Predicting Successful Novel-word — Garamond Bold 96pt
K. Leigh Morrow-Odom, Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Introduction:
• During the learning process, associations between a word
and its referent are established, and these associations are
strengthened with subsequent processing events
(Regier et al., 2001).
• The cognitive systems involved with learning are numerous,
and include attention, memory, and memory consolidation
systems (Schumann, 2004) .
• In a study by Breitenstein et al. (2005), participants
underwent fMRI while completing a picture-word matching
task to investigate brain activity associated with implicit
learning of familiar picture-nonsense word pairs.
• Group results revealed increased accuracy,
and thus learning.
• Activation in bilateral middle and superior temporal
gryi bilaterally; left inferior and middle frontal gyri.
• Decrease in hippocampal activation associated with
increased learning.
Objectives:
• To identify patterns of cortical activation observed during
the process of novel-word learning in healthy normal adults
• To identify which areas of activation serve as a predictor
of novel-word learning ability
Results:
Participants:
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Ten participants (six female)
Mean age = 59.5; 15.9 years of education
English speakers, right-handed
No history of neurological, vascular impairment
No overt abnormalities on T1, structural scan
Experimental Task:
• To learn eight new nonsense word – novel picture pairs
• Indicate a response of match or non-match using
a response glove fitted to the left hand
• Participants underwent an fMRI scan while
completing the experimental task
• Behavioral data were analyzed by calculating the
proportion correct (PC) and mean response time (RT)
• Steady increase in PC and decrease in RT over time.
• Increased activation in the right postcentral gyrus,
right middle temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobe,
and left superior parietal lobe.
• Left precuneus and right cuneus predict periods
of greatest learning.
Discussion:
• All participants showed a positive learning trend.
• A large neural network supporting the novel word-learning.
• Strategy selection likely led to the correlation
between greatest learning and precuneus activation.
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