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Nichols ES, Grace M, Correa S, de Vrijer B, Eagleson R, McKenzie CA, de Ribaupierre S, Duerden EG. Sex- and age-based differences in fetal and early childhood hippocampus maturation: a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad421. [PMID: 37950876 PMCID: PMC10793584 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad421] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus, essential for cognitive and affective processes, develops exponentially with differential trajectories seen in girls and boys, yet less is known about its development during early fetal life until early childhood. In a cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we examined the sex-, age-, and laterality-related developmental trajectories of hippocampal volumes in fetuses, infants, and toddlers associated with age. Third trimester fetuses (27-38 weeks' gestational age), newborns (0-4 weeks' postnatal age), infants (5-50 weeks' postnatal age), and toddlers (2-3 years postnatal age) were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 133 datasets (62 female, postmenstrual age [weeks] M = 69.38, SD = 51.39, range = 27.6-195.3) were processed using semiautomatic segmentation methods. Hippocampal volumes increased exponentially during the third trimester and the first year of life, beginning to slow at approximately 2 years. Overall, boys had larger hippocampal volumes than girls. Lateralization differences were evident, with left hippocampal growth beginning to plateau sooner than the right. This period of rapid growth from the third trimester, continuing through the first year of life, may support the development of cognitive and affective function during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Nichols
- Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, 1137 Western Road, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Michael Grace
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Susana Correa
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Barbra de Vrijer
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London Health Sciences Centre-Victoria Hospital, B2-401, London, Ontario N6H 5W9, Canada
- Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario N6C 2V5, Canada
| | - Roy Eagleson
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Charles A McKenzie
- Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario N6C 2V5, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Sandrine de Ribaupierre
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario N6C 2V5, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, 1137 Western Road, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario N6C 2V5, Canada
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Zheng K, Xu X, Ji Y, Fang H, Gao F, Huang G, Su B, Bian L, Zhang G, Ren C. Continuous theta burst stimulation-induced suppression of the right fronto-thalamic-cerebellar circuit accompanies improvement in language performance in poststroke aphasia: A resting-state fMRI study. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 14:1079023. [PMID: 36711202 PMCID: PMC9877515 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1079023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is a specific paradigm of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with an inhibitory effect on cortical excitability for up to 60 min after less than 1 min of stimulation. The right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), homotopic to Wernicke's area in the left hemisphere, may be a potential stimulation target based on its critical role in semantic processing. The objective of this study was to explore whether cTBS over the right pSTG can promote language improvements in aphasic patients and the underlying mechanism. Methods A total of 34 subjects with aphasia were randomly assigned to undergo 15 sessions of either 40-s inhibitory cTBS over the right pSTG (the cTBS group) or sham stimulation (the sham group), followed by 30 min of speech and language therapy. Subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), and the aphasia quotient (AQ) of the Chinese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) was calculated before and after the intervention. This randomized controlled trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR210052962). Results After treatment, the language performance of the cTBS group was higher than that of the sham group in terms of the WAB-AQ score (p = 0.010) and the WAB scores for auditory comprehension (p = 0.022) and repetition (p = 0.035). The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) was significantly decreased in the pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right middle frontal gyrus, right thalamus, and left cerebellar crus I. Clusters in the left orbitofrontal cortex exhibited increased fALFF. The change in WAB comprehension scores were significantly correlated with the change in the fALFF of the right IFG pars triangularis in both groups. Greatly increased functional connectivity was observed between the right pars triangularis and left paracingulate gyrus and between the right pSTG and right angular gyrus and the posterior cingulate gyrus with pre-and post-treatment between the two groups. Conclusion Our findings indicate that cTBS of the right pSTG may improve language production by suppressing intrinsic activity of the right fronto-thalamic-cerebellar circuit and enhancing the involvement of the right temporoparietal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zheng
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinlei Xu
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yingying Ji
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Fang
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fanglan Gao
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guilan Huang
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Su
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Bian
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guofu Zhang
- The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China,Guofu Zhang, ✉
| | - Caili Ren
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Caili Ren, ✉
