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PubMed2004

Can semantic information be transferred between hemispheres in the split-brain?

Data from experiments with split-brain patients, who have had their left and right hemispheres disconnected, suggests a remarkable specialization of function within each hemisphere. At the same time, these patients conduct their daily lives with great proficiency. This ability suggests that some information integral to coordinated function between the hemispheres is available in the absence of the corpus callosum. Is information about the semantics of words one type of information that is shared? An experiment by suggests that it may be. Lambert reported that living/nonliving word categorization was delayed when disconnected hemispheres processed words belonging to the same category. Although other interpretations are plausible, Lambert described this effect as having a semantic source. We attempted to replicate the original effect with two additional split-brain patients, J.W. and V.P., and to extend the original design to clarify the source of the putative semantic effect. Our results indicate that any semantic interaction between the split hemispheres is not reliable. As such our study adds to the growing literature indicating that subcortical transfer of semantic information is more illusory than real.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2005

Dissociating linguistic processes in the left inferior frontal cortex with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Is the left inferior frontal cortex (LIFC) a single functional region, or can it be subdivided into distinct areas that contribute differently to word processing? Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate anterior and posterior LIFC when the meaning and sound of words were being processed. Relative to no stimulation, TMS of the anterior LIFC selectively increased response latencies when participants focused on the meaning of simultaneously presented words (i.e., synonym judgments) but not when they focused on the sound pattern of the words (i.e., homophone judgments). In contrast, the opposite dissociation was observed in the posterior LIFC, where stimulation selectively interfered with the phonological but not the semantic task. This double dissociation shows functionally distinct subdivisions of the LIFC that can be understood in terms of separable corticocortical connections linking the anterior LIFC to temporal pole regions associated with semantic memory and the posterior LIFC to temporoparietal regions involved in auditory speech processing.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Characteristics of dyslexia in a Dutch family.

This study investigates the characteristics of 19 members of a Dutch family. Nine of them, recognized as dyslexic in their early years, are compared with six non-dyslexic members, whereas four form a non-classified category. From their personal histories, it is clear that the dyslexics had a long and troublesome educational career, while the non-dyslexics did not. However, probably because the dyslexic members had considerable intellectual resources and talents in mathematics and technical skills, most succeeded in getting degrees of a reasonably high standard and jobs that more or less matched their talents. In cognitive terms, differences in non-word processing, independent of response mode (reading, spelling, oral repetition), and in speeded word reading suggest stable deficits in phonological processing and in task-specific automatization. The spelling of words was fairly accurate, possibly because compensatory strategies were used, also indicated by remarks of the dyslexic members. Outside the reading and spelling area, only small and non-significant differences appeared in tasks tapping verbal short-term memory, rapid naming and working memory. However, the predicted discrepancy between the conceptual and the sequential factor of the Wechsler intelligence test was shown by most dyslexics. Two of the four non-classified members of the family, who could not be classified as dyslexic because no early diagnosis was made, but had experienced learning problems at school, showed more or less the same characteristics, but were less successful at school and in society. In the discussion, the use of a family control group in studies with a large age range is recommended.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Early semantic context integration and lexical access as revealed by event-related brain potentials.

A late neurophysiological response, the N400, is well known to reflect word processing and semantic context integration. Nevertheless, behavioural and neurophysiological data have demonstrated that word features and semantic sentence context influence linguistic processes already within the first 200 ms following the onset of the critical word stimulus. The lack of early word-related ERP effects in some studies might be due to large stimulus variance on relevant linguistic parameters, for example the length of written words or their frequency of usage. Here we investigated the effect of the length of words, their standardized lexical frequency and probability to occur in a given semantic context, by orthogonally varying these factors in a sentence-reading task. We found word frequency and probability to be reflected neurophysiologically already at 120 and 180 ms after written word onset. However, at these early stages frequency and probability effects were modulated by word length, as documented by significant interactions, whereas at later stages, around 300-500 ms, additive effects of these variables were found. These results indicate that semantic context integration may take place at a surprisingly early stage and near-simultaneously with the processing of information about the form of a word and its lexical properties, therefore challenging serial models of psycholinguistic information access. A methodological implication of this study is that, in order to obtain early psycholinguistic ERP effects, stimulus variance must be kept to a minimum.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Hemispheric differences for orthographic and phonological processing.

