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Midrigan-Ciochina L, Vodacek KP, Sewell C, Corina DP. A Comparison of White Matter Brain Differences in Monolingual and Highly Proficient Multilingual Speakers. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:497-527. [PMID: 38911457 PMCID: PMC11192512 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Language processing relies on the communication between brain regions that is achieved through several white matter tracts, part of the dorsal, ventral, and medial pathways involved in language processing and control (Coggins et al., 2004; Friederici & Gierhan, 2013; Hickok & Poeppel, 2007; Luk et al., 2011). While changes in white matter tract morphology have been reported as a function of second language learning in bilinguals, little is known about changes that may be present in multilanguage users. Here we investigate white matter morphometry in a group of highly proficient multilinguals, (individuals with proficiency in four or more languages), compared to a group of monolinguals. White matter morphometry was quantified using a fixel-based analysis (Raffelt et al., 2015; Raffelt et al., 2017; Tournier et al., 2007). Higher fiber cross-section and lower fiber density values were observed for the multilinguals, in the dorsal pathways (superior longitudinal fasciculus and arcuate fasciculus) and the ventral pathway, including the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and the uncinate fasciculus. Segments of the corpus callosum, the fornix, and the cortico-spinal tract showed decreases in all three morphometry measures for multilinguals. The findings suggest differential efficiencies in neural communication between domain-specific language regions and domain-general cognitive processes underlying multilingual language use. We discuss the results in relation to the bilingual Anterior to Posterior and Subcortical Shift (BAPSS) hypothesis (Grundy et al., 2017) and the Dynamic Restructuring Model (Pliatsikas, 2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Midrigan-Ciochina
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Linguistics and Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kayla P. Vodacek
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Cristina Sewell
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David P. Corina
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Linguistics and Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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2
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Ronderos J, Zuk J, Hernandez AE, Vaughn KA. Large-scale investigation of white matter structural differences in bilingual and monolingual children: An adolescent brain cognitive development data study. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26608. [PMID: 38339899 PMCID: PMC10836175 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging research has provided valuable insights into the structural characteristics of the bilingual brain from studies of bilingual adults; however, there is a dearth of evidence examining brain structural alterations in childhood associated with the bilingual experience. This study examined the associations between bilingualism and white matter organization in bilingual children compared to monolingual peers leveraging the large-scale data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Then, 446 bilingual children (ages 9-10) were identified from the participants in the ABCD data and rigorously matched to a group of 446 monolingual peers. Multiple regression models for selected language and cognitive control white matter pathways were used to compare white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) values between bilinguals and monolinguals, controlling for demographic and environmental factors as covariates in the models. Results revealed significantly lower FA values in bilinguals compared to monolinguals across established dorsal and ventral language network pathways bilaterally (i.e., the superior longitudinal fasciculus and inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus) and right-hemispheric pathways in areas related to cognitive control and short-term memory (i.e., cingulum and parahippocampal cingulum). In contrast to the enhanced FA values observed in adult bilinguals relative to monolinguals, our findings of lower FA in bilingual children relative to monolinguals may suggest a protracted development of white matter pathways associated with language and cognitive control resulting from dual language learning in childhood. Further, these findings underscore the need for large-scale longitudinal investigation of white matter development in bilingual children to understand neuroplasticity associated with the bilingual experience during this period of heightened language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Ronderos
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing SciencesBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jennifer Zuk
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing SciencesBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Kelly A. Vaughn
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Texas Health Sciences Center at HoustonHoustonTexasUSA
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3
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Fedeli D, Del Maschio N, Sulpizio S, Rothman J, Abutalebi J. The bilingual structural connectome: Dual-language experiential factors modulate distinct cerebral networks. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 220:104978. [PMID: 34171596 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bilingualism is a natural laboratory for studying whether the brain's structural connectome is influenced by different aspects of language experience. However, evidence on how distinct components of bilingual experience may contribute to structural brain adaptations is mixed. The lack of consistency, however, may depend, at least in part, on methodological choices in data acquisition and processing. Herein, we adopted the Network Neuroscience framework to investigate how individual differences in second language (L2) exposure, proficiency, and age of acquisition (AoA) - measured as continuous between-subject variables - relate to whole-brain structural organization. We observed that L2 exposure modulated the connectivity of two networks of regions subserving language comprehension and production. L2 proficiency was associated with enhanced connectivity within a rostro-caudal network, which supports language selection and word learning. Moreover, L2 AoA and exposure affected inter-hemispheric communication between control-related regions. These findings expand mechanistic knowledge about particular environmental factors associated with specific variation in brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Fedeli
