@article{pmid40675365,

title = {The effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation on video action naming in healthy young adults},

author = {Manon Spigarelli and Hugo Massé-Alarie and Pascale Tremblay and Maximiliano A Wilson},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109221},

issn = {1873-3514},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-10-01},

journal = {Neuropsychologia},

volume = {217},

pages = {109221},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid40706392,

title = {Neural tracking of continuous speech in adverse acoustic conditions among healthy adults with normal hearing and hearing loss: A systematic review},

author = {David Ratelle and Pascale Tremblay},

doi = {10.1016/j.heares.2025.109367},

issn = {1878-5891},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-10-01},

journal = {Hear Res},

volume = {466},

pages = {109367},

abstract = {The study of neural speech tracking (NST) has gained increasing attention in the field of auditory neuroscience in recent years. However, its contribution to speech perception in noise (SPiN), especially regarding aging and hearing loss, has yet to be fully explored. This systematic review examined NST in adults with and without hearing loss, focusing on its modulation by age, hearing impairment, and adverse acoustic conditions, as well as its relationship with behavioral SPiN performance. A systematic literature search identified studies using electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate NST in continuous speech processing under adverse acoustic conditions. Studies included participants with and without hearing loss, excluding those with neurological disorders. Various NST methods, including forward and backward modeling, coherence, and cross-correlation, were examined. Fifty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on young adults, with fewer studies including older adults or individuals with hearing loss. Findings suggest that older adults exhibit increased NST compared to younger adults, potentially reflecting compensatory mechanisms for auditory processing declines. Similarly, hearing impairment was generally associated with enhanced NST, likely due to altered neural encoding and increased reliance on cognitive resources. The impact of adverse acoustic conditions, as reflected by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), on NST was predominantly negative, with NST decreasing as noise levels increased. However, some studies suggested a non-linear relationship, with NST peaking at intermediate SNRs. Furthermore, most studies reported a positive correlation between NST and SPiN performance, typically observed across individuals or conditions within homogeneous groups or pooled samples. While stronger tracking was generally associated with better behavioral outcomes, this relationship does not imply that higher NST always corresponds to better performance across different populations. Age and hearing loss appear to modulate NST, likely through both neural compensation and auditory processing adaptations. The complex effects of SNR on NST highlight the need for additional research to better understand its underlying mechanisms. Future studies should delve deeper into the interplay between aging, cognition, and auditory deficits in shaping NST, offering a more comprehensive understanding of speech processing in challenging acoustic environments.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid40849290,

title = {Subcortical gray matter aging and attentional control in amateur musicians and nonmusicians},

author = {Alexandre Sicard and Pascale Tremblay},

doi = {10.1111/nyas.70023},

issn = {1749-6632},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-09-01},

journal = {Ann N Y Acad Sci},

volume = {1551},

number = {1},

pages = {167--188},

abstract = {Aging is associated with declines in attentional control. While most studies have explored the relationship between brain structure and attention at the cortical level, subcortical structures remain largely overlooked. Leisure activities, such as musical practice, are thought to promote brain reorganization and help preserve cognitive function in aging. However, evidence for such effects at the subcortical level remains limited. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between age, subcortical gray matter, and attentional control in amateur musicians and nonmusicians. A total of 108 adults (20-88 years) were recruited, including 34 singers, 37 instrumentalists, and 37 active nonmusicians. Participants completed an auditory selective attention task and a visual inhibition task. Anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were acquired to examine the relationship between subcortical volumes and attentional measures. Our results indicate that aging is associated with worse attentional control and smaller subcortical volumes. While no group differences in subcortical volume were observed, significant interactions emerged between musical activity and subcortical volume in relation to attentional control, particularly in inhibition. Notably, in singers, greater musical experience and smaller subcortical volumes were linked to better inhibition. These results refine our understanding of subcortical contributions to attentional control in aging musicians and nonmusicians.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid40974549,

