language status: A meta-analytic review. Psychological science, 32(7), 1115-1146.