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy
| | - Nicola Del Maschio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy
| | - Simone Sulpizio
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Jason Rothman
- The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy; The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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Mehrabinejad MM, Rafei P, Sanjari Moghaddam H, Sinaeifar Z, Aarabi MH. Sex Differences are Reflected in Microstructural White Matter Alterations of Musical Sophistication: A Diffusion MRI Study. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:622053. [PMID: 34366766 PMCID: PMC8339302 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.622053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The human-specified ability to engage with different kinds of music in sophisticated ways is named “Musical Sophistication.” Herein, we investigated specific white matter (WM) tracts that are associated with musical sophistication and musicality in both genders, separately, using Diffusion MRI connectometry approach. We specifically aimed to explore potential sex differences regarding WM alterations correlated with musical sophistication. Methods: 123 healthy participants [70 (56.9%) were male, mean age = 36.80 ± 18.86 year], who were evaluated for musical sophistication using Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) self-assessment instrument from the LEMON database, were recruited in this study. The WM correlates of two Gold-MSI subscales (active engagement and music training) were analyzed. Images were prepared and analyzed with diffusion connectometry to construct the local connectome. Multiple regression models were then fitted to address the correlation of local connectomes with Gold-MSI components with the covariates of age and handedness. Results: a significant positive correlation between WM integrity in the corpus callosum (CC), right corticospinal tract (CST), cingulum, middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), bilateral parieto-pontine tract, bilateral cerebellum, and left arcuate fasciculus (AF) and both active engagement [false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.008] and music training (FDR = 0.057) was detected in males. However, WM integrity in the body of CC, MCP, and cerebellum in females showed an inverse association with active engagement (FDR = 0.046) and music training (FDR = 0.032). Conclusion: WM microstructures with functional connection with motor and somatosensory areas (CST, cortico-pontine tracts, CC, cerebellum, cingulum, and MCP) and language processing area (AF) have significant correlation with music engagement and training. Our findings show that these associations are different between males and females, which could potentially account for distinctive mechanisms related to musical perception and musical abilities across genders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Parnian Rafei
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Zeinab Sinaeifar
- Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Aarabi
- Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Neuroscience, Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Sanjari Moghaddam H, Rahmani F, Aarabi MH, Nazem-Zadeh MR, Davoodi-Bojd E, Soltanian-Zadeh H. White matter microstructural differences between right and left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Acta Neurol Belg 2020; 120:1323-1331. [PMID: 30635771 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-019-01074-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is a chronic focal epileptic disorder characterized by recalcitrant seizures often necessitating surgical intervention. Identifying the laterality of seizure focus is crucial for pre-surgical planning. We implemented diffusion MRI (DMRI) connectometry to identify differences in white matter connectivity in patients with left and right mTLE relative to healthy control subjects. METHOD We enrolled 12 patients with right mTLE, 12 patients with left mTLE, and 12 age/sex matched healthy controls (HCs). We used DMRI connectometry to identify local connectivity patterns of white matter tracts, based on quantitative anisotropy (QA). We compared QA of white matter to reconstruct tracts with significant difference in connectivity between patients and HCs and then between patients with left and right mTLE. RESULTS Right mTLE patients show higher anisotropy in left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and forceps minor and lower QA in genu of corpus callosum (CC), bilateral corticospinal tracts (CSTs), and bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles (MCPs) compared to HCs. Left mTLE patients show higher anisotropy in genu of CC, bilateral CSTs, and right MCP and decreased anisotropy in forceps minor compared to HCs. Compared to patients with right mTLE, left mTLE patients showed increased and decreased connectivity in some major tracts. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed the pattern of microstructural disintegrity in mTLE patients relative to HCs. We demonstrated that left and right mTLE patients have discrepant alternations in their white matter microstructure. These results may indicate that left and right mTLE have different underlying pathologic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Farzaneh Rahmani
- NeuroImaging Network (NIN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Student's Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad-Reza Nazem-Zadeh
- Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine (RCSTIM), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Davoodi-Bojd
- Image Analysis Laboratory, Departments of Radiology and Research Administration, Henry Ford Health System, One Ford Place, 2F, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Hamid Soltanian-Zadeh
- Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, North Kargar Ave., Tehran, Iran.