title = {Exploring Factors Affecting Verbal Fluency in Healthy Aging},

author = {Pascale Tremblay and Lydia Gagnon and Edith Durand and Joël Macoir},

doi = {10.1111/nyas.70064},

issn = {1749-6632},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-09-01},

journal = {Ann N Y Acad Sci},

abstract = {Word-finding difficulties are a hallmark of aging. Verbal fluency tasks are broadly used to measure word-finding difficulties in adults due to their sensitivity and ease of use. However, several questions remain regarding verbal fluency in aging, particularly the strategies that may evolve over time and the role of potentially protective factors, such as cognitive engagement and social interactions, in mitigating age-related cognitive decline. In this study, we investigated verbal fluency in 144 healthy, community-dwelling adults aged 20-87 years. Participants completed both semantic and phonemic fluency tasks and several questionnaires and assessments. We analyzed accuracy and error types, as well as the occurrence of self-talk and filled hesitations and their impact on lexical access. Further, eight factors previously associated with cognitive reserve were examined: education, practice of group singing, social participation, cognitive level, self-reported health, multilingualism, positive outlook, and hearing. While filled hesitations were stable across age, self-talk increased nonlinearly with age. Singing experience, higher educational attainment, and better global cognition were associated with better fluency. However, these factors showed minimal evidence of protection against age-related decline in word retrieval.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid40584049,

title = {Structural Development of Speech Networks in Young Children: A Cross-Sectional Study},

author = {Marilyn Curtis and Mohammadreza Bayat and Dea Garic and Alliete R Alfano and Melissa Hernandez and Madeline Curzon and Andrea Bejarano and Pascale Tremblay and Shannon Marie Pruden and Paulo Graziano and Anthony Steven Dick},

doi = {10.1162/nol_a_00168},

issn = {2641-4368},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Neurobiol Lang (Camb)},

volume = {6},

abstract = {To investigate speech in the developing brain, 94 children aged 4 to 7 years old were scanned using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging. To increase sample size and performance variability, we included children with ADHD from a larger ongoing study ( = 47). Each child completed the Syllable Repetition Task (SRT), a validated measure of phoneme articulation. DWI data were modeled using restriction spectrum imaging to measure restricted and hindered diffusion properties in gray and white matter. We analyzed the diffusion data using whole brain analysis and automated fiber quantification (AFQ) analysis to establish tract profiles for the six fiber pathways thought to be important for supporting speech development. In the whole brain analysis, we found that SRT performance was associated with restricted diffusion in left and right inferior frontal gyrus, left and right pars opercularis, right pre-supplementary and supplementary motor area, and left and right cerebellar gray matter ( < 0.005). Age moderated these associations in left pars opercularis and the frontal aslant tract (FAT), but only the cerebellar findings survived a cluster correction. Analyses using AFQ highlighted differences in high and low performing children along specific tract profiles, most notably in left but not right FAT, in left and right superior longitudinal fasciculus III, and in the cerebellar peduncles. These findings suggest that individual differences in speech performance are reflected in structural gray and white matter differences as measured by restricted and hindered diffusion metrics, and offer important insights into developing brain networks supporting speech in very young children.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid39775384,

title = {Expansion of the SyllabO+ corpus and database: Words, lemmas, and morphology},

author = {Noémie Auclair-Ouellet and Alexandra Lavoie and Pascale Bédard and Alexandra Barbeau-Morrison and Patrick Drouin and Pascale Tremblay},

doi = {10.3758/s13428-024-02582-2},

issn = {1554-3528},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Behav Res Methods},

volume = {57},

number = {1},

pages = {47},

abstract = {Having a detailed description of the psycholinguistic properties of a language is essential for conducting well-controlled language experiments. However, there is a paucity of databases for some languages and regional varieties, including Québec French. The SyllabO+ corpus was created to provide a complete phonological and syllabic analysis of a corpus of spoken Québec French. In the present study, the corpus was expanded with 41 additional speakers, bringing the total to 225. The analysis was also expanded to include three new databases: unique words, lemmas, and morphemes (inflectional, derivational, and compounds). Next, the internal structure of unique words was analyzed to identify roots, inflectional markers, and affixes, as well as the components of compounds. Additionally, a group of 441 speakers of Québec French provided semantic transparency ratings for 3764 derived words. Results from the semantic transparency judgment study show broad inter-individual variability for words of medium transparency. No influence of sociodemographic variables was found. Transparency ratings are coherent with studies showing the greater transparency of suffixed words compared to prefixed words. Results for participants who speak French as a second language support the association between second-language proficiency and morphological processing.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid39595892,

