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Vandecruys F, Vandermosten M, De Smedt B. The role of formal schooling in the development of children's reading and arithmetic white matter networks. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13557. [PMID: 39129483 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13557] [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: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Children's white matter development is driven by experience, yet it remains poorly understood how it is shaped by attending formal education. A small number of studies compared children before and after the start of formal schooling to understand this, yet they do not allow to separate maturational effects from schooling-related effects. A clever way to (quasi-)experimentally address this issue is the longitudinal school cut-off design, which compares children who are similar in age but differ in schooling (because they are born right before or after the cut-off date for school entry). We used for the first time such a longitudinal school cut-off design to experimentally investigate the effect of schooling on children's white matter networks. We compared "young" first graders (schooling group, n = 34; Mage = 68 months; 20 girls) and "old" preschoolers (non-schooling group, n = 33; Mage = 66 months; 18 girls) that were similar in age but differed in the amount of formal instruction they received. Our study revealed that changes in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in five a priori selected white matter tracts during the transition from preschool to primary school were predominantly driven by age-related maturation. We did not find specific schooling effects on white matter, despite their strong presence for early reading and early arithmetic skills. The present study is the first to disentangle the effects of age-related maturation and schooling on white matter within a longitudinal cohort of 5-year-old preschoolers. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: White matter tracts that have been associated with reading and arithmetic may be susceptible to experience-dependent neuroplasticity when children learn to read and calculate. This longitudinal study used the school cut-off design to isolate schooling-induced from coinciding maturational influences on children's white matter development. White matter changes during the transition from preschool to primary school are predominantly driven by age-related maturation and not by schooling effects. Strong effects of schooling on behavior were shown for early reading and early arithmetic, but not for verbal ability and spatial ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor Vandecruys
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Experimental ORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
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Scholten C, Ghasoub M, Geeraert B, Joshi S, Wedderburn CJ, Roos A, Subramoney S, Hoffman N, Narr K, Woods R, Zar HJ, Stein DJ, Donald K, Lebel C. Prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposure, white matter microstructure, and early language skills in toddlers from a South African birth cohort. Front Integr Neurosci 2024; 18:1438888. [PMID: 39286039 PMCID: PMC11402807 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1438888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Tobacco and alcohol are the two most common substances used during pregnancy, and both can disrupt neurodevelopment, resulting in cognitive and behavioral deficits including language difficulties. Previous studies show that children with prenatal substance exposure exhibit microstructural alterations in major white matter pathways, though few studies have investigated the impact of prenatal substance exposure on white matter microstructure and language skills during the toddler years. Methods In this study, 93 children (34 exposed to alcohol and/or tobacco) aged 23 years from the Drakenstein Child Health Study, South Africa, completed Expressive and Receptive Communication assessments from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) and underwent diffusion MRI scans. Diffusion images were preprocessed, and 11 major white matter tracts were isolated. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were extracted for each white matter tract. Linear regression was used to examine differences between the tobacco/alcohol exposed group and unexposed controls for FA, MD, and language scores, as well as relationships between brain metrics and language. There were no significant group differences in language scores or FA. Results Children with alcohol or tobacco exposure had lower average MD in the splenium of the corpus callosum compared to unexposed controls. Significant interactions between prenatal substance exposure and language scores were seen in 7 tracts but did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Discussion Our findings show that prenatal alcohol and/or tobacco exposure appear to alter the relationship between white matter microstructure and early language skills in this population of toddlers, potentially laying the basis of language deficits observed later in older children with prenatal substance exposure, which may have implications for learning and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Scholten