- Image Analysis Laboratory, Departments of Radiology and Research Administration, Henry Ford Health System, One Ford Place, 2F, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
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The effect of bilingualism on brain development from early childhood to young adulthood. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2131-2152. [PMID: 32691216 PMCID: PMC7473972 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bilingualism affects the structure of the brain in adults, as evidenced by experience-dependent grey and white matter changes in brain structures implicated in language learning, processing, and control. However, limited evidence exists on how bilingualism may influence brain development. We examined the developmental patterns of both grey and white matter structures in a cross-sectional study of a large sample (n = 711 for grey matter, n = 637 for white matter) of bilingual and monolingual participants, aged 3–21 years. Metrics of grey matter (thickness, volume, and surface area) and white matter (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) were examined across 41 cortical and subcortical brain structures and 20 tracts, respectively. We used generalized additive modelling to analyze whether, how, and where the developmental trajectories of bilinguals and monolinguals might differ. Bilingual and monolingual participants manifested distinct developmental trajectories in both grey and white matter structures. As compared to monolinguals, bilinguals showed: (a) more grey matter (less developmental loss) starting during late childhood and adolescence, mainly in frontal and parietal regions (particularly in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, superior frontal cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex, and precuneus); and (b) higher white matter integrity (greater developmental increase) starting during mid-late adolescence, specifically in striatal–inferior frontal fibers. The data suggest that there may be a developmental basis to the well-documented structural differences in the brain between bilingual and monolingual adults.
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Bice K, Yamasaki BL, Prat CS. Bilingual Language Experience Shapes Resting-State Brain Rhythms. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2020; 1:288-318. [PMID: 37215228 PMCID: PMC10158654 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
An increasing body of research has investigated how bilingual language experience changes brain structure and function, including changes to task-free, or "resting-state" brain connectivity. Such findings provide important evidence about how the brain continues to be shaped by different language experiences throughout the lifespan. The neural effects of bilingual language experience can provide evidence about the additional processing demands placed on the linguistic and/or executive systems by dual-language use. While considerable research has used MRI to examine where these changes occur, such methods cannot reveal the temporal dynamics of functioning brain networks at rest. The current study used data from task-free EEGS to disentangle how the linguistic and cognitive demands of bilingual language use impact brain functioning. Data analyzed from 106 bilinguals and 91 monolinguals revealed that bilinguals had greater alpha power, and significantly greater and broader coherence in the alpha and beta frequency ranges than monolinguals. Follow-up analyses showed that higher alpha was related to language control: more second-language use, higher native-language proficiency, and earlier age of second-language acquisition. Bilateral beta power was related to native-language proficiency, whereas theta was related to native-language proficiency only in left-hemisphere electrodes. The results contribute to our understanding of how the linguistic and cognitive requirements of dual-language use shape intrinsic brain activity, and what the broader implications for information processing may be.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brianna L. Yamasaki
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, University of Washington
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
| | - Chantel S. Prat
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, University of Washington
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8
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Del Maschio N, Sulpizio S, Toti M, Caprioglio C, Del Mauro G, Fedeli D, Abutalebi J. Second language use rather than second language knowledge relates to changes in white matter microstructure. JOURNAL OF CULTURAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41809-019-00039-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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9
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Lee YJ, Moon HC, Tak S, Cheong C, Park YS. Atrophic Changes and Diffusion Abnormalities of Affected Trigeminal Nerves in Trigeminal Neuralgia Using 7-T MRI. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2019; 97:169-175. [PMID: 31537003 DOI: 10.1159/000502222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used for visualizing trigeminal nerves in trigeminal neuralgia. OBJECTIVE To assess atrophy and diffusion abnormalities of affected trigeminal nerves in trigeminal neuralgia with 7-T MRI. METHODS In this prospective study, 14 patients (mean age 49 years; range 31-64 years) with trigeminal neuralgia underwent 7-T MRI. We measured trigeminal nerve volumes along their course through the pontocerebellar cistern. We also evaluated fractional anisotropy (FA) and quantitative anisotropy (QA) values within cisternal segment and pontine nuclei of the affected-side and unaffected-side trigeminal nerves, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Associations between DTI metrics and Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain scores were examined. RESULTS The volumes were significantly smaller for the affected trigeminal nerves (33.83 ± 23.12 mm3) than for the unaffected ones (47.76 ± 32.48 mm3; p = 0.008). Cisternal segment FA and QA values were significantly lower in affected trigeminal nerves than in unaffected ones. However, DTI measurements in the pontine nuclei revealed no significant differences between affected-side and unaffected-side trigeminal nerves. No DTI metrics significantly correlated with BNI pain scores. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that 7-T MRI allows identifications of atrophy and diffusion abnormalities of trigeminal nerves in trigeminal neuralgia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youn Joo Lee
- Department of Radiology, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeong Cheol Moon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungho Tak
