Neural correlates of Visual / Auditory Statistical Learning and Reading Processes

Statistical Learning refers to the innate human ability to learn statistical regularities and discern patterns from the information-rich environment. While the relationship between statistical learning and reading abilities has been widely studied, the neural processes underlying both the familiarization and testing of auditory and visual statistical learning, as well as their connection to reading, remain less understood. In our large-scale fMRI study, we investigated the neural mechanisms involved in both the familiarization and retrieval phases of statistical learning across visual and auditory modalities. We had several behavioral measures assessing fluency in reading and speech via offline tasks outside the MRI scanner. We recently finished collecting data and also completed a few studies on anatomical/volumetric correlates, white matter microstructural correlates with DTI, and functional brain activation.