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mohammad Ghasoub
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bryce Geeraert
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shantanu Joshi
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Catherine J Wedderburn
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Annerine Roos
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit of Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sivenesi Subramoney
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadia Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Katherine Narr
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioural Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Roger Woods
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioural Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Heather J Zar
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit of Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kirsten Donald
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Xu X, Song X, Lin L, Pan N, Jin Y, Tan S, Cao M, Chen Y, Zhao J, Su X, Yang K, Jing J, Li X. White matter substrates underlying morphological awareness deficit in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111083. [PMID: 38992486 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Morphological awareness (MA) deficit is strongly associated with Chinese developmental dyslexia (DD). However, little is known about the white matter substrates underlying the MA deficit in Chinese children with DD. METHODS In the current study, 34 Chinese children with DD and 42 typical developmental (TD) children were recruited to complete a diffusion magnetic resonance imaging scan and cognitive tests for MA. We conducted linear regression to test the correlation between MA and DTI metrics, the structural abnormalities of the tracts related to MA, and the interaction effect of DTI metrics by group on MA. RESULTS First, MA was significant related to the right inferior occipito-frontal fascicle (IFO) and inferior longitudinal fsciculus (ILF), the bilateral thalamo-occipital (T_OCC) and the left arcuate fasciculus (AF); second, compared to TD children, Chinese children with DD had lower axial diffusivity (AD) in the right IFO and T_OCC; third, there were significant interactions between metrics (fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD)) of the right IFO and MA in groups. The FA and RD of the right IFO were significantly associated with MA in children with DD but not in TD children. CONCLUSION In conclusion, compared to TD children, Chinese children with DD had axonal degeneration not only in the ventral tract (the right IFO) but also the visuospatial tract (the right T_OCC) which were associated with their MA deficit. And Chinese MA involved not only the ventral tracts, but also the visuospatial pathway and dorsal tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Xu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaojing Song
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lizi Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ning Pan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuying Jin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Si Tan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Muqing Cao
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingqian Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingxian Zhao
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xintong Su
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Kaize Yang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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N P GS, Singh BK. Analysis of reading-task-based brain connectivity in dyslexic children using EEG signals. Med Biol Eng Comput 2024; 62:2355-2369. [PMID: 38584207 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-024-03085-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia, a neurodevelopment reading disorder, can impact even children with average intelligence. The present study examined the brain connectivity in dyslexic and control children during the reading task using graph theory. 19-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were recorded from 15 dyslexic children and 15 control children. Functional connectivity was estimated by measuring the EEG coherence at 19 electrode locations, and graph measures were calculated using the graph theory method. Reading task results identified deprived task performance in dyslexic children against controls. Graph measures revealed longer path length, reduced clustering coefficient and reduced network efficiencies (in theta and alpha bands) of dyslexic group. At the nodal level, we found a significant increase in delta strength (T4 and T5 electrode locations) and reduced strength in theta (T6, P4, Fp1, F8 and F3) and alpha bands (T4, T3, P4 and F3) during the reading task in dyslexic group. In conclusion, the present study identified distinct graph measures between groups when performing a reading task and showed possible evidence for compromised brain networks in dyslexic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guhan Seshadri N P
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, G.E Road, Raipur, 492010, India
| | - Bikesh Kumar Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, G.E Road, Raipur, 492010, India.
