Virtually no standardized neuropsychological tests have been developed for bilinguals and very little is known about how normal bilinguals should perform on currently available neuropsychological measures. Considerable experimental evidence suggests that bilinguals demonstrate improved performance when tested on 'cognates' (i.e., cross-language translations that are similar in form, such as the Spanish word 'fruta' which means 'fruit'). This applicant proposes to evaluate the influence of cognate status on tests of naming, word recognition, fluency, and verbal memory. It is hypothesized that cognates will provide a more complete and accurate assessment of cognitive processing in bilinguals because cognates represent a bridge across the processing barrier between bilinguals' differing levels of competence in two different languages. In addition to their clinical utility the data collected in the proposed research will provide useful constraints for developing theoretical models of language processing in bilinguals. The applicant is requesting five years of funding through a Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) to enhance her skills for conducting research that will improve sensitivity in bilingual neuropsychological assessment. The applicant's strong background of research with bilingual language processing (in English, Spanish, and Hebrew), clinical training in neuropsychological assessment, and academic training in cognitive neuropsychology, provide the foundation for this work. The proposed training goals include acquiring 1) enhanced skills for using multiple experimental paradigms, 2) in-depth knowledge of current developments in bilingual research and theory, 3) increased skills for conducting research on older adults, and 4) advanced training in data analysis with naturalistic (not experimentally controlled) variables. These skills are needed for the applicant to pursue innovative, comprehensive, and theoretically motivated research on developing improved methods for assessing cognitive skills in bilinguals.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23DC000191-05
Application #
7054720
Study Section
Communication Disorders Review Committee (CDRC)
Program Officer
Sklare, Dan
Project Start
2002-04-15
Project End
2008-04-30
Budget Start
2006-05-01
Budget End
2008-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$154,592
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California San Diego
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
804355790
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92093
Kittredge, Audrey K; Dell, Gary S (2016) Learning to speak by listening: Transfer of phonotactics from perception to production. J Mem Lang 89:8-22
Warker, Jill A; Dell, Gary S (2015) New phonotactic constraints learned implicitly by producing syllable strings generalize to the production of new syllables. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 41:1902-10
Jacobs, Cassandra L; Yiu, Loretta K; Watson, Duane G et al. (2015) Why are repeated words produced with reduced durations? Evidence from inner speech and homophone production. J Mem Lang 84:37-48
Middleton, Erica L; Schwartz, Myrna F (2013) Learning to fail in aphasia: an investigation of error learning in naming. J Speech Lang Hear Res 56:1287-97
Dell, Gary S (2013) Cascading and feedback in interactive models of production: a reflection of forward modeling? Behav Brain Sci 36:351-2
Walker, Grant M; Schwartz, Myrna F (2012) Short-form Philadelphia naming test: rationale and empirical evaluation. Am J Speech Lang Pathol 21:S140-53
Oppenheim, Gary M (2012) The case for subphonemic attenuation in inner speech: comment on Corley, Brocklehurst, and Moat (2011). J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 38:502-12
Gollan, Tamar H; Salmon, David P; Montoya, Rosa I et al. (2010) Accessibility of the nondominant language in picture naming: a counterintuitive effect of dementia on bilingual language production. Neuropsychologia 48:1356-66
Pyers, Jennie E; Gollan, Tamar H; Emmorey, Karen (2009) Bimodal bilinguals reveal the source of tip-of-the-tongue states. Cognition 112:323-9
Warker, Jill A; Xu, Ye; Dell, Gary S et al. (2009) Speech errors reflect the phonotactic constraints in recently spoken syllables, but not in recently heard syllables. Cognition 112:81-96

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