Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age.
It has been widely assessed that very preterm children (<32 weeks gestational age) present language and memory impairments compared with full-term children. However, differences in their underlying semantic memory structure have not been studied yet. Nevertheless, the way concepts are learned and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317535 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850134741590736896 |
|---|---|
| author | Marion Décaillet Alexander P Christensen Laureline Besuchet Cléo Huguenin-Virchaux Céline J Fischer Fumeaux Solange Denervaud Juliane Schneider |
| author_facet | Marion Décaillet Alexander P Christensen Laureline Besuchet Cléo Huguenin-Virchaux Céline J Fischer Fumeaux Solange Denervaud Juliane Schneider |
| author_sort | Marion Décaillet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It has been widely assessed that very preterm children (<32 weeks gestational age) present language and memory impairments compared with full-term children. However, differences in their underlying semantic memory structure have not been studied yet. Nevertheless, the way concepts are learned and organized across development relates to children's capacities in retrieving and using information later. Therefore, the semantic memory organization could underlie several cognitive deficits existing in very preterm children. Computational mathematical models offer the possibility to characterize semantic networks through three coefficients calculated on spoken language: average shortest path length (i.e., distance between concepts), clustering (i.e., local interconnectivity), and modularity (i.e., compartmentalization into small sub-networks). Here we assessed these coefficients in 38 very preterm schoolchildren (aged 8-10 years) compared with 38 full-term schoolchildren (aged 7-10 years) based on a verbal fluency task. Using semantic network analysis, very preterm children showed a longer distance between concepts and a lower interconnectivity at a local level than full-term children. In addition, we found a trend for a higher modularity at a global in very preterm children compared with full-term children. These findings provide preliminary evidence that very preterm children demonstrate subtle impairments in the organization of their semantic network, encouraging the adaptation of the support and education they receive. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3ebde8a59d2d40a68043aa3429e0d98c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-3ebde8a59d2d40a68043aa3429e0d98c2025-08-20T02:31:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01201e031753510.1371/journal.pone.0317535Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age.Marion DécailletAlexander P ChristensenLaureline BesuchetCléo Huguenin-VirchauxCéline J Fischer FumeauxSolange DenervaudJuliane SchneiderIt has been widely assessed that very preterm children (<32 weeks gestational age) present language and memory impairments compared with full-term children. However, differences in their underlying semantic memory structure have not been studied yet. Nevertheless, the way concepts are learned and organized across development relates to children's capacities in retrieving and using information later. Therefore, the semantic memory organization could underlie several cognitive deficits existing in very preterm children. Computational mathematical models offer the possibility to characterize semantic networks through three coefficients calculated on spoken language: average shortest path length (i.e., distance between concepts), clustering (i.e., local interconnectivity), and modularity (i.e., compartmentalization into small sub-networks). Here we assessed these coefficients in 38 very preterm schoolchildren (aged 8-10 years) compared with 38 full-term schoolchildren (aged 7-10 years) based on a verbal fluency task. Using semantic network analysis, very preterm children showed a longer distance between concepts and a lower interconnectivity at a local level than full-term children. In addition, we found a trend for a higher modularity at a global in very preterm children compared with full-term children. These findings provide preliminary evidence that very preterm children demonstrate subtle impairments in the organization of their semantic network, encouraging the adaptation of the support and education they receive.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317535 |
| spellingShingle | Marion Décaillet Alexander P Christensen Laureline Besuchet Cléo Huguenin-Virchaux Céline J Fischer Fumeaux Solange Denervaud Juliane Schneider Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age. PLoS ONE |
| title | Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age. |
| title_full | Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age. |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age. |
| title_short | Characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school-age. |
| title_sort | characterization of language abilities and semantic networks in very preterm children at school age |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317535 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariondecaillet characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage AT alexanderpchristensen characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage AT laurelinebesuchet characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage AT cleohugueninvirchaux characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage AT celinejfischerfumeaux characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage AT solangedenervaud characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage AT julianeschneider characterizationoflanguageabilitiesandsemanticnetworksinverypretermchildrenatschoolage |