title = {The Contribution of the Face-Name Associative Recognition Test to Objectifying the Impairment of Associative Memory in Subjective Cognitive Decline},

author = {Joël Macoir and Pascale Tremblay and Carol Hudon},

doi = {10.3390/brainsci14111129},

issn = {2076-3425},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-11-01},

journal = {Brain Sci},

volume = {14},

number = {11},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is defined as a self-reported perception of cognitive decline that occurs without clear objective signs of cognitive impairment. There is still uncertainty in the literature about the reliability of SCD as an accurate indicator of the early stages of major neurocognitive disorders. Furthermore, objectifying cognitive impairment in SCD is difficult, mainly due to the insensitivity of the assessment instruments. The main objective of this study was to investigate the potential contribution of the face-name associative recognition test (FNART) to the objective identification of memory impairment in SCD.nnMETHOD: A research sample of 69 adults with SCD and 69 healthy controls (HCs) recruited in the community were administered in the FNART, which included 32 photographs of neutral faces associated with 32 first names.nnRESULTS: The total score of the HC group in the FNART was significantly better than that of the SCD group. Moreover, analyses based on the serial position of the stimuli showed that the SCD group performed significantly worse than the HC group only for the middle items (stimuli placed at the beginning or end of learning lists are more likely to be recalled than those presented in the middle), while no primacy and recency effects were found in the HCs.nnCONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that associative episodic memory is more vulnerable in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) compared to those without cognitive complaints. Additionally, they suggest that the FNART may be effective in identifying cognitive decline in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid39367878,

title = {Attention, working memory, and inhibitory control in aging: Comparing amateur singers, instrumentalists, and active controls},

author = {Marilyne Joyal and Alexandre Sicard and Virginia Penhune and Philip L Jackson and Pascale Tremblay},

doi = {10.1111/nyas.15230},

issn = {1749-6632},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-11-01},

journal = {Ann N Y Acad Sci},

volume = {1541},

number = {1},

pages = {163--180},

abstract = {Despite the ubiquity of musical activities, little is known about the specificity of their association with executive functions. In this cross-sectional study, we examined this relationship as a function of age. Our main hypotheses were that executive functions would decline in older age, that this relationship would be reduced in singers and instrumentalists compared to nonmusician active controls, and that the amount of musical experience would be more strongly associated with executive functions compared to the specific type of activity. A sample of 122 cognitively healthy adults aged 20-88 years was recruited, consisting of 39 amateur singers, 43 amateur instrumentalists, and 40 nonmusician controls. Tests of auditory processing speed, auditory selective attention, auditory and visual inhibitory control, and auditory working memory were administered. The results confirm a negative relationship between age and executive functions. While musicians' advantages were found in selective attention, inhibitory control, and auditory working memory, these advantages were specific rather than global. Furthermore, most of these advantages were independent of age and experience. Finally, there were only limited differences between instrumentalists and singers, suggesting that the relationship between music-making activities and executive functions may be, at least in part, general as opposed to activity-specific.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid39023366,

title = {Assessing the Impact of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Speech Perception in Noise},

author = {Valérie Brisson and Pascale Tremblay},

doi = {10.1162/jocn_a_02224},

issn = {1530-8898},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-10-01},

journal = {J Cogn Neurosci},

volume = {36},

number = {10},

pages = {2184--2207},

abstract = {Healthy aging is associated with reduced speech perception in noise (SPiN) abilities. The etiology of these difficulties remains elusive, which prevents the development of new strategies to optimize the speech processing network and reduce these difficulties. The objective of this study was to determine if sublexical SPiN performance can be enhanced by applying TMS to three regions involved in processing speech: the left posterior temporal sulcus, the left superior temporal gyrus, and the left ventral premotor cortex. The second objective was to assess the impact of several factors (age, baseline performance, target, brain structure, and activity) on post-TMS SPiN improvement. The results revealed that participants with lower baseline performance were more likely to improve. Moreover, in older adults, cortical thickness within the target areas was negatively associated with performance improvement, whereas this association was null in younger individuals. No differences between the targets were found. This study suggests that TMS can modulate sublexical SPiN performance, but that the strength and direction of the effects depend on a complex combination of contextual and individual factors.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}