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Computational Exploration of Lexical Development in Down Syndrome

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSNConference contribution/Paperpeer-review

Published
Publication date20/07/2017
Host publicationProceedings of the 39th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
EditorsGlenn Gunzelmann, Andrew Howes, Thora Tenbrink, Eddy Davelaar
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherCognitive Science Society
Pages1199-1204
Number of pages6
ISBN (electronic)9780991196760
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Research on lexical development in Down syndrome (DS) has emphasized a dissociation between language comprehension and production abilities, with production of words being relatively more impaired than comprehension. Current theories stress the role of associative learning on lexical
development. However, there have been no attempts to explain the atypical lexical development in DS based on atypical associative learning. The long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) of synapses, underlying associative learning, are altered in DS. Here we present a neural network model that instantiates notions from neurophysiological studies to account for the disparities between lexical comprehension and production in DS. Our simulations show that an atypical LTP/LTD balance affects comprehension and production differently in an associative model of lexical development.

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Not within 3 months of acceptance, but is within 3 months of publication