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Alexopoulos J, Giordano V, Doering S, Seidl R, Benavides-Varela S, Russwurm M, Greenwood S, Berger A, Bartha-Doering L. Sex differences in neural processing of speech in neonates. Cortex 2022; 157:117-128. [PMID: 36279755 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The large majority of studies shows that girls develop their language skills faster than boys in the first few years of life. Are girls born with this advantage in language development? The present study used fNIRS in neonates to investigate sex differences in neural processing of speech within the first days of life. We found that speech stimuli elicited significantly more brain activity than non-speech stimuli in both groups of male and female neonates. However, whereas girls showed significant HbO changes to speech stimuli only within the left hemisphere, boys exhibited simultaneous neural activations in both hemispheres, with a larger and more significant fronto-temporal cluster in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, in boys, the variation in time-to-peak latencies was considerably greater than in girls. These findings suggest an earlier maturation of language-related brain areas in girls and highlight the importance of sex-specific investigations of neural language networks in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan Doering
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Seidl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization & Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Magdalena Russwurm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephanie Greenwood
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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Taddei M, Bulgheroni S, Riva D, Erbetta A. Task‐related functional neuroimaging contribution to sex/gender differences in cognition and emotion during development. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:575-603. [PMID: 36354127 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has shown that sex/gender (s/g) influences on cognitive functions and related brain anatomy, functional responses, and connectivity are less clear than previously assumed, and most studies investigated adult population. In this mini-review, we summarize research progress in the study of s/g differences in the human brain function as investigated by neuroimaging methods adopting a developmental perspective. In particular, we review original studies published from 2000 to 2021 investigating s/g differences in task-related brain functional activation and connectivity in healthy children and adolescents. We summarize results about studies in the domains of language, visuospatial ability, social cognition, and executive functions. Overall, a clear relation between cognition and brain activation or connectivity pattern is far from being established and the few coherent results should be considered exploratory, despite in some cases, brain function seems to present specific patterns in comparison with what reported in adults. Moreover, future studies should address methodological limitations, such as fragmentation of tasks, lack of control for confounding variables, and lack of longitudinal designs to study developmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Taddei
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Sara Bulgheroni
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Daria Riva
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Alessandra Erbetta
- Department of Neuroradiology Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
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5
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Farah R, Dudley J, Hutton JS, Greenwood P, Holland S, Horowitz-Kraus T. Maternal depression is associated with decreased functional connectivity within semantics and phonology networks in preschool children. Depress Anxiety 2021; 38:826-835. [PMID: 34010495 DOI: 10.1002/da.23168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal depression is characterized by a lack of emotional responsiveness and engagement with their child, which may lead to the child's decreased cognitive, and language outcomes all related to the child's future reading outcomes. The relations between maternal depression and functional connectivity in neural circuits supporting language in the child was explored. METHODS Eleven 4-year-old girls completed language abilities assessment and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Their mothers completed the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) to examine maternal depression when the child was 12 months old and at the age of 4. Functional connections within the child's resting-state phonology, semantics, language networks were correlated with maternal BDI scores at the age of 4 years. RESULTS Higher maternal depression was associated with the child's decreased within the semantic and phonological networks connectivity during rest. Higher maternal depression at 4 years moderated the relationship between early depression scores and functional connectivity within the phonological network. CONCLUSIONS Maternal depression in the first year of life is related to functional connections of phonological processing and enhanced by current maternal depression levels. We conclude that after a mother gives birth, resources should be provided to minimize depressive symptoms and interventions should be applied to support their child's language development for future reading acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rola Farah
- Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jonathan Dudley
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - John S Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Paige Greenwood
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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6
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Benischek A, Long X, Rohr CS, Bray S, Dewey D, Lebel C. Pre-reading language abilities and the brain’s functional reading network in young children. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116903. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
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7
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Enge A, Friederici AD, Skeide MA. A meta-analysis of fMRI studies of language comprehension in children. Neuroimage 2020; 215:116858. [PMID: 32304886 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural representation of language comprehension has been examined in several meta-analyses of fMRI studies with human adults. To complement this work from a developmental perspective, we conducted a meta-analysis of fMRI studies of auditory language comprehension in human children. Our analysis included 27 independent experiments involving n = 625 children (49% girls) with a mean age of 8.9 years. Activation likelihood estimation and seed-based effect size mapping revealed activation peaks in the pars triangularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral superior and middle temporal gyri. In contrast to this distribution of activation in children, previous work in adults found activation peaks in the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus and more left-lateralized temporal activation peaks. Accordingly, brain responses during language comprehension may shift from bilateral temporal and left pars triangularis peaks in childhood to left temporal and pars opercularis peaks in adulthood. This shift could be related to the gradually increasing sensitivity of the developing brain to syntactic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Enge
