Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing

Abstract Microsaccades are miniature eye movements that occur involuntarily during fixation. They are typically inhibited following stimulus onset and are released from inhibition about 300 ms post-stimulus. Microsaccade-inhibition is modulated by low level features of visual stimuli, but it is curr...

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Autores principales:	Maya Yablonski, Uri Polat, Yoram S. Bonneh, Michal Ben-Shachar
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2017
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/3daf410596ff4a4a86d6d4da8a5c679b
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:3daf410596ff4a4a86d6d4da8a5c679b2021-12-02T15:04:58ZMicrosaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing10.1038/s41598-017-04391-42045-2322https://doaj.org/article/3daf410596ff4a4a86d6d4da8a5c679b2017-06-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04391-4https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Microsaccades are miniature eye movements that occur involuntarily during fixation. They are typically inhibited following stimulus onset and are released from inhibition about 300 ms post-stimulus. Microsaccade-inhibition is modulated by low level features of visual stimuli, but it is currently unknown whether they are sensitive to higher level, abstract linguistic properties. To address this question, we measured the timing of microsaccades while subjects were presented with written Hebrew words and pronounceable nonwords (pseudowords). We manipulated the underlying structure of pseudowords such that half of them contained real roots while the other half contained invented roots. Importantly, orthographic similarity to real words was equated between the two conditions. Microsaccade onset was significantly slower following real-root compared to invented-root stimuli. Similar results were obtained when considering post-stimulus delay of eye blinks. Moreover, microsaccade-delay was positively and significantly correlated with measures of real-word similarity. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, sensitivity of microsaccades to linguistic structure. Because microsaccades are involuntary and can be measured in the absence of overt response, our results provide initial evidence that they can be used as a novel physiological measure in the study of language processes in healthy and clinical populations.Maya YablonskiUri PolatYoram S. BonnehMichal Ben-ShacharNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2017)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Maya Yablonski Uri Polat Yoram S. Bonneh Michal Ben-Shachar Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing
description	Abstract Microsaccades are miniature eye movements that occur involuntarily during fixation. They are typically inhibited following stimulus onset and are released from inhibition about 300 ms post-stimulus. Microsaccade-inhibition is modulated by low level features of visual stimuli, but it is currently unknown whether they are sensitive to higher level, abstract linguistic properties. To address this question, we measured the timing of microsaccades while subjects were presented with written Hebrew words and pronounceable nonwords (pseudowords). We manipulated the underlying structure of pseudowords such that half of them contained real roots while the other half contained invented roots. Importantly, orthographic similarity to real words was equated between the two conditions. Microsaccade onset was significantly slower following real-root compared to invented-root stimuli. Similar results were obtained when considering post-stimulus delay of eye blinks. Moreover, microsaccade-delay was positively and significantly correlated with measures of real-word similarity. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, sensitivity of microsaccades to linguistic structure. Because microsaccades are involuntary and can be measured in the absence of overt response, our results provide initial evidence that they can be used as a novel physiological measure in the study of language processes in healthy and clinical populations.
format	article
author	Maya Yablonski Uri Polat Yoram S. Bonneh Michal Ben-Shachar
author_facet	Maya Yablonski Uri Polat Yoram S. Bonneh Michal Ben-Shachar
author_sort	Maya Yablonski
title	Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing
title_short	Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing
title_full	Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing
title_fullStr	Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing
title_full_unstemmed	Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing
title_sort	microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: a novel approach to study language processing
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2017
url	https://doaj.org/article/3daf410596ff4a4a86d6d4da8a5c679b
work_keys_str_mv	AT mayayablonski microsaccadesaresensitivetowordstructureanovelapproachtostudylanguageprocessing AT uripolat microsaccadesaresensitivetowordstructureanovelapproachtostudylanguageprocessing AT yoramsbonneh microsaccadesaresensitivetowordstructureanovelapproachtostudylanguageprocessing AT michalbenshachar microsaccadesaresensitivetowordstructureanovelapproachtostudylanguageprocessing
_version_	1718388948751876096

Microsaccades are sensitive to word structure: A novel approach to study language processing

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