Assessing the Sensitivity of EEG-Based Frequency-Tagging as a Metric for Statistical Learning

Pinto, Danna; Prior, Anat; Golumbic, Elana Zion

doi:10.1162/nol_a_00061

Cited by 12 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Thus, the increased power peak at 2 Hz in the Turkish compared to the Non-Turkish condition most likely reflects the processing of syllable-transition features rather than the processing of acoustic cues. (For caveats because of acoustic cues at the word level in artificial languages, see C. Luo & Ding, 2020 ; Pinto et al, 2022 .)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We investigated neural tracking of word-level syllable-to-syllable transitions separately from lexical processing by using a foreign language, as we assume that sublexical contingencies of the foreign language are rapidly learned. Research on artificial language learning reports rapid neural tracking at the word-level aligning with behavioral learning responses ( Aslin & Newport, 2012 , 2014 ; Batterink & Paller, 2017 ; Buiatti et al, 2009 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Getz et al, 2018 ; Henin et al, 2021 ; Pinto et al, 2022 ; Saffran et al, 1996 ). Neuronal tracking of learned artificial words has been shown to emerge after 9 min ( Buiatti et al, 2009 ), and even with a block of about 3 min ( Pinto et al, 2022 ), whereas others report rapid learning of phrasal structure after 4 min ( Getz et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research on artificial language learning reports rapid neural tracking at the word-level aligning with behavioral learning responses ( Aslin & Newport, 2012 , 2014 ; Batterink & Paller, 2017 ; Buiatti et al, 2009 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Getz et al, 2018 ; Henin et al, 2021 ; Pinto et al, 2022 ; Saffran et al, 1996 ). Neuronal tracking of learned artificial words has been shown to emerge after 9 min ( Buiatti et al, 2009 ), and even with a block of about 3 min ( Pinto et al, 2022 ), whereas others report rapid learning of phrasal structure after 4 min ( Getz et al, 2018 ). Findings suggest that neuronal tracking emerges as soon as linguistic units can be identified within continuous speech.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamics of Functional Networks for Syllable and Word-Level Processing

Rimmele

Sun

Michalareas

et al. 2023

Neurobiology of Language

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Speech comprehension requires the ability to temporally segment the acoustic input for higher-level linguistic analysis. Oscillation-based approaches suggest that low-frequency auditory cortex oscillations track syllable-sized acoustic information and therefore emphasize the relevance of syllabic-level acoustic processing for speech segmentation. How syllabic processing interacts with higher levels of speech processing, beyond segmentation, including the anatomical and neurophysiological characteristics of the networks involved, is debated. In two MEG experiments, we investigate lexical and sublexical word-level processing and the interactions with (acoustic) syllable processing using a frequency-tagging paradigm. Participants listened to disyllabic words presented at a rate of 4 syllables/sec. Lexical content (native language), sublexical syllable-to-syllable transitions (foreign language), or mere syllabic information (pseudo-words) were presented. Two conjectures were evaluated: (i) syllable-to-syllable transitions contribute to word-level processing; and (ii) processing of words activates brain areas that interact with acoustic syllable processing. We show that syllable-to-syllable transition information compared to mere syllable information, activated a bilateral superior-, middle temporal and inferior frontal network. Lexical content resulted, additionally, in increased neural activity. Evidence for an interaction of word- and acoustic syllable-level processing was inconclusive. Decreases in syllable tracking (cerebro-acoustic coherence) in auditory cortex and increases in cross-frequency coupling between right superior and middle temporal and frontal areas where found when lexical content was present compared to all other conditions; however, not when conditions were compared separately. The data provide experimental insight into how subtle and sensitive syllable-to-syllable transition information for word-level processing is.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Dynamics of Functional Networks for Syllable and Word-Level Processing