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12489, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angela D Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael A Skeide
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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8
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Farah R, Meri R, Kadis DS, Hutton J, DeWitt T, Horowitz-Kraus T. Hyperconnectivity during screen-based stories listening is associated with lower narrative comprehension in preschool children exposed to screens vs dialogic reading: An EEG study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225445. [PMID: 31756207 PMCID: PMC6874384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dialogic reading (DR) is a shared storybook reading intervention previously shown to have a positive effect on both literacy and general language skills. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of DR compared to screen-based intervention on electrophysiological markers supporting narrative comprehension using EEG. METHODS Thirty-two typically developing preschoolers, ages 4 to 6 years, were assigned to one of two intervention groups: Dialogic Reading Group (DRG, n = 16) or Screen Story Group (SSG, n = 16). We examined the effect of intervention type using behavioral assessment and a narrative comprehension task with EEG. RESULTS The DRG showed improved vocabulary and decreased functional connectivity during the stories-listening task, whereas the SSG group showed no changes in vocabulary or connectivity. Significantly decreased network strength and transitivity and increased network efficiency were observed in the DRG following intervention. Greater network strength and transitivity at follow-up were correlated with increased vocabulary. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest the beneficial effect of DR in preschool-age children on vocabulary and EEG-bands related to attention in the ventral stream during narrative comprehension. Decreased functional connectivity may serve as a marker for language gains following reading intervention. SIGNIFICANCE DR intervention for preschool-age children may reduce interfering connections related to attention, which is related to better narrative comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rola Farah
- Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Raya Meri
- Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Darren S. Kadis
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - John Hutton
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Thomas DeWitt
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
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Vannest J, Maloney TC, Tenney JR, Szaflarski JP, Morita D, Byars AW, Altaye M, Holland SK, Glauser TA. Changes in functional organization and functional connectivity during story listening in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 193:10-17. [PMID: 28209266 PMCID: PMC5554735 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Children with Benign Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS), despite high likelihood for seizure remission, are reported to have subtle difficulties in language and other cognitive skills. We used functional MRI and a story listening task to examine the effect of BECTS on patterns of activation and connectivity. Language and cognitive skills were assessed using standardized measures. Twenty-four children with recently diagnosed BECTS and 40 typically-developing children participated. In a functionally-defined region of interest in right inferior frontal gyrus, BECTS patients showed a lower level of activation. Across both groups combined, increased activation in superior/middle temporal regions of interest was associated with better language scores. Connectivity in the story processing network was similar between groups, but connectivity within left inferior frontal gyrus was decreased in children with BECTS. These results suggest that language networks are largely maintained in new-onset BECTS, but some subtle changes in activation and connectivity can be observed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Diego Morita
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States
| | - Anna W Byars
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States
| | - Scott K Holland
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States
| | - Tracy A Glauser
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States
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Assessing motor, visual and language function using a single 5-minute fMRI paradigm: three birds with one stone. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 12:1775-1785. [PMID: 29480439 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9848-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Clinical functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) requires inferences on localization of major brain functions at the individual subject level. We hypothesized that a single "triple use" task would satisfy sensitivity and reliability requirements for successfully assessing the motor, visual and language domain in this context. This was tested here by the application in a group of healthy adults, assessing sensitivity and reliability at the individual subject level, separately for each domain.Our "triple use" task consisted of 2 conditions (condition 1, assessing motor and visual domain, and condition 2, assessing the language domain), serving mutually as active/control. We included 20 healthy adult subjects. Random effect analyses showed activation in primary motor, visual and language regions, as expected. Less expected regions were activated both for the motor and visual domains. Further, reliability of primary activation patterns was very high across individual subjects, with activation seen in 70-100% of subjects in primary motor, visual, and left-lateralized language regions.These findings suggest the "triple use" task to be reliable at the individual subject's level to assess motor, visual and language domains in the clinical fMRI context. Benefits of such an approach include shortening of acquisition time, simplicity of the task for each domain, and using a visual stimulus. Following establishment of reliability in adults, the task may also be a valuable addition in the pediatric clinical fMRI context, where each of these factors is of high relevance.
