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Neural Substrates of Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) Associated with Character Writing in Children Learning to Read Chinese
Poster E17 in Poster Session E, Saturday, October 8, 3:15 - 5:00 pm EDT, Millennium Hall
Hsin-Chin Chen1, Zih-Yun Yang1, Dun-Ya Hu2; 1National Chung Cheng University, 2Texas A&M University
Studies have documented that performance of rapid automatized naming (RAN) is associated with reading abilities across different writing systems (Norton & Wolf, 2012). Although studies have suggested that reading depends on writing at least in Chinese (e.g., Tan et al., 2005), few studies have examined the neural correlates of RAN associated with spelling/writing, probably due to motion artifacts induced inevitably during naming. Comparing to fMRI, the technique of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which measures blood flow changes in the cortex, are especially suitable for studies of RAN since optical imaging technique is more susceptible to motion artifacts. The present study thus examined the neural basis of RAN associated with Chinese character writing applying fNIRS technique. A group of children (8~10 years old) with normal IQ and without reading disabilities were recruited. All children are native readers and writers of traditional Chinese taught in Taiwan. Participants were tested with serial number RAN and their blood flow changes in the cortex were monitored with the 16x16 NIRScout, NIRx M.T.. Other cognitive and reading tests including nonverbal IQ, working memory, and Chinese dictation were also administered. Blood flow changes of 46 brain channels on bilateral IFG, MFG, STG, MTG, IPL, SPL, and VWFA, which related to language processing, were recorded. Preprocessing of motion artifact and systemic physiology were performed applying nirsLAB and HOMER 3. The changes in the concentration of hemoglobin of all channels associated with RAN speed were calculated with GLM and were then correlated to scores of Chinese dictation. The results revealed that brains areas of IFG, IPL, and VWFA were associated with the speed of serial number RAN. The following analysis indicated that the strengths of such correlation in IPL and VWFA were further correlated to scores of Chinese dictation, suggesting the roles of IPL and VWFA in the relationship between Chinese character writing and RAN. The present report may be among the first to examine neural correlates of serial number RAN, a measure of reading fluency, associated with Chinese character writing, highlighted the role of language fluency in learning to write Chinese characters. The finding that IPL and VWFA correlated to the relationship between RAN and Chinese character dictation may suggest the important and overlapped role of visual-spatial processing in both tests.
Topic Areas: Writing and Spelling, Language Production