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Age and language experience modulate predictive processing in the visual modality

delete2026-05-15
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OA
AI
E
Evie A. Malaia *
S
Sean Borneman
B
Borneman, Joshua
K
Krebs, Julia
W
Wilbur, Ronnie B.
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0346695delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Human language processing relies on the brain's ability to predict structured input rapidly in time. While predictive coding has been widely studied in auditory language users, less is known about how visual language experience influences these mecha-nisms across their lifetime. We used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine how age and lifelong use of a signed language modulate neural prediction in the visual modality. We recorded EEG from Deaf signers of Austrian Sign Language (& Ouml;GS) while they viewed videos of linguistic and non-linguistic biological motion. Signal complexity and neural coherence to optical flow in the stimuli were computed, and multivariate feature selection was applied to identify age-related patterns. Our results show that neural responses to linguistic motion are characterized by age-dependent increases in coherence to stimuli and changes in signal entropy, suggesting that visual linguistic experience refines predictive mechanisms over time. These effects were strongest in fronto-central and parietal regions, consistent with hierarchical sensory integration for language processing. This study demonstrates that predictive coding in the brain is shaped by modality-specific language experience and continues to evolve with age. The findings offer a new perspective on how sensory and linguis-tic systems interact to support inference in real-time visual processing.
Keywords:
SIGN-LANGUAGE
SPEECH
BRAIN
OSCILLATIONS

Journal

PLoS One cover
PLoS One
IF:
2.6
Papers:
2.6W
Citations:
81.6W

Organization

University of Alabama System cover
University of Alabama System
Scholars:
4.2W
Papers: 3.8W
Citations: 68
Purdue University System cover
Purdue University System
Scholars:
4.0W
Papers: 3.6W
Citations: 66
U
university of alabama tuscaloosa
Scholars:
5.2K
Papers: 4.5K
Citations: 11
C
carnegie mellon university
Scholars:
2.1K
Papers: 991
Citations: 0
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Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Effect of sign language learning on temporal resolution of visual attention
err2025-01-03
err0
errOAAI
errSerpil Karabüklü; Sandra Wood; Chuck Bradley; Ronnie B. Wilbur; Evie A. Malaia
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Prediction underlying comprehension of human motion: an analysis of Deaf signer and non-signer EEG in response to visual stimuli
err2023-10-12
err1
errOAAI
errMalaia, Evie A.; Borneman, Sean C.; Borneman, Joshua D.; Krebs, Julia; Wilbur, Ronnie B.
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Psycholinguistic mechanisms of classifier processing in sign language
err
IF0
err2021-06-01
err0
PREAI
errJulia Krebs; Evie Malaia; Ronnie B. Wilbur; Dietmar Roehm
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Age-related changes in EEG coherence
err2014-01-01
err0
errOAAI
errOldrich Vysata; Jaromir Kukal; Ales Prochazka; Ladislav Pazdera; Julius Simko; Martin Valis
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Distinct brain age gradients across the adult lifespan reflect diverse neurobiological hierarchies
err2025-05-25
err0
errOAAI
errRiccardi, Nicholas; Teghipco, Alex; Newman-Norlund, Sarah; Newman-Norlund, Roger; Rangus, Ida; Rorden, Chris; Fridriksson, Julius; Bonilha, Leonardo
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A hierarchy of linguistic predictions during natural language comprehension
err2022-08-03
err116
errOAAI
errHeilbron, Micha; Armeni, Kristijan; Schoffelen, Jan-Mathijs; Hagoort, Peter; de Lange, Floris P.
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