Title: Spanish-speaking preschool children use cognitive resources to predict upcoming words in a sentence
Legend: Similarly to adults, Spanish-speaking preschool children exhibit inhibition of neural oscillatory activity (5-12 Hz) in high- versus low- predictability sentences, indicative of predictive language processing. In all plots, green and purple rectangles indicate the baseline and epoch of interest over the prediction window, respectively. A) EEG trial structure. B) Topographical maps and spectrograms of the individual conditions (HP and LP), where the color scale indicates the proportion of power change relative to the baseline. C) Average oscillatory activity in the 5-12 Hz band power over the entire sentence epoch. Note. HP = High-predictability, LP = Low-predictability.
Citation: Benítez-Barrera, C. R., Behboudi, M. H., & Maguire, M. J. (2024). Neural oscillations during predictive sentence processing in young children. Brain and language, 254, 105437. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105437
Abstract: The neural correlates of predictive processing in language, critical for efficient sentence comprehension, is well documented in adults. Specifically, adults exhibit alpha power (9-12 Hz) suppression when processing high versus low predictability sentences. This study explores whether young children exhibit similar neural mechanisms. We analyzed EEG data from 29 children aged 3-5 years listening to sentences of varying predictability. Our results revealed significant neural oscillation differences in the 5-12 Hz range between high and low predictability sentences, similar to adult patterns. Crucially, the degree of these differences correlated with children’s language abilities. These findings are the first to demonstrate the neural basis of predictive processing in young children and its association with language development.
Investigator: Carlos Benítez-Barrera, PhD
About the Lab: Dr. Benitez-Barrera’s research focuses on the impact of early auditory experiences on behavioral and neural outcomes of children, particularly those at risk of communication delays. Dr. Benitez-Barrera is also interested in investigating neural correlates of speech-in-noise processing in the pediatric population. His research takes place at the Waisman Center, where he directs the Pediatric Auditory Experience and Brain lab.