Karla Mcgregor
University Of Iowa
Project start date: 2012-01-23
Project end date: 2016-12-31
Sponsored Links Excellgen http://Excellgen.com
Grants awarded to Karla Mcgregor
The Development Of Word Meaning
Karla Mcgregor, Associate Professor
University Of Iowa Iowa City, Ia 52242
Grant 5R01DC003698-08 from National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders IRG: LCOM
Abstract: Word learning is a gradual process determined by the competencies of the word learner and cues provided by the word learning environment. Our long-term goal is to elucidate individual differences in both extant word knowledge and word learning among school-aged children. The proposed design takes advantage of naturally-occurring variation between populations. Our method involves comparisons within a group of children bringing intact social and linguistic processing to bear on word learning; between younger and older children with differing levels of maturity in social and linguistic processing; and between normal children and those with poor linguistic processing (children with specific language impairment) or poor social reasoning (children with autism). These comparisons allow tests of two main hypotheses 1) the gradual or "slow-mapping" phase of word learning depends upon abilities to process a coalition of linguistic and social cues and 2) at any given point in time, the robustness of semantic knowledge established in the lexicon will affect the success of word usage. The specific aims are to determine 1) how extant word knowledge varies with development, clinical status, and word class; 2) how receptive and expressive word usage vary with development, clinical status, and word class; 3) how the process and outcomes of slow mapping vary with development, clinical status, and word class; and 4) whether there is a causal relation between robustness of lexical semantic knowledge and speed or accuracy of word usage. This project will lead to discoveries about word learning during a rarely studied stage, slow mapping. It will also reveal sources of lexical deficits associated with SLI and autism, impairments affecting 7% and .3% of the U.S. population, respectively.
Keywords: education evaluation /planning, remedial /special education, semantics, psychological model, behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, human subject, preschool child (1-5)
Project start date: 1998-06-01
Project end date: 2008-05-31
5R01DC003698-08 (2007): $237577
5R01DC003698-07 (2006): $242805
2R01DC003698-06 (2005): $248913
SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT AND THE LEXICON
Karla Mcgregor, Associate Professor
Communication Sciences And Disordersnorthwestern University
evanston, Il 602081110
Grant 5R29DC003698-04 from National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders IRG: CMS
Abstract: This program of research is designed to explore the status of the lexicon in young children with specific language impairment (SLI). The research plan is based on the premises that (1) the lexical production problems of children with SLI are rooted in deficits in lexical storage; (2) comparisons between children with and without SLI can be used to characterize the nature of lexical storage deficits associated with SLI and (3) a more complete understanding of these lexical storage deficits will lead to more efficacious treatment for lexical production in children with SLI. Participants are 20 preschoolers who have SLI, their 40 normally-developing age-matched cohorts and their 40 normally- developing, younger, language-matched cohorts. These experiments are motivated by Levelt´s (1991) speech production model, and, in particular, his notion of lemma and lexeme representation and access. Specifically, it is hypothesized that the lemma is particularly underdeveloped in children with SLI and that this proble may be traced back to atypical semantic mapping during early word learning. Four experiments are designed to investigate the organization and elaboration of the semantic lexicon. A fifth experiment is designed to determine what semantic information is initially stored when children with SLI and their cohorts map new words. A sixth experiment will test the efficacy of intervention aimed at improving lexical production for children with SLI by enhancing their semantic knowledge
Keywords: education evaluation /planning, remedial /special education, semantics psychological model behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, human subject, preschool child (1-5)
Project start date: 1998-06-01
Project end date: 2003-05-31
5R29DC003698-04 (2001): $103600
5R29DC003698-03 (2000): $103600
1R29DC003698-01 (1998): $103600
THE ROLE OF CONSOLIDATION AND SLEEP IN CHILDREN´S WORD LEARNING
Karla Mcgregor
University Of Iowa, Iowa City, Ia 52242
Grant 3R21DC009292-02S1 from Office Of The Director, National Institutes Of Health
