Neural tracking of linguistic and acoustic speech representations decreases with advancing age

NeuroImage, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 267, P. 119841 - 119841

Published: Dec. 28, 2022

Background: Older adults process speech differently, but it is not yet clear how aging affects different levels of processing natural, continuous speech, both in terms bottom-up acoustic analysis and top-down generation linguistic-based predictions. We studied natural across the adult lifespan via electroencephalography (EEG) measurements neural tracking. Goals: Our goals are to analyze unique contribution linguistic using while controlling for influence processing. Moreover, we also age. In particular, focus on changes spatial temporal activation patterns response lifespan. Methods: 52 normal-hearing between 17 82 years age listened a naturally spoken story EEG signal was recorded. investigated effect speech. Because correlated with hearing capacity measures cognition, whether observed mediated by these factors. Furthermore, there an hemisphere lateralization spatiotemporal responses. Results: results showed that declines advancing as increased, latency certain aspects increased. Also tracking (NT) decreased increasing age, which at odds literature. contrast processing, older subjects shorter latencies early responses No evidence found hemispheric neither younger nor during Most effects were explained age-related decline or cognition. However, our suggest decreasing word-level partially due cognition than robust Conclusion: Spatial characteristics change These may be traces structural and/or functional occurs

Language: Английский

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Attention Mobilization as a Modulator of Listening Effort: Evidence From Pupillometry

Trends in Hearing, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 28

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Listening to speech in noise can require substantial mental effort, even among younger normal-hearing adults. The task-evoked pupil response (TEPR) has been shown track the increased effort exerted recognize words or sentences increasing noise. However, few studies have examined trajectory of listening across longer, more natural, stretches speech, extent which expectations about upcoming difficulty modulate TEPR. Seventeen adults listened 60-s-long audiobook passages, repeated three times a row, at two different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) while size was recorded. There significant interaction between SNR, repetition, and baseline on sustained effort. At lower sizes, potentially reflecting attention mobilization, TEPRs were harder SNR condition, particularly when mobilization remained low by third presentation. intermediate differences conditions largely absent, suggesting these listeners had optimally mobilized their for both SNRs. Lastly, higher overmobilization attention, effect initially reversed second presentations: participants appeared disengage resulting reduced that recovered half story. Together, findings suggest unfolding over time depends critically individuals successfully anticipation difficult conditions.

Language: Английский

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VARX Granger analysis: Models for neuroscience, physiology, sociology and econometrics

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 20(1), P. e0313875 - e0313875

Published: Jan. 9, 2025

Complex systems, such as in brains, markets, and societies, exhibit internal dynamics influenced by external factors. Disentangling delayed effects from within these systems is often difficult. We propose using a Vector Autoregressive model with eXogenous input (VARX) to capture interactions between variables. Whereas this aligns Granger’s statistical formalism for testing “causal relations”, the connection two not widely understood. Here, we bridge gap providing fundamental equations, user-friendly code, demonstrations simulated real-world data neuroscience, physiology, sociology, economics. Our examples illustrate how avoids spurious correlation factoring out influences dynamics, leading more parsimonious explanations of systems. For instance, neural recordings find that prolonged response brain can be explained short exogenous effect, followed recurrent activity. In human recovers established eye movements affecting pupil size bidirectional interaction respiration heart rate. also provide methods enhancing efficiency, L2 regularization limited basis functions cope extended delays. Additionally, analyze performance under various scenarios where assumptions are violated. MATLAB, Python, R code provided easy adoption: https://github.com/lcparra/varx .

Language: Английский

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Minimal background noise enhances neural speech tracking: Evidence of stochastic resonance

Published: March 10, 2025

Neural activity in auditory cortex tracks the amplitude-onset envelope of continuous speech, but recent work counter-intuitively suggests that neural tracking increases when speech is masked by background noise, despite reduced intelligibility. Noise-related amplification could indicate stochastic resonance – response facilitation through noise supports tracking, a comprehensive account lacking. In five human electroencephalography (EEG) experiments, current study demonstrates generalized enhancement due to minimal noise. Results show a) enhanced for at very high SNRs (∼30 dB SNR) where highly intelligible; b) this independent attention; c) it generalizes across different stationary maskers, strongest 12-talker babble; and d) present headphone free-field listening, suggesting neural-tracking real-life listening. The paints clear picture enhances representation onset-envelope, contributes tracking. further highlights non-linearities induced make its use as biological marker processing challenging.

Language: Английский

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Enhanced neural speech tracking through noise indicates stochastic resonance in humans

eLife, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13

Published: March 18, 2025

Neural activity in auditory cortex tracks the amplitude-onset envelope of continuous speech, but recent work counterintuitively suggests that neural tracking increases when speech is masked by background noise, despite reduced intelligibility. Noise-related amplification could indicate stochastic resonance – response facilitation through noise supports tracking, a comprehensive account lacking. In five human electroencephalography experiments, current study demonstrates generalized enhancement due to minimal noise. Results show (1) enhanced for at very high signal-to-noise ratios (~30 dB SNR) where highly intelligible; (2) this independent attention; (3) it generalizes across different stationary maskers, strongest 12-talker babble; and (4) present headphone free-field listening, suggesting neural-tracking real-life listening. The paints clear picture enhances representation onset-envelope, contributes tracking. further highlights non-linearities induced make its use as biological marker processing challenging.