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Han Y, Jing Y, Li X, Zhou H, Deng F. Clinical characteristics of post-stroke basal ganglia aphasia and the study of language-related white matter tracts based on diffusion spectrum imaging. Neuroimage 2024; 295:120664. [PMID: 38825217 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stroke often damages the basal ganglia, leading to atypical and transient aphasia, indicating that post-stroke basal ganglia aphasia (PSBGA) may be related to different anatomical structural damage and functional remodeling rehabilitation mechanisms. The basal ganglia contain dense white matter tracts (WMTs). Hence, damage to the functional tract may be an essential anatomical structural basis for the development of PSBGA. METHODS We first analyzed the clinical characteristics of PSBGA in 28 patients and 15 healthy controls (HCs) using the Western Aphasia Battery and neuropsychological test batteries. Moreover, we investigated white matter injury during the acute stage using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging scans for differential tractography. Finally, we used multiple regression models in correlation tractography to analyze the relationship between various language functions and quantitative anisotropy (QA) of WMTs. RESULTS Compared with HCs, patients with PSBGA showed lower scores for fluency, comprehension (auditory word recognition and sequential commands), naming (object naming and word fluency), reading comprehension of sentences, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, along with increased scores in Hamilton Anxiety Scale-17 and Hamilton Depression Scale-17 within 7 days after stroke onset (P < 0.05). Differential tractography revealed that patients with PSBGA had damaged fibers, including in the body fibers of the corpus callosum, left cingulum bundles, left parietal aslant tracts, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus II, bilateral thalamic radiation tracts, left fornix, corpus callosum tapetum, and forceps major, compared with HCs (FDR < 0.02). Correlation tractography highlighted that better comprehension was correlated with a higher QA of the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), corpus callosum forceps minor, and left extreme capsule (FDR < 0.0083). Naming was positively associated with the QA of the left IFOF, forceps minor, left arcuate fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus (UF) (FDR < 0.0083). Word fluency of naming was also positively associated with the QA of the forceps minor, left IFOF, and thalamic radiation tracts (FDR < 0.0083). Furthermore, reading was positively correlated with the QA of the forceps minor, left IFOF, and UF (FDR < 0.0083). CONCLUSION PSBGA is primarily characterized by significantly impaired word fluency of naming and preserved repetition abilities, as well as emotional and cognitive dysfunction. Damaged limbic pathways, dorsally located tracts in the left hemisphere, and left basal ganglia pathways are involved in PSBGA pathogenesis. The results of connectometry analysis further refine the current functional localization model of higher-order neural networks associated with language functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Han
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Jing
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Xuewei Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, PR China.
| | - Fang Deng
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, PR China.
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Bielanin JP, Metwally SAH, Oft HCM, Paruchuri SS, Lin L, Capuk O, Pennock ND, Song S, Sun D. NHE1 Protein in Repetitive Mild TBI-Mediated Neuroinflammation and Neurological Function Impairment. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:836. [PMID: 39061904 PMCID: PMC11274226 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13070836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are highly prevalent and can lead to chronic behavioral and cognitive deficits often associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Oxidative stress and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in mTBI-mediated axonal injury and pathogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms and contributing factors are not completely understood. In this study, we explore these pathogenic mechanisms utilizing a murine model of repetitive mTBI (r-mTBI) involving five closed-skull concussions in young adult C57BL/6J mice. We observed a significant elevation of Na+/H+ exchanger protein (NHE1) expression in GFAP+ reactive astrocytes, IBA1+ microglia, and OLIG2+ oligodendrocytes across various brain regions (including the cerebral cortex, corpus callosum, and hippocampus) after r-mTBI. This elevation was accompanied by astrogliosis, microgliosis, and the accumulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Mice subjected to r-mTBI displayed impaired motor learning and spatial memory. However, post-r-mTBI administration of a potent NHE1 inhibitor, HOE642, attenuated locomotor and cognitive functional deficits as well as pathological signatures of gliosis, oxidative stress, axonal damage, and white matter damage. These findings indicate NHE1 upregulation plays a role in r-mTBI-induced oxidative stress, axonal damage, and gliosis, suggesting NHE1 may be a promising therapeutic target to alleviate mTBI-induced injuries and restore neurological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Bielanin
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Shamseldin A. H. Metwally
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Helena C. M. Oft
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Satya S. Paruchuri
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Okan Capuk
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Nicholas D. Pennock
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Shanshan Song
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health Care System, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Dandan Sun
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (J.P.B.); (S.A.H.M.); (H.C.M.O.); (S.S.P.); (L.L.); (O.C.); (N.D.P.); (S.S.)
