Gullsvåg Malin, Itaguchi Yoshihiro, Rodríguez-Aranda Claudia
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Department of Psychology, Keio University, Minatoku, Japan.
PLoS One. 2024 Dec 5;19(12):e0314908. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314908. eCollection 2024.
Verbal fluency (VF) represents an important aspect of intelligence, in which oral word generation is demanded following semantic or phonemic cues. Two reliable phenomena of VF execution have been reported: A decay in performance across 1-minute trial and a discrepancy score between the semantic and phonemic VF tests (VFTs). Although, these characteristics have been explained from various cognitive standpoints, the fundamental role of speech breathing has not yet been considered. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the role of respiratory function for word generation in VFTs in healthy individuals. Thirty healthy young adults performed VFTs during definite periods of 1 minute while wearing a pneumotachograph mask. Duration, peak and volume of airflow were acquired during inspirations and expirations. Also, respiratory rate and acoustic data of verbal responses were registered, and accuracy scores were calculated. Each 1-minute trial was divided into four intervals of 15-seconds where parameters were calculated. Repeated measures ANOVAs and repeated measures correlations were used in the statistical analyses. Data revealed that respiratory function was significantly coupled to VF performance mostly during inhalations. Small but constant increments of inhale airflow occurred in phonemic VFT as well as higher peak airflow in both tasks, being higher for semantic VFT. High respiratory rate characterized performance of both VFTs across intervals. Airflow adjustments corresponded to better VF accuracy, while increments in respiratory rate did not. The present study shows a complex interplay of breathing needs during VF performance that varies along the performance period and that notably connects to inspirations.
言语流畅性（VF）是智力的一个重要方面，其中需要根据语义或音素线索进行口头单词生成。已经报道了VF执行的两种可靠现象：在1分钟的测试过程中表现下降，以及语义和音素VF测试（VFT）之间的差异分数。尽管这些特征已从各种认知角度进行了解释，但尚未考虑言语呼吸的基本作用。因此，本研究旨在评估呼吸功能在健康个体的VFT中对单词生成的作用。30名健康的年轻成年人在佩戴呼吸速度描记器面罩的情况下，在确定的1分钟时间段内进行VFT。在吸气和呼气过程中获取气流的持续时间、峰值和体积。此外，记录言语反应的呼吸频率和声学数据，并计算准确性分数。每个1分钟的测试分为四个15秒的间隔，在这些间隔中计算参数。统计分析中使用了重复测量方差分析和重复测量相关性分析。数据显示，呼吸功能主要在吸气过程中与VF表现显著相关。在音素VFT中出现了小而持续的吸气气流增加，并且在两项任务中峰值气流都更高，语义VFT中的峰值气流更高。在各个间隔中，高呼吸频率是两项VFT表现的特征。气流调整对应于更好的VF准确性，而呼吸频率的增加则不然。本研究表明，VF表现过程中呼吸需求存在复杂的相互作用，这种相互作用在表现期间会发生变化，并且与吸气显著相关。