The role of hemispheric differences for the encoding of words was assessed by requiring subjects to match tachistoscopically presented word pairs on the basis of their rhyming or visual similarity. The interference between a word pair's orthography and phonology produced matching errors which were differentially affected by the visual field/hemisphere of projection and sex of subject. In general, right visual field/left hemisphere presentations yielded fewer errors when word pairs shared similar phonology under rhyme matching and similar orthography under visual matching. Left visual field/right hemisphere presentations yielded fewer errors when word pairs were phonologically dissimilar under rhyme matching and orthographically dissimilar under visual matching. Males made more errors and demonstrated substantially stronger hemispheric effects than females. These patterns suggested visual field/hemispheric differences for orthographic and phonological encoding occurred during the initial stages of word processing and were more pronounced for male compared to female subjects.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional information processing in first and recurrent major depressive episodes.

Depressive states are classically associated to increased sensitivity to negative events. However this hypersensitivity may not be stable in time, being absent in remission periods or further reinforced with recurrent depressive episodes, or may concern positive stimuli instead, e.g. in young depressive patients. To study the evolution of the processing of emotional information in depression we recorded late components of evoked potentials in first-episode and recurrent depressed patients before and after recovery. We used a visual attentional paradigm manipulating the processing of emotional information. Subjects first counted words with positive valence, and then words with negative valence from lists of usual words. The results showed that recurrent patients had increased P300 amplitudes for negative words selection only in negative words counting situation, while first-episode patients had decreased P300 amplitudes for positive words selection. After clinical improvement, the negative biases in recurrent patients group disappeared but P300 amplitudes of first-episode patients remained significantly low for positive words. First-episode depressed patients show a selective impairment for positive stimuli, with decreased response to pleasant stimuli, while recurrent depressive subjects show signs of hyperesthesia for negative stimuli. These results suggest that responses to emotional stimuli in word processing are related to the duration of the mood disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

When nonwords activate semantics better than words.

We conducted a strong test of the idea that visual word processing and the activation of a printed word's meaning proceeds at a rate scaled by the temporal evolution of a unique and stable phonological code. Using the lexical decision task, and readers fluent in the two alphabets of Serbo-Croatian, we compared the priming of a target word such as automat by the semantically related word ROBOT and by the nonword ROBOT. Whereas the Serbo-Croatian word ROBOT can support two phonological codes, /robot/ and /rovot/, the nonword ROBOT composed by illegally mixing Roman and Cyrillic letters can support only the phonological code /robot/, that corresponding to the word whose meaning is related to automat's. At a prime duration of 35 ms, the lexical decision on the target automat was facilitated by ROBOT but not by ROBOT. At a prime duration of 125 ms, the word ROBOT was the more effective prime. One consequence of phonology's leading role in visual word recognition is that a nonword can sometimes activate a given word's meaning better than the word itself.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Evaluating a split processing model of visual word recognition: effects of orthographic neighborhood size.