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health Care System, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Hauw F, Béranger B, Cohen L. Subtitled speech: the neural mechanisms of ticker-tape synaesthesia. Brain 2024; 147:2530-2541. [PMID: 38620012 PMCID: PMC11224615 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae114] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of reading modifies areas of the brain associated with vision and with language, in addition to their connections. These changes enable reciprocal translation between orthography and the sounds and meaning of words. Individual variability in the pre-existing cerebral substrate contributes to the range of eventual reading abilities, extending to atypical developmental patterns, including dyslexia and reading-related synaesthesias. The present study is devoted to the little-studied but highly informative ticker-tape synaesthesia, in which speech perception triggers the vivid and irrepressible perception of words in their written form in the mind's eye. We scanned a group of 17 synaesthetes and 17 matched controls with functional MRI, while they listened to spoken sentences, words, numbers or pseudowords (Experiment 1), viewed images and written words (Experiment 2) or were at rest (Experiment 3). First, we found direct correlates of the ticker-tape synaesthesia phenomenon: during speech perception, as ticker-tape synaesthesia was active, synaesthetes showed over-activation of left perisylvian regions supporting phonology and of the occipitotemporal visual word form area, where orthography is represented. Second, we provided support to the hypothesis that ticker-tape synaesthesia results from atypical relationships between spoken and written language processing: the ticker-tape synaesthesia-related regions overlap closely with cortices activated during reading, and the overlap of speech-related and reading-related areas is larger in synaesthetes than in controls. Furthermore, the regions over-activated in ticker-tape synaesthesia overlap with regions under-activated in dyslexia. Third, during the resting state (i.e. in the absence of current ticker-tape synaesthesia), synaesthetes showed increased functional connectivity between left prefrontal and bilateral occipital regions. This pattern might reflect a lowered threshold for conscious access to visual mental contents and might imply a non-specific predisposition to all synaesthesias with a visual content. These data provide a rich and coherent account of ticker-tape synaesthesia as a non-detrimental developmental condition created by the interaction of reading acquisition with an atypical cerebral substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Hauw
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, Institut du Cerveau, ICM, Paris 75013, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital de La Pitié Salpêtrière, Fédération de Neurologie, Paris 75013, France
| | - Benoît Béranger
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, Institut du Cerveau, ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Laurent Cohen
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, Institut du Cerveau, ICM, Paris 75013, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital de La Pitié Salpêtrière, Fédération de Neurologie, Paris 75013, France
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Turesky TK, Escalante E, Loh M, Gaab N. Longitudinal trajectories of brain development from infancy to school age and their relationship to literacy development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.29.601366. [PMID: 39005343 PMCID: PMC11244924 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.29.601366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Reading is one of the most complex skills that we utilize daily, and it involves the early development and interaction of various lower-level subskills, including phonological processing and oral language. These subskills recruit brain structures, which begin to develop long before the skill manifests and exhibit rapid development during infancy. However, how longitudinal trajectories of early brain development in these structures supports long-term acquisition of literacy subskills and subsequent reading is unclear. Children underwent structural and diffusion MRI scanning at multiple timepoints between infancy and second grade and were tested for literacy subskills in preschool and decoding and word reading in early elementary school. We developed and implemented a reproducible pipeline to generate longitudinal trajectories of early brain development to examine associations between these trajectories and literacy (sub)skills. Furthermore, we examined whether familial risk of reading difficulty and a child's home literacy environment, two common literacy-related covariates, influenced those trajectories. Results showed that individual differences in curve features (e.g., intercepts and slopes) for longitudinal trajectories of volumetric, surface-based, and white matter organization measures in left-hemispheric reading-related regions and tracts were linked directly to phonological processing and indirectly to second-grade decoding and word reading skills via phonological processing. Altogether, these findings suggest that the brain bases of phonological processing, previously identified as the strongest behavioral predictor of reading and decoding skills, may already begin to develop early in infancy but undergo further refinement between birth and preschool. The present study underscores the importance of considering academic skill acquisition from the very beginning of life.