Abstract: The proposal is a response to Notice Number (NOT-OD-10-032) and Notice Title NIH Announces the Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/R33, and R37) through the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet). The primary objective of the proposed research is to explore the role of sleep in consolidation of memory for newly learned words. The three specific aims are to determine 1) whether napping elicits sleep-based consolidation of newly learned words; 2) whether sleep is necessary or whether a period of nonverbal wakefulness will also elicit this effect; and 3) whether the extent of consolidation varies with the length and stage of sleep obtained. In pursuit of these aims, young healthy adults will be trained on novel words and then tested on their acquisition. Subsequently, each participant will nap or remain awake while engaged in either nonverbal or verbal activity for a two-hour period. Sleep will be measured via full polysomnography. Participants will repeat the behavioral tests 2 hours and 24 hours post training. Results will be compared between conditions to test the prediction that more consolidation occurs after a period of sleep than after equivalent time spent awake in verbal or nonverbal environments. Within the nap condition, relationships between amount of consolidation and duration and stage of sleep will be determined. The anticipated results will address issues of current theoretical debate among researchers of sleep and memory. Ultimately, they may hold practical implications for current policy debates over issues such as school start times and workplace effectiveness and they may point to novel intervention practices for individuals affected by language-learning difficulties. The mission of NIH also will be advanced by the building of a new transdisciplinary team and by the development of a practical protocol for studying sleep and learning. The project stands to increase understanding of human language learning and the link between memory for newly learned words and sleep. The project is relevant to public health, in particular to the health and well-being of populations affected by sleep or language-learning disorders. Ultimately, the results of the project may inform current policy debates over issues such as school start times and work-place effectiveness. Also, they may point to novel interventions for individuals affected by language-learning disorders
Keywords: 0-11 years old; 21+ years old; AD/HD; ADHD; Address; Adult; Affect; American; Apnea, Sleep; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Attention-Deficit Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; Autism; Autism, Early Infantile; Autism, Infantile; Autistic Disorder; Behavioral; Budgets; Child; Child Youth; Children (0-21); Data; Development; Diagnosis; Educational process of instructing; Effectiveness; Environment; Excessive Daytime Sleepiness; Excessive daytime somnolence; Funding; Health; Hour; Human; Human, Adult; Human, Child; Human, General; Hyperactivity Disorder NOS; Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; Hyperkinetic Syndrome; Individual; Intellectual disability; Intellectual functioning disability; Intellectual limitation; Intervention; Intervention Strategies; Investigators; Job Environment; Job Location; Job Place; Job Setting; Job Site; Kanner`s Syndrome; Language; Language Development; Learning; Learning Disorders; Length; Link; Man (Taxonomy); Man, Modern; Measures; Memory; Mission; Monitoring, Sleep; NIH; Napping; National Institutes of Health; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Nature; Participant; Performance; Personal Satisfaction; Policies; Polysomnography; Population; Protocol; Protocols documentation; Public Health; Recommendation; Recovery; Reporting; Research; Research Personnel; Researchers; Role; Sample Size; Schools; Sleep; Sleep Apnea Syndromes; Sleep Deprivation; Sleep Disorders; Sleep Hypopnea; Sleep Stages; Sleep-Disordered Breathing; Somnography; Teaching; Testing; Time; Training; United States National Institutes of Health; Vocabulary Test; Wakefulness; Wakefulnesses; Work Location; Work Place; Work-Site; Workplace; Worksite; acquiring language skills; adult human (21+); adult youth; attention deficit hyperactive disorder; awake; base; behavior test; behavioral test; behavioral/social science; children; college student; interventional strategy; language acquisition; language learning; novel; parent grant; parent project; polysomnographic; public health medicine (field); response; sleep measurement; sleep polysomnography; sleep problem; social role; university student; well-being; work environment; work setting; young adult; youngster
Relevance: The project stands to increase understanding of human language learning and the link between memory for newly learned words and sleep. The project is relevant to public health, in particular to the health and well-being of populations affected by sleep or language-learning disorders. Ultimately, the results of the project may inform current policy debates over issues such as school start times and work-place effectiveness. Also, they may point to novel interventions for individuals affected by language-learning disorders
Project start date: 2008-05-13
Project end date: 2011-09-14
Budget start date: 15-SEP-2010
Budget end date: 14-SEP-2011
PFA/PA: PA-10-069
3R21DC009292-02S1 (2010): $203400
5R21DC009292-02 (2009): $225000