The split fovea theory proposes that visual word recognition of centrally presented words is mediated by the splitting of the foveal image, with letters to the left of fixation being projected to the right hemisphere (RH) and letters to the right of fixation being projected to the left hemisphere (LH). Two lexical decision experiments aimed to elucidate word recognition processes under the split fovea theory are described. The first experiment showed that when words were presented centrally, such that the initial letters were in the left visual field (LVF/RH), there were effects of orthographic neighborhood, i.e., there were faster responses to words with high rather than low orthographic neighborhoods for the initial letters ('lead neighbors'). This effect was limited to lead-neighbors but not end-neighbors (orthographic neighbors sharing the same final letters). When the same words were fully presented in the LVF/RH or right visual field (RVF/LH, Experiment 2), there was no effect of orthographic neighborhood size. We argue that the lack of an effect in Experiment 2 was due to exposure to all of the letters of the words, the words being matched for overall orthographic neighborhood count and the sub-parts no longer having a unique effect. We concluded that the orthographic activation found in Experiment 1 occurred because the initial letters of centrally presented words were projected to the RH. The results support the split fovea theory, where the RH has primacy in representing lead neighbors of a written word.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Phonemic similarity effects and prelexical phonology.

Ten experiments were conducted on visually presented Serbo-Croatian words and pseudowords, comprising phonemically similar and dissimilar context-target sequences. There were five main results. First, phonemic similarity effects in both lexical decision and naming are independent of graphemic similarity. Second, phonemic similarity need not facilitate lexical decision; the direction of its effect depends on lexicality, target frequency, and type of similarity (specifically, the position of the phoneme that distinguishes context and target). Third, phonemic similarity expedites the naming of words and pseudowords, and to the same degree. Fourth, phonemic similarity is negated in naming, but not in lexical decision, when the visually presented context and target are stressed differently. Fifth, the phonemic similarity effect occurs even when the context is a masked pseudoword. These results are discussed in terms of a model in which word-processing units are activated routinely by phoneme-processing units, and in which compositionally similar word units, when activated, inhibit one another in proportion to each's familiarity. In this model, the phonemic similarity effect in naming is based on the states of phoneme units, whereas the phonemic similarity effect in lexical decision is based on the states of word units. Overall, the results comport with an account in which phonology is computed prelexically and automatically.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Giving feedback to questionnaire responders--an essential task?

Giving a quick feedback to responders of questionnaires, indicating how responders' views are similar to or different from the views expressed by their peers, could be considered good practice. It is relatively easy to produce feedback by using the research database and mail-merging a document with conventional word-processing software. Producing this type of feedback is likely to increase the respondent's involvement in a project and may even improve the quality of response.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2007

Open-source software for radiologists: a primer.

There is a wide variety of free (open-source) software available via the Internet which may be of interest to radiologists. This article will explore the use of open-source software in radiology to help streamline academic workflow and improve general efficiency and effectiveness by highlighting a number of the most useful applications currently available. These include really simple syndication applications, e-mail management, spreadsheet, word processing, database and presentation packages, as well as image and video editing software. How to incorporate this software into radiological practice will also be discussed.

Computer Graphics↗

PubMed1994

Developing and implementing a user-driven departmental database system--implications for the Royal College of Radiologists' COIN proposal.

With the increasing availability of computers, more departments are using word processors in place of typewriters. In the course of typing patient discharge summaries and letters, a large amount of information of potential use for audit or research purposes is entered into the computer but in a form inaccessible for analysis. We have developed a data-base system, based on information entered by departmental staff in the course of their work, rather than by designated data managers. The aim of the system is to replace word-processed clinical summaries. We describe the design, implementation and possible advantages and disadvantages of such a system and implications for the COIN proposal of the Royal College of Radiologists.

Computer Communication Networks↗

PubMed2003

An investigation into formatting and layout errors produced by blind word-processor users and an evaluation of prototype error prevention and correction techniques.

This paper presents the results of an investigation into tools to support blind authors in the creation and checking of word processed documents. Eighty-nine documents produced by 14 blind authors are analyzed to determine and classify common types of layout and formatting errors. Based on the survey result, two prototype tools were developed to assist blind authors in the creation of documents: a letter creation wizard, which is used before the document is produced; and a format/layout checker that detects errors and presents them to the author after the document has been created. The results of a limited evaluation of the tools by 11 blind computer users are presented. A survey of word processor usage by these users is also presented and indicates that: authors have concerns about the appearance of the documents that they produce; many blind authors fail to use word processor tools such as spell checkers, grammar checkers and templates; and a significant number of blind people rely on sighted help for document creation or checking. The paper concludes that document formatting and layout is a problem for blind authors and that tools should be able to assist.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Speech-recognizing computers: a written-communication tool for students with learning disabilities?