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Gupta G, Arrington CN, Morris R. Sex Differences in White Matter Diffusivity in Children with Developmental Dyslexia. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:721. [PMID: 38929300 PMCID: PMC11201584 DOI: 10.3390/children11060721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of developmental dyslexia in the U.S. population, research remains limited and possibly biased due to the overrepresentation of males in most dyslexic samples. Studying biological sex differences in the context of developmental dyslexia can help provide a more complete understanding of the neurological markers that underly this disorder. The current study aimed to explore sex differences in white matter diffusivity in typical and dyslexic samples in third and fourth graders. Participants were asked to complete behavioral/cognitive assessments at baseline followed by MRI scanning and diffusion-weighted imaging sequences. A series of ANOVAs were conducted for comparing group membership (developmental dyslexia or typically developing), gender status (F/M), and white matter diffusivity in the tracts of interest. The Results indicated significant differences in fractional anisotropy in the left hemisphere components of the inferior and superior (parietal and temporal) longitudinal fasciculi. While males with dyslexia had lower fractional anisotropy in these tracts compared to control males, no such differences were found in females. The results of the current study may suggest that females may use a more bilateral/alternative reading network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gehna Gupta
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA;
- Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA;
| | - C. Nikki Arrington
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA;
- Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA;
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Robin Morris
- Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA;
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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10
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Han Y, Jing Y, Shi Y, Mo H, Wan Y, Zhou H, Deng F. The role of language-related functional brain regions and white matter tracts in network plasticity of post-stroke aphasia. J Neurol 2024; 271:3095-3115. [PMID: 38607432 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12358-5] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying language recovery after a stroke remain controversial. This review aimed to summarize the plasticity and reorganization mechanisms of the language network through neuroimaging studies. Initially, we discussed the involvement of right language homologues, perilesional tissue, and domain-general networks. Subsequently, we summarized the white matter functional mapping and remodeling mechanisms associated with language subskills. Finally, we explored how non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) promoted language recovery by inducing neural network plasticity. It was observed that the recruitment of right hemisphere language area homologues played a pivotal role in the early stages of frontal post-stroke aphasia (PSA), particularly in patients with larger lesions. Perilesional plasticity correlated with improved speech performance and prognosis. The domain-general networks could respond to increased "effort" in a task-dependent manner from the top-down when the downstream language network was impaired. Fluency, repetition, comprehension, naming, and reading skills exhibited overlapping and unique dual-pathway functional mapping models. In the acute phase, the structural remodeling of white matter tracts became challenging, with recovery predominantly dependent on cortical activation. Similar to the pattern of cortical activation, during the subacute and chronic phases, improvements in language functions depended, respectively, on the remodeling of right white matter tracts and the restoration of left-lateralized language structural network patterns. Moreover, the midline superior frontal gyrus/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex emerged as a promising target for NIBS. These findings offered theoretical insights for the early personalized treatment of aphasia after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Han
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jing
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanmin Shi
- Health Management (Physical Examination) Center, The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongbin Mo
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yafei Wan
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Fang Deng
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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11
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Zhang Y, Huang J, Huang L, Peng L, Wang X, Zhang Q, Zeng Y, Yang J, Li Z, Sun X, Liang S. Atypical characteristic changes of surface morphology and structural covariance network in developmental dyslexia. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2261-2270. [PMID: 37996775 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07193-x] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by difficulties with all aspects of information acquisition in the written word, including slow and inaccurate word recognition. The neural basis behind DD has not been fully elucidated. METHOD The study included 22 typically developing (TD) children, 16 children with isolated spelling disorder (SpD), and 20 children with DD. The cortical thickness, folding index, and mean curvature of Broca's area, including the triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang) and the opercular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, were assessed to explore the differences of surface morphology among the TD, SpD, and DD groups. Furthermore, the structural covariance network (SCN) of the triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus was analyzed to explore the changes of structural connectivity in the SpD and DD groups. RESULTS The DD group showed higher curvature and cortical folding of the left IFGtriang than the TD group and SpD group. In addition, compared with the TD group and the SpD group, the structural connectivity between the left IFGtriang and the left middle-frontal gyrus and the right mid-orbital frontal gyrus was increased in the DD group, and the structural connectivity between the left IFGtriang and the right precuneus and anterior cingulate was decreased in the DD group. CONCLUSION DD had atypical structural connectivity in brain regions related to visual attention, memory and which might impact the information input and integration needed for reading and spelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusi Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- Rehabilitation Industry Institute, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Cognitive Rehabilitation, Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China
| | - Jiayang Huang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Li Huang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Lixin Peng
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Xiuxiu Wang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Qingqing Zhang
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Yi Zeng
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Junchao Yang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Zuanfang Li
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Xi Sun
- College of Information Engineering, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, 473004, China
| | - Shengxiang Liang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
- Rehabilitation Industry Institute, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Cognitive Rehabilitation, Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China.