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Etchell A, Adhikari A, Weinberg LS, Choo AL, Garnett EO, Chow HM, Chang SE. A systematic literature review of sex differences in childhood language and brain development. Neuropsychologia 2018; 114:19-31. [PMID: 29654881 PMCID: PMC5988993 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The extent of sex differences in childhood language development is unclear. We conducted a systematic literature review synthesizing results from studies examining sex differences in brain structure and function relevant to language development during childhood. We searched PubMed and Scopus databases, and this returned a total of 46 published studies meeting criteria for inclusion that directly examined sex differences in brain development relevant to language function in children. The results indicate that: (a) sex differences in brain structure or function do not necessarily lead to differences in language task performance; (b) evidence for sex differences in brain and language development are limited; (c) when present, sex differences often interact with a variety of factors such as age and task. Overall, the magnitude of sexual dimorphism of brain developmental trajectories associated with language is not as significant as previously thought. Sex differences were found, however, in studies employing tighter age ranges. This suggests that sex differences may be more prominent during certain developmental stages but are negligible in other stages, likely due to different rates of maturation between the sexes. More research is needed to improve our understanding of how sex differences may arise due to the influence of sex hormones and developmental stages, and how these differences may lead to differences in various language task performance. These studies are expected to provide normative information that may be used in studies examining neurodevelopmental disorders that frequently affect more males than females, and also often affect language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Etchell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Aditi Adhikari
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Lauren S Weinberg
- College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ai Leen Choo
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Georgia State University, USA
| | - Emily O Garnett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ho Ming Chow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Katzin Diagnostic & Research PET/MR Center, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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fMRI as a Preimplant Objective Tool to Predict Postimplant Oral Language Outcomes in Children with Cochlear Implants. Ear Hear 2018; 37:e263-72. [PMID: 26689275 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite the positive effects of cochlear implantation, postimplant variability in speech perception and oral language outcomes is still difficult to predict. The aim of this study was to identify neuroimaging biomarkers of postimplant speech perception and oral language performance in children with hearing loss who receive a cochlear implant. The authors hypothesized positive correlations between blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation in brain regions related to auditory language processing and attention and scores on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool, Second Edition (CELF-P2) and the Early Speech Perception Test for Profoundly Hearing-Impaired Children (ESP), in children with congenital hearing loss. DESIGN Eleven children with congenital hearing loss were recruited for the present study based on referral for clinical MRI and other inclusion criteria. All participants were <24 months at fMRI scanning and <36 months at first implantation. A silent background fMRI acquisition method was performed to acquire fMRI during auditory stimulation. A voxel-based analysis technique was utilized to generate z maps showing significant contrast in brain activation between auditory stimulation conditions (spoken narratives and narrow band noise). CELF-P2 and ESP were administered 2 years after implantation. Because most participants reached a ceiling on ESP, a voxel-wise regression analysis was performed between preimplant fMRI activation and postimplant CELF-P2 scores alone. Age at implantation and preimplant hearing thresholds were controlled in this regression analysis. RESULTS Four brain regions were found to be significantly correlated with CELF-P2 scores. These clusters of positive correlation encompassed the temporo-parieto-occipital junction, areas in the prefrontal cortex and the cingulate gyrus. For the story versus silence contrast, CELF-P2 core language score demonstrated significant positive correlation with activation in the right angular gyrus (r = 0.95), left medial frontal gyrus (r = 0.94), and left cingulate gyrus (r = 0.96). For the narrow band noise versus silence contrast, the CELF-P2 core language score exhibited significant positive correlation with activation in the left angular gyrus (r = 0.89; for all clusters, corrected p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Four brain regions related to language function and attention were identified that correlated with CELF-P2. Children with better oral language performance postimplant displayed greater activation in these regions preimplant. The results suggest that despite auditory deprivation, these regions are more receptive to gains in oral language development performance of children with hearing loss who receive early intervention via cochlear implantation. The present study suggests that oral language outcome following cochlear implant may be predicted by preimplant fMRI with auditory stimulation using natural speech.