Students with specific learning disabilities (LD) in written composition may experience difficulties that restrict their ability to demonstrate in writing what they know and can communicate orally. Voice-input technology now allows users to speak into a microphone and have their words appear on a computer screen in a word processing format, ready for revision and editing. This exploratory study reports the efforts of one sixth-grade student to learn to use this technology to assist written communication. The findings suggest that the technology holds promise for students with LD when it is refined to allow less difficulty in using it.

Child↗

PubMed2002

Grammar overrides frequency: evidence from the online processing of flexible word order.

We show that online processing difficulties induced by word order variations in German cannot be attributed to the relative infrequency of the constructions in question, but rather appear to reflect the application of grammatical principles during parsing. Event-related brain potentials revealed that dative-marked objects in the initial position of an embedded sentence do not elicit a neurophysiologically distinct response from subjects, whereas accusative-marked objects do. These differences are predictable on the basis of grammatical distinctions (i.e. underlying linguistic properties), but not on the basis of frequency information (i.e. a superficial linguistic property). We therefore conclude that the former, but not the latter, guides syntactic integration during online parsing.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Information-seeking practices of dental hygienists.

This paper reports on a survey of the information-seeking, critical-analysis, and computer-application practices of dental hygienists. Questionnaires were mailed to a convenience sample of seventy-one dental hygiene practitioners. A 62% response rate was achieved. Results indicated that discussions with colleagues, continuing education courses, journals, and newsletters were the sources used most frequently for professional development and information retrieval. To evaluate professional information, these hygienists tended to rely on personal experience, credibility of the journal, and discussions with colleagues. Word processing was the most frequently used computer application; online database searching was rare in this group. Computer used within the employment setting was primarily for business rather than clinical applications. Many hygienists were interested in attending continuing education courses on use of computers to acquire professional information.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

The neural correlates of intentional and incidental self processing.

The neuroscientific study of the 'Self' is just beginning to emerge. We used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate cerebral activation while subjects processed words describing personality traits and physical features, in two experiments with contrasting designs: incidental and intentional. In the first experiment (intentional self processing), subjects were presented with personality trait adjectives and made judgements as to their self descriptiveness (versus non self descriptiveness). In the second experiment (incidental self processing), subjects categorised words according to whether they described physical versus psychological attributes, while unaware that the words had been arranged in blocks according to self descriptiveness. The subjects had previously rated all words for self descriptiveness 6 weeks prior to the scanning session. A reaction time advantage was present in both experiments for self descriptive trait words, suggesting a facilitation effect. Common areas of activation for the two experiments included the left superior parietal lobe, with adjacent regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex also active in both experiments. Differential signal changes were present in the left precuneus for the intentional and the right middle temporal gyrus for the incidental experiment. The results suggest that self processing involves distinct processes and can occur on more than one cognitive level with corresponding functional neuroanatomic correlates in areas previously implicated in the awareness of one's own state.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

On the role of competing word units in visual word recognition: the neighborhood frequency effect.

Current models of word recognition generally assume that word units orthographically similar to a stimulus word are involved in the visual recognition of this word. We refer to this set of orthographically similar words as an orthographic neighborhood. Two experiments are presented that investigate the ways in which the composition of this neighborhood can affect word recognition. The data indicate that the presence in the neighborhood of at least one unit of higher frequency than the stimulus word itself results in interference in stimulus word processing. Lexical decision latencies (Experiment 1) and gaze durations (Experiment 2) to words with one neighbor of higher frequency were significantly longer than to words without a more frequent neighbor. This neighborhood frequency effect is discussed in terms of the different types of candidate selection process postulated by contemporary models of visual word recognition.

Adult↗