Articulatory / Phonological Processes in Working Memory
Working memory, defined as the information processes dedicated to holding and actively manipulating information on-line, serves as a “mental scratchpad” that is integral to complex cognition. The focus of this proposal is on the underlying phonological and articulatory representations and processes that support the maintenance of verbal information. Our prior work and recent behavioral findings by other investigators have generated results that are difficult to reconcile with a highly influential model of verbal working memory proposed by Baddeley and colleagues. In this competitive renewal, we will test an alternative neurally-based account through convergent behavioral, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological studies. This work is a unique use of neuroimaging to inform cognitive theoretical models. It has the potential to impact our broader understandings of attention, the representation of serial order, and the joint influence of phonological processing on language and working memory.
Reading and The Right Fusiform
The overarching goal of the proposed research is to determine whether the right fusiform can provide an alternative route into the language system, a possibility that is raised by our findings with native Chinese speakers. The answer will shed light on the ongoing debate about the nature of the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA) and the impact of perceptual analysis upon phonological coding during reading. Longer term, the answer may also have important clinical implications: if the right fusiform can support reading independently from the left fusiform (i.e., VWFA), then it may be possible to design new approaches to the treatment of individuals with acquired or developmental dysfunction of the VWFA.
Training in Arithmetical Fluency
This work involves a new training approach to help adults learn to quickly and accurately solve multi-digit addition and subtraction problems (e.g., 34 + 29). We will use behavioral measures of skill to demonstrate that the training program improves the ability to solve addition and subtraction problems, and to determine whether the benefits extend to other types of mathematical tasks (e.g., solving an algebra problem, or comparing the magnitude of two numbers). Measures of brain function will be used to test the idea that our training approach leads to adaptive changes in a core brain region involved in “basic number sense”.