The Effects of Sensory Manipulations on Motor Behavior: From Basic Science to Clinical Rehabilitation

Modifying sensory aspects of the learning environment can influence motor behavior. Although the effects of sensory manipulations on motor behavior have been widely studied, there still remains a great deal of variability across the field in terms of how sensory information has been manipulated or applied. Here, the authors briefly review and integrate the literature from each sensory modality to gain a better understanding of how sensory manipulations can best be used to enhance motor behavior. Then, they discuss 2 emerging themes from this literature that are important for translating sensory manipulation research into effective interventions. Finally, the authors provide future research directions that may lead to enhanced efficacy of sensory manipulations for motor learning and rehabilitation.     

Hearing visuo‐tactile synchrony – Sound‐induced proprioceptive drift in the invisible hand illusion

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) and its variant the invisible hand illusion (IHI) are useful for investigating multisensory aspects of bodily self‐consciousness. Here, we explored whether auditory conditioning during an RHI could enhance the trisensory visuo‐tactile‐proprioceptive interaction underlying the IHI. Our paradigm comprised of an IHI session that was followed by an RHI session and another IHI session. The IHI sessions had two parts presented in counterbalanced order. One part was conducted in silence, whereas the other part was conducted on the backdrop of metronome beats that occurred in synchrony with the brush movements used for the induction of the illusion. In a first experiment, the RHI session also involved metronome beats and was aimed at creating an associative memory between the brush stroking of a rubber hand and the sounds. An analysis of IHI sessions showed that the participants’ perceived hand position drifted more towards the body‐midline in the metronome relative to the silent condition without any sound‐related session differences. Thus, the sounds, but not the auditory RHI conditioning, influenced the IHI. In a second experiment, the RHI session was conducted without metronome beats. This confirmed the conditioning‐independent presence of sound‐induced proprioceptive drift in the IHI. Together, these findings show that the influence of visuo‐tactile integration on proprioceptive updating is modifiable by irrelevant auditory cues merely through the temporal correspondence between the visuo‐tactile and auditory events.     

汉语语音范畴性知觉在儿童早期阅读中的作用

本研究以172名幼儿园中、大班和小学一年级的5~7岁儿童为研究对象, 测查了语音范畴性知觉、语音意识、短时记忆和汉字识别, 并通过群体差异比较、分层回归和结构方程建模的方法, 探讨了语音范畴性知觉、语音意识和早期阅读的关系。结果发现:(1)5~7岁儿童的语音范畴性知觉、语音意识能力随年龄的增加而显著提高;(2)语音范畴性知觉能力与语音意识, 特别是韵母意识和音节意识显著相关;(3)在语音与早期汉字识别能力的发展模型中, 语音范畴性知觉不直接影响汉字识别, 其对早期阅读的影响是通过语音意识的中介来实现的。     

汉语儿童的语音加工技能与其单词朗读技能的关系研究

以121名小学五年级学生为被试,采用测验法,考察了汉语儿童的语音技工技能与其英文单词朗读技能的关系。结果表明:语音加工技能的三种成分均能够对英文单词朗读技能产生影响,其中,语音意识对单词朗读技能具有重要影响,快速命名能力和语音工作记忆也能够对单词朗读技能产生影响。     

汉语儿童英语语音意识与拼写的关系

对92名二到四年级的汉语儿童进行英语语音意识和英语拼写测试,探索汉语儿童英语拼写的发展特点以及语音意识中的不同成分对其拼写的影响作用。结果发现：（1）汉语儿童的英语拼写成绩随着年级和学习经验的增多而提高,其中二年级到三年级是英语拼写能力发展的关键时期,女生的拼写成绩优于男生。（2）语音意识中的首音韵音意识对汉语儿童的英语拼写有较强的影响作用,此外,拼音和工作记忆也是影响汉语儿童英语拼写的重要因素。     

转换功能对汉语口吃者语音编码的影响

采用双任务范式比较了16名口吃者和16名非口吃者在数字转换任务的同时重复双声词和叠韵词的时间和口吃频率,考察转换功能对于汉语口吃者语音编码的影响。结果表明,转换功能影响汉语口吃者的语音编码：口吃者和非口吃者加工叠韵词比加工双声词需要更多的转换功能。研究结果支持口吃的“内在修正假说”,对口吃的诊断和治疗有重要启示。     

外框数目、线索数目和线索类型对返回抑制的影响

采用被试内重复测量设计和经典的线索—靶子实验范式,考查了外框数目（4和8）、线索数目（1和3）、不同线索类型（on-off线索（即线索出现后消失）、onset线索（即线索持续呈现））对返回抑制的影响,发现靶子潜在位置数目越多反应时越长,返回抑制量越小;线索数目越少反应时越长,返回抑制量越大;onset线索反应时长于on-off线索,onset线索产生的返回抑制量大于on-off线索。这表明空间工作记忆负载和记忆痕迹会影响返回抑制。     

Development of Phonological Awareness

Abstract— Phonological awareness is critical for learning to read in alphabetic languages like English. This report summarizes normal development of phonological awareness as it has been revealed through recent multidisciplinary and cross-cultural research. We argue that a consensus on the definition of phonological awareness has emerged, that research has identified a general sequence of phonological awareness development that is universal across languages, and that certain characteristics of spoken and written languages influence the rate of normal development and levels of phonological awareness that are normally achieved.     

Presurgical Language Mapping

ABSTRACT— Neurosurgical procedures for tumors or intractable epilepsy are often accompanied by risk to postoperative cognitive function; surgery in the left temporal or frontal lobes, for example, can place language functions at risk. Hence, prior to tissue extraction, one common surgical goal is to attempt to identify frontal and temporal regions that should be spared in order to preserve language function. We describe how basic research on false memory for word lists has led to a novel approach for identifying such language-related regions in healthy controls. That is, rapid presentation of semantically related words (e.g., bed , rest , awake ) and phonologically related words (e.g., peep , weep , heap ) with instructions to attend to relations among the words elicits activity in underlying language networks. Furthermore, it is often possible to identify the neural underpinnings of these networks in an individual person in about an hour of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We conclude by suggesting directions for future research with this lexical-processing protocol, the overarching goal being to link basic cognitive science and clinical practice.     

非词复述测验的编制和初步分析

本研究编制了一种用于测量儿童语音工作记忆的测验———非词复述测验,并在48名四年级小学生中初步进行信度、效度检验和项目分析。结果表明:(1)该测验有较高的重测信度;(2)该测验具有较高的结构效度和效标效度;(3)分测验二的项目难度分布比较合理,多数项目鉴别力较高,而分测验一的项目难度分布和项目鉴别力则有待于在今后的研究中进一步提高。