Units

Laboratory of Cognition, Language, and Development

The research focus of the LCLD concerns the study of human cognition, language, and speech perception with a developmental and educational perspective, a field also known as developmental or educational neuroscience. Although a large part of the research is based on behavioral experimental techniques, with normally developing children, children with cognitive or sensory developmental impairments and adult participants, current projects also integrate computational modelling as well as neuroimaging techniques (ERP, fMRI, MEG). The lab has a long tradition of research on visual word recognition processes, and on reading and spelling acquisition in typical and atypical development, as well as on speech perception. Major themes of active investigation at the moment concern aspects of language processing and reading; spoken and printed word recognition processes; written language acquisition disorders (dyslexia/dysgraphia); novel word reading; reading motivation and engagement; speech perception; speech-in-noise perception; language development in hearing-impaired persons.
LCLD is a member of CRCN (http://crcn.ulb.ac.be) and UNI (https://uni.ulb.ac.be).

Projetcs

Development of audio-visual integral of sensory information in speech perception

The project aims at examining the role of visual information (lip reading) in speech perception under normal and noisy conditions. Adults, children at different ages, as well as cases of atypical language development will be considered, such as deaf children with cochlear implants, or dysphasic children. A combination of behavioral and neuroimaging techniques is used. A second project aims deals with the integration of signals ensuing from lips and hands in cued speech perception. Electrophysiological methods and eye tracking are used to investigate these issues.