Effects of bilingual language experience on basal ganglia computations: A dynamic causal modeling test of the conditional routing model.

Effects of bilingual language experience on basal ganglia computations: A dynamic causal modeling test of the conditional routing model.
Brain Lang. 2019 Aug 27;197:104665
Authors: Yamasaki BL, Stocco A, Liu AS, Prat CS
Abstract
Bilingual language control is characterized by the ability to select from amongst competing representations based on the current language in use. According to the Conditional Routing Model (CRM), this feat is underpinned by basal-ganglia signal-routing mechanisms, and may have implications for cognitive flexibility. The current experiment used dynamic causal modeling of fMRI data to compare network-level brain functioning in monolinguals and bilinguals during a task that required productive (semantic decision) and receptive (language) switches. Consistent with the CRM, results showed that: (1) both switch types drove activation in the basal ganglia, (2) bilinguals and monolinguals differed in the strength of influence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on basal ganglia, and (3) differences in bilingual language experience were marginally related to the strength of influence of the switching drives onto basal ganglia. Additionally, a task-by-group interaction was found, suggesting that when bilinguals engaged in language-switching, their task-switching costs were reduced.
PMID: 31470347 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Brain and Language - August 26, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: Yamasaki BL, Stocco A, Liu AS, Prat CS Tags: Brain Lang Source Type: research