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12
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Bartha-Doering L, Roberts D, Baumgartner B, Yildirim MS, Giordano V, Spagna A, Pal-Handl K, Javorszky SM, Kasprian G, Seidl R. Developmental surface dyslexia and dysgraphia in a child with corpus callosum agenesis: an approach to diagnosis and treatment. Cogn Neuropsychol 2024; 41:148-170. [PMID: 38942485 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2024.2368876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
We present a case study detailing cognitive performance, functional neuroimaging, and effects of a hypothesis-driven treatment in a 10-year-old girl diagnosed with complete, isolated corpus callosum agenesis. Despite having average overall intellectual abilities, the girl exhibited profound surface dyslexia and dysgraphia. Spelling treatment significantly and persistently improved her spelling of trained irregular words, and this improvement generalized to reading accuracy and speed of trained words. Diffusion weighted imaging revealed strengthened intrahemispheric white matter connectivity of the left temporal cortex after treatment and identified interhemispheric connectivity between the occipital lobes, likely facilitated by a pathway crossing the midline via the posterior commissure. This case underlines the corpus callosum's critical role in lexical reading and writing. It demonstrates that spelling treatment may enhance interhemispheric connectivity in corpus callosum agenesis through alternative pathways, boosting the development of a more efficient functional organization of the visual word form area within the left temporo-occipital cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Roberts
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Bettina Baumgartner
- Department of Logopedics, Phoniatrics, and Audiology, University of Applied Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mehmet Salih Yildirim
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alfredo Spagna
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katharina Pal-Handl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Maria Javorszky
- Department of Logopedics, Phoniatrics, and Audiology, University of Applied Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Seidl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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13
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Rinne N, Wikman P, Sahari E, Salmi J, Einarsdóttir E, Kere J, Alho K. Developmental dyslexia susceptibility genes DNAAF4, DCDC2, and NRSN1 are associated with brain function in fluently reading adolescents and young adults. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae144. [PMID: 38610086 PMCID: PMC11014888 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae144] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reading skills and developmental dyslexia, characterized by difficulties in developing reading skills, have been associated with brain anomalies within the language network. Genetic factors contribute to developmental dyslexia risk, but the mechanisms by which these genes influence reading skills remain unclear. In this preregistered study (https://osf.io/7sehx), we explored if developmental dyslexia susceptibility genes DNAAF4, DCDC2, NRSN1, and KIAA0319 are associated with brain function in fluently reading adolescents and young adults. Functional MRI and task performance data were collected during tasks involving written and spoken sentence processing, and DNA sequence variants of developmental dyslexia susceptibility genes previously associated with brain structure anomalies were genotyped. The results revealed that variation in DNAAF4, DCDC2, and NRSN1 is associated with brain activity in key language regions: the left inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and intraparietal sulcus. Furthermore, NRSN1 was associated with task performance, but KIAA0319 did not yield any significant associations. Our findings suggest that individuals with a genetic predisposition to developmental dyslexia may partly employ compensatory neural and behavioral mechanisms to maintain typical task performance. Our study highlights the relevance of these developmental dyslexia susceptibility genes in language-related brain function, even in individuals without developmental dyslexia, providing valuable insights into the genetic factors influencing language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nea Rinne
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Patrik Wikman
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elisa Sahari
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Juha Salmi
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Otakaari 3, Aalto University, (AALTO), P.O. BOX 00076, Espoo, Finland
| | - Elisabet Einarsdóttir
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-171 21, Solna, Sweden
| | - Juha Kere
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, H7 Medicin, Huddinge, Sweden
- Folkhälsan Research Center, and Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program (STEMM), University of Helsinki, PL 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kimmo Alho
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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14