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Hutton JS, Phelan K, Horowitz-Kraus T, Dudley J, Altaye M, DeWitt T, Holland SK. Shared Reading Quality and Brain Activation during Story Listening in Preschool-Age Children. J Pediatr 2017; 191:204-211.e1. [PMID: 29173308 PMCID: PMC5728185 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between maternal shared reading quality (verbal interactivity and engagement) and brain function during story listening in at-risk, preschool-age children, in the context of behavioral evidence and American Academy of Pediatrics, recommendations. STUDY DESIGN In this cross-sectional study, 22 healthy, 4-year-old girls from low socioeconomic status households completed functional magnetic resonance imaging using an established story listening task, followed by videotaped observation of uncoached mother-daughter reading of the same, age-appropriate picture book. Shared reading quality was independently scored applying dialogic reading and other evidence-based criteria reflecting interactivity and engagement, and applied as a predictor of neural activation during the functional magnetic resonance imaging task, controlling for income and maternal education. RESULTS Shared reading quality scores were generally low and negatively correlated with maternal distraction by smartphones (P < .05). Scores were positively correlated with activation in left-sided brain areas supporting expressive and complex language, social-emotional integration, and working memory (P <.05, false discovery rate corrected). CONCLUSIONS Maternal shared reading quality is positively correlated with brain activation supporting complex language, executive function, and social-emotional processing in at-risk, preschool-age children. These findings represent novel neural biomarkers of how this modifiable aspect of home reading environment may influence foundational emergent literacy skills, reinforce behavioral evidence and American Academy of Pediatrics, recommendations, and underscore the potential of dialogic reading interventions to promote healthy brain development, especially in at-risk households.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S. Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Kieran Phelan
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jonathan Dudley
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Tom DeWitt
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Scott K. Holland
- Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
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Hutton JS, Horowitz-Kraus T, Mendelsohn AL, DeWitt T, Holland SK. Home Reading Environment and Brain Activation in Preschool Children Listening to Stories. Pediatrics 2015; 136:466-78. [PMID: 26260716 PMCID: PMC9923605 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2015-0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Parent-child reading is widely advocated to promote cognitive development, including in recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to begin this practice at birth. Although parent-child reading has been shown in behavioral studies to improve oral language and print concepts, quantifiable effects on the brain have not been previously studied. Our study used blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the relationship between home reading environment and brain activity during a story listening task in a sample of preschool-age children. We hypothesized that while listening to stories, children with greater home reading exposure would exhibit higher activation of left-sided brain regions involved with semantic processing (extraction of meaning). METHODS Nineteen 3- to 5-year-old children were selected from a longitudinal study of normal brain development. All completed blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging using an age-appropriate story listening task, where narrative alternated with tones. We performed a series of whole-brain regression analyses applying composite, subscale, and individual reading-related items from the validated StimQ-P measure of home cognitive environment as explanatory variables for neural activation. RESULTS Higher reading exposure (StimQ-P Reading subscale score) was positively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with neural activation in the left-sided parietal-temporal-occipital association cortex, a "hub" region supporting semantic language processing, controlling for household income. CONCLUSIONS In preschool children listening to stories, greater home reading exposure is positively associated with activation of brain areas supporting mental imagery and narrative comprehension, controlling for household income. These neural biomarkers may help inform eco-bio-developmental models of emergent literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S. Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics,,Address correspondence to John S. Hutton, MD, Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 7035, Cincinnati, OH 45229. E-mail:
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics,,Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium,,Communication Sciences Research Center, and
| | - Alan L. Mendelsohn
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, New York
| | - Tom DeWitt
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics
| | - Scott K. Holland
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium,,Communication Sciences Research Center, and,Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; and
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Horowitz-Kraus T, Hutton JS. From emergent literacy to reading: how learning to read changes a child's brain. Acta Paediatr 2015; 104:648-56. [PMID: 25847632 DOI: 10.1111/apa.13018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The ability to comprehend language is uniquely human. Behavioural and neuroimaging data reinforce the importance of intact oral language as foundational for the establishment of proficient reading. However, proficient reading is achieved not only via intact biological systems, but also a stimulating Home Literacy Environment. CONCLUSION Behavioural and neuroimaging correlates for linguistic ability and literacy exposure support the engagement of neural circuits related to reading acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics; Reading and Literacy Discovery Center; Cincinnati OH USA
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium; Cincinnati OH USA
- Communication Sciences Research Center; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH USA
| | - John S. Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics; Reading and Literacy Discovery Center; Cincinnati OH USA
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