The role of experience in critical period modulation: From qualitative to quantitative evidence

• Project Area: Inducing lifelong plasticity (iPlasticity) by brain rejuvenation: elucidation and manipulation of critical period mechanisms
• Project/Area Number: 20H05919
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Transformative Research Areas, Section (III)
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: 辻 晶 東京大学, ニューロインテリジェンス国際研究機構, 講師 (30850490)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2026-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥66,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥50,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥15,240,000); Fiscal Year 2022: ¥10,140,000 (Direct Cost: ¥7,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,340,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥9,620,000 (Direct Cost: ¥7,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,220,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥26,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥20,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥6,000,000)
• Keywords: language development / critical periods / speech perception / language acquisition / day-long recordings

Outline of Research at the Start

This project investigates the contribution of linguistic and social environmental factors on CP timing on multiple levels of language with a focus on perceptual attunement to native language speech sounds, by collecting dense longitudinal and cross-sectional datasets. These data will allow a precise understanding of environmental influences on CP timing in normally developing infants and to identify potential biomarkers of developmental delay, ultimately paving the way towards educational and clinical applications for iPlasticity.