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Gaab N, Duggan N. Leveraging brain science for impactful advocacy and policymaking: The synergistic partnership between developmental cognitive neuroscientists and a parent-led grassroots movement to drive dyslexia prevention policy and legislation. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101376. [PMID: 38608358 PMCID: PMC11019101 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reading proficiency is crucial for academic, vocational, and economic success and has been closely linked to health outcomes. Unfortunately, in the United States, a concerning 63% of fourth-grade children are reading below grade level, with approximately 7%-10% exhibiting a disability in word reading, developmental dyslexia. Research in developmental cognitive neuroscience indicates that individuals with dyslexia show functional and structural brain alterations in regions processing reading and reading-related information, with some of these differences emerging as early as preschool and even infancy. This suggests that some children start schooling with less optimal brain architecture for learning to read, emphasizing the need for preventative education practices. This article reviews educational policies impacting children with dyslexia and highlights a decentralized parent-led grassroots movement, Decoding Dyslexia, which centers the voices of those directly impacted by dyslexia. It utilizes civic engagement practices, advocacy and lobbying on local, federal, and social media platforms, and strong partnerships with scientists to drive systems-level change in educational practices, leading to dyslexia prevention legislation across the U.S. The ongoing partnership continues to address the profound gaps between scientific findings and policymaking to drive systems-level change for contemporary challenges in educational practices within a learning disabilities framework.
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15
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Martins B, Baba MY, Dimateo EM, Costa LF, Camara AS, Lukasova K, Nucci MP. Investigating Dyslexia through Diffusion Tensor Imaging across Ages: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2024; 14:349. [PMID: 38672001 PMCID: PMC11047980 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents a deficit in accuracy and/or fluency while reading or spelling that is not expected given the level of cognitive functioning. Research indicates brain structural changes mainly in the left hemisphere, comprising arcuate fasciculus (AF) and corona radiata (CR). The purpose of this systematic review is to better understand the possible methods for analyzing Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data while accounting for the characteristics of dyslexia in the last decade of the literature. Among 124 articles screened from PubMed and Scopus, 49 met inclusion criteria, focusing on dyslexia without neurological or psychiatric comorbidities. Article selection involved paired evaluation, with a third reviewer resolving discrepancies. The selected articles were analyzed using two topics: (1) a demographic and cognitive assessment of the sample and (2) DTI acquisition and analysis. Predominantly, studies centered on English-speaking children with reading difficulties, with preserved non-verbal intelligence, attention, and memory, and deficits in reading tests, rapid automatic naming, and phonological awareness. Structural differences were found mainly in the left AF in all ages and in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus for readers-children and adults. A better understanding of structural brain changes of dyslexia and neuroadaptations can be a guide for future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Martins
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
| | - Mariana Yumi Baba
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
| | - Elisa Monteiro Dimateo
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
| | - Leticia Fruchi Costa
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, Brazil; (L.F.C.); (A.S.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Aila Silveira Camara
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, Brazil; (L.F.C.); (A.S.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Katerina Lukasova
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, Brazil; (L.F.C.); (A.S.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Mariana Penteado Nucci
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
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16
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Sagi R, Taylor JSH, Neophytou K, Cohen T, Rapp B, Rastle K, Ben-Shachar M. White matter associations with spelling performance. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02775-7. [PMID: 38528269 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02775-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Multiple neurocognitive processes are involved in the highly complex task of producing written words. Yet, little is known about the neural pathways that support spelling in healthy adults. We assessed the associations between performance on a difficult spelling-to-dictation task and microstructural properties of language-related white matter pathways, in a sample of 73 native English-speaking neurotypical adults. Participants completed a diffusion magnetic resonance imaging scan and a cognitive assessment battery. Using constrained spherical deconvolution modeling and probabilistic tractography, we reconstructed dorsal and ventral white matter tracts of interest, bilaterally, in individual participants. Spelling associations were found in both dorsal and ventral stream pathways. In high-performing spellers, spelling scores significantly correlated with fractional anisotropy (FA) within the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, a ventral stream pathway. In low-performing spellers, spelling scores significantly correlated with FA within the third branch of the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, a dorsal pathway. An automated analysis of spelling errors revealed that high- and low- performing spellers also differed in their error patterns, diverging primarily in terms of the orthographic distance between their errors and the correct spelling, compared to the phonological plausibility of their spelling responses. The results demonstrate the complexity of the neurocognitive architecture of spelling. The distinct white matter associations and error patterns detected in low- and high- performing spellers suggest that they rely on different cognitive processes, such that high-performing spellers rely more on lexical-orthographic representations, while low-performing spellers rely more on phoneme-to-grapheme conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romi Sagi
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
| | - J S H Taylor
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kyriaki Neophytou
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Tamar Cohen
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Brenda Rapp
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - Kathleen Rastle
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
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17
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Goodwin JW, Hopkins L, Conrad AL. White matter tract integrity in isolated oral clefts: relationship to cognition and reading skills. Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38501945 PMCID: PMC11411015 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2330725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Children with isolated cleft of the lip and/or palate (iCL/P) have been shown to be at risk for impaired reading ability. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies have revealed subtle morphological and functional abnormalities correlated to cognition and reading ability. However, the integrity of white matter tracts and their potential relationship to reading performance in iCL/P is under-studied. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate white matter integrity related to cognition and reading skills among participants with and without iCL/P. Data from two cross-sectional, case/control studies with similar neuropsychological batteries and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocols were combined. The final sample included 210 participants (ages 7 to 27 years). Group and sex differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values were examined between participants with (n = 105) and without (n = 105) iCL/P. Potential associations between FA values and age, cognition, and reading skills were also evaluated separately by group and sex. Sex effects were prominent in association and projection fibers, and effects of cleft status were found in association fibers and cerebellar regions, with isolated associations to reading skills. Findings provide preliminary understanding of microstructural associations to cognitive and reading performance among children, adolescents, and young adults with iCL/P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Willie Goodwin
- Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Hopkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Amy Lynn Conrad
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
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18
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Meisler SL, Gabrieli JDE, Christodoulou JA. White matter microstructural plasticity associated with educational intervention in reading disability. IMAGING NEUROSCIENCE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 2:10.1162/imag_a_00108. [PMID: 38974814 PMCID: PMC11225775 DOI: 10.1162/imag_a_00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Children's reading progress typically slows during extended breaks in formal education, such as summer vacations. This stagnation can be especially concerning for children with reading difficulties or disabilities, such as dyslexia, because of the potential to exacerbate the skills gap between them and their peers. Reading interventions can prevent skill loss and even lead to appreciable gains in reading ability during the summer. Longitudinal studies relating intervention response to brain changes can reveal educationally relevant insights into rapid learning-driven brain plasticity. The current work focused on reading outcomes and white matter connections, which enable communication among the brain regions required for proficient reading. We collected reading scores and diffusion-weighted images at the beginning and end of summer for 41 children with reading difficulties who had completed either 1st or 2nd grade. Children were randomly assigned to either receive an intensive