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang, Republic of Korea
| | - Chaejoon Cheong
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Seok Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea, .,Department of Neuroscience, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea, .,Neurospin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France,
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10
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Hayakawa S, Marian V. Consequences of multilingualism for neural architecture. Behav Brain Funct 2019; 15:6. [PMID: 30909931 PMCID: PMC6432751 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-019-0157-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Language has the power to shape cognition, behavior, and even the form and function of the brain. Technological and scientific developments have recently yielded an increasingly diverse set of tools with which to study the way language changes neural structures and processes. Here, we review research investigating the consequences of multilingualism as revealed by brain imaging. A key feature of multilingual cognition is that two or more languages can become activated at the same time, requiring mechanisms to control interference. Consequently, extensive experience managing multiple languages can influence cognitive processes as well as their neural correlates. We begin with a brief discussion of how bilinguals activate language, and of the brain regions implicated in resolving language conflict. We then review evidence for the pervasive impact of bilingual experience on the function and structure of neural networks that support linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive control, speech processing and production, and language learning. We conclude that even seemingly distinct effects of language on cognitive operations likely arise from interdependent functions, and that future work directly exploring the interactions between multiple levels of processing could offer a more comprehensive view of how language molds the mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Hayakawa
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Viorica Marian
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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Mayeli M, Rahmani F, Aarabi MH. Comprehensive Investigation of White Matter Tracts in Professional Chess Players and Relation to Expertise: Region of Interest and DMRI Connectometry. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:288. [PMID: 29773973 PMCID: PMC5943529 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Expertise is the product of training. Few studies have used functional connectivity or conventional diffusometric methods to identify neural underpinnings of chess expertise. Diffusometric variables of white matter might reflect these adaptive changes, along with changes in structural connectivity, which is a sensitive measure of microstructural changes. Method: Diffusometric variables of 29 professional chess players and 29 age-sex matched controls were extracted for white matter regions based on John Hopkin's Mori white matter atlas and partially correlated against professional training time and level of chess proficiency. Diffusion MRI connectometry was implemented to identify changes in structural connectivity in professional players compared to novices. Result: Compared to novices, higher planar anisotropy (CP) was observed in inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and cingulate gyrus, in professional chess players, which correlated with higher RPM score in this group. Higher fractional anisotropy (FA) was observed in ILF, uncinate fasciculus (UF) and hippocampus and correlated with better scores in Raven's progressive matrices (RPM) score and longer duration of chess training in professional players. Consistently, radial diffusivity in bilateral IFOF, bilateral ILF and bilateral SLF was inversely correlated with level of training in professional players. DMRI connectometry analysis identified increased connectivity in bilateral UF, bilateral IFOF, bilateral cingulum, and corpus callosum in chess player's compared to controls. Conclusion: Structural connectivity of major associational subcortical white matter fibers are increased in professional chess players. FA and CP of ILF, SLF and UF directly correlates with duration of professional training and RPM score, in professional chess players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Mayeli
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,NeuroImaging Network (NIN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Rahmani
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,NeuroImaging Network (NIN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Aarabi
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Rossi E, Cheng H, Kroll JF, Diaz MT, Newman SD. Changes in White-Matter Connectivity in Late Second Language Learners: Evidence from Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2040. [PMID: 29209263 PMCID: PMC5702476 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphological brain changes as a consequence of new learning have been widely established. Learning a second language (L2) is one such experience that can lead to rapid structural neural changes. However, still relatively little is known about how levels of proficiency in the L2 and the age at which the L2 is learned influence brain neuroplasticity. The goal of this study is to provide novel evidence for the effect of bilingualism on white matter structure in relatively proficient but late L2 learners who acquired the second language after early childhood. Overall, the results demonstrate a significant effect on white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) as a function of L2 learning. Higher FA values were found in a broad white matter network including the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), the Uncinate Fasciculus (UF), and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). Moreover, FA values were correlated with age of L2 acquisition, suggesting that learning an L2, even past childhood, induces neural changes. Finally, these results provide some initial evidence that variability in the age of L2 acquisition has important consequences for neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Rossi
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Hu Cheng
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Judith F. Kroll
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Michele T. Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sharlene D. Newman
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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