Language: Английский

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Monitoring Disease Severity of Mild Cognitive Impairment from Single-Channel EEG Data Using Regression Analysis

Sensors, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(4), P. 1054 - 1054

Published: Feb. 6, 2024

A deviation in the soundness of cognitive health is known as mild impairment (MCI), and it important to monitor early prevent complicated diseases such dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s (PD). Traditionally, MCI severity monitored with manual scoring using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). In this study, we propose a new monitoring algorithm regression analysis extracted features single-channel electro-encephalography (EEG) data by automatically generating scores equivalent MoCA scores. We evaluated both multi-trial single-trail for development. For analysis, 590 were from prominent event-related potential (ERP) points corresponding time domain characteristics, utilized lasso technique select best feature set. The 13 used classical techniques: multivariate (MR), ensemble (ER), support vector (SVR), ridge (RR). results observed ER an RMSE 1.6 residual analysis. single-trial time–frequency plot image each trial fed input constructed convolutional deep neural network (CNN). This CNN model resulted 2.76. To our knowledge, first attempt generate automated EEG single data.

Language: Английский

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A standardised open science framework for sharing and re-analysing neural data acquired to continuous stimuli

Neurons Behavior Data analysis and Theory, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 16, 2024

Neurophysiology research has demonstrated that it is possible and valuable to investigate sensory processing in scenarios involving continuous streams, such as speech music. Over the past 10 years or so, novel analytic frameworks combined with growing participation data sharing led a surge of publicly available datasets experiments. However, open science efforts this domain remain scattered, lacking cohesive set guidelines. This paper presents an end-to-end framework for storage, analysis, sharing, re-analysis neural recorded during We propose structure builds on existing custom structures (Continuous-event Neural Data CND), providing precise naming conventions types, well workflow storing loading general-purpose BIDS structure. The been designed interface EEG/MEG analysis toolboxes, Eelbrain, NAPLib, MNE, mTRF-Toolbox. present guidelines by taking both user view (rapidly re-analyse data) experimenter (store, analyse, share), making process straightforward accessible. Additionally, we introduce web-based browser enables effortless replication published results re-analysis.

Language: Английский

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Attention Mobilization as a Modulator of Listening Effort: Evidence from Pupillometry

Published: May 19, 2023

Listening to speech in noise can require substantial mental effort, even among younger normal-hearing adults. The task-evoked pupil response (TEPR) has been shown track the increased effort exerted recognize words or sentences increasing noise. However, few studies have examined trajectory of listening across longer, more natural, stretches speech, extent which expectations about upcoming difficulty modulate TEPR. Seventeen adults listened 60-s-long audiobook passages, repeated three times a row, at two different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) while size was recorded. There significant interaction between SNR, repetition, and baseline on sustained effort. At lower sizes, potentially reflecting attention mobilization, TEPRs were harder SNR condition, particularly when mobilization remained low by third presentation. intermediate differences conditions largely absent, suggesting these listeners had optimally mobilized their for both SNRs. Lastly, higher over-mobilization attention, effect initially reversed second presentations: participants appeared disengage resulting reduced that recovered half story. Together, findings suggest unfolding over time depends critically individuals successfully anticipation difficult conditions.

Language: Английский

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Changes in Cortical Directional Connectivity during Difficult Listening in Younger and Older Adults

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 22, 2023

SUMMARY One way to investigate the mechanisms that underlie speech comprehension under difficult listening conditions is via cortical connectivity. The innovative Network Localized Granger Causality (NLGC) framework was applied magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, obtained from older and younger subjects performing a task in noisy conditions, delta theta frequency bands. Directional connectivity between frontal, temporal, parietal lobes analyzed. Both aging- condition-related changes were found, particularly theta. In adults, as background noise increased, there transition predominantly temporal-to-frontal (bottom-up) connections, frontal-to-temporal (top-down). contrast, adults showed bidirectional information flow frontal temporal cortices even for quiet, not changing substantially with increased noise. Additionally, listeners did show nature of their links different whereas exhibited switch facilitative sharpening, when increased. Graphical Abstract Highlights Different bands strong differences directional functional patterns altered by difficulty Aging dramatically alters during Nature connectivity, additive vs subtractive, depends on age

Language: Английский

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Synchrony in auditory 40-Hz gamma oscillations increases in older age and correlates with hearing abilities and cortical GABA levels

Imaging Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 1, P. 1 - 24

Published: Nov. 13, 2023

Abstract Synchronized 40-Hz gamma oscillations in specific sensory and higher-order thalamocortical networks provide a neural mechanism for feature binding. Aging-related changes may cause deficits auditory binding, contributing to impaired speech-in-noise perception. Gamma synchrony is controlled through inhibitory mechanisms mediated by the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which has been shown decline aging. This study investigated aging-related how they relate function cortical GABA levels. Magnetoencephalograms of steady-state responses (ASSRs) were recorded young older adults presenting amplitude-modulated tones quiet mixed with concurrent multi-talker babble noise. Responses condition had longer latencies more prominent amplitudes, indicating ASSRs noise dominated component involved processing. The ASSR amplitudes increased under both stimulus conditions. However, larger associated severe hearing loss only condition. suggests increase detrimental effect on It interference between competing sounds central system, making it difficult aging system separate speech features from bind them into distinct perceptual object. Also adults, higher left cortex concentrations measured magnetic resonance spectroscopy, supporting GABA’s role internally generated

Language: Английский

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