Rimmele

Sun

Michalareas

et al. 2023

Neurobiology of Language

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“…These studies mostly report that neural tracking is stronger when listening to intelligible speech as compared to unintelligible signals in both theta (Ahissar et al, 2001;Doelling et al, 2014;Peelle et al, 2013) and delta ranges (Di Liberto, O'Sullivan, & Lalor, 2015b;Doelling et al, 2014), but see (Howard & Poeppel, 2010;Zoefel & VanRullen, 2015c). However, it is still unclear from these findings whether neural tracking changes do reflect linguistic processing alone, as speech's intelligibility covaries with acoustical changes, or whether changes in acoustics alone can modulate neural tracking (Ding, Chatterjee, & Simon, 2013;Kösem & van Wassenhove, 2017;Meng et al, 2021;Pinto, Prior, & Zion Golumbic, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural tracking of speech does not unequivocally reflect intelligibility

Kösem

Dai

McQueen

et al. 2022

Preprint

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During listening, brain activity tracks the rhythmic structures of speech signals. Here, we directly dissociated the contribution of neural tracking in the processing of speech acoustic cues from that related to linguistic processing. We examined the neural changes associated with the comprehension of Noise-Vocoded (NV) speech using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Participants listened to NV sentences in a 3-phase training paradigm: (1) pre-training, where NV stimuli were barely comprehended, (2) training with exposure of the original clear version of speech stimulus, and (3) post-training, where the same stimuli gained intelligibility from the training phase. Using this paradigm, we tested if the neural responses of a speech signal was modulated by its intelligibility without any change in its acoustic structure. To test the influence of spectral degradation on neural tracking independently of training, participants listened to two types of NV sentences (4-band and 2-band NV speech), but were only trained to understand 4-band NV speech. Significant changes in neural tracking were observed in the delta range in relation to the acoustic degradation of speech. However, we failed to find a direct effect of intelligibility on the neural tracking of speech in both theta and delta ranges. This suggests that acoustics greatly influence the neural tracking response to speech signals, and that caution needs to be taken when choosing the control signals for speech-brain tracking analyses, considering that a slight change in acoustic parameters can have strong effects on the neural tracking response.

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“…Studying endogenous functions is challenging when assessing speech because even subtle acoustic rhythms become confounds ( Luo and Ding, 2020 ; Meyer et al, 2020a , b ; Pinto et al, 2022 ). To overcome this problem, we here study simultaneous recordings of eye movements and EEG during naturalistic reading.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fast and Slow Rhythms of Naturalistic Reading Revealed by Combined Eye-Tracking and Electroencephalography

2023

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Neural oscillations are thought to support speech and language processing. They may not only inherit acoustic rhythms, but might also impose endogenous rhythms onto processing. In support of this, we here report that human (both, male and female) eye movements during naturalistic reading exhibit rhythmic patterns that show frequency-selective coherence with the electroencephalogram (EEG)—in the absence of any stimulation rhythm. Periodicity was observed in two distinct frequency bands: First, word-locked saccades at 4–5 Hertz display coherence with whole-head theta-band activity. Second, fixation durations fluctuate rhythmically at ∼1 Hertz, in coherence with occipital delta-band activity. This latter effect was additionally phase-locked to sentence endings, suggesting a relationship with the formation of multi-word chunks. Taken together, eye movements during reading contain rhythmic patterns that occur in synchrony with oscillatory brain activity. This suggests that linguistic processing imposes preferred processing time scales onto reading, largely independent of actual physical rhythms in the stimulus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT:The sampling, grouping, and transmission of information is supported by rhythmic brain activity, so-called neural oscillations. In addition to sampling external stimuli, such rhythms may also be endogenous, affecting processing from the inside out. In particular, endogenous rhythms may impose their pace onto language processing. Studying this is challenging because speech contains physical rhythms that mask endogenous activity. To overcome this challenge, we turned to naturalistic reading, where text does not require the reader to sample in a specific rhythm. We observed rhythmic patterns of eye movements that are synchronized to brain activity as recorded with EEG. This rhythmicity is not imposed by the external stimulus, which indicates that rhythmic brain activity may serve as a pacemaker for language processing.

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Assessing the Sensitivity of EEG-Based Frequency-Tagging as a Metric for Statistical Learning

Cited by 12 publications

References 71 publications

Dynamics of Functional Networks for Syllable and Word-Level Processing

Dynamics of Functional Networks for Syllable and Word-Level Processing

Neural tracking of speech does not unequivocally reflect intelligibility

Fast and Slow Rhythms of Naturalistic Reading Revealed by Combined Eye-Tracking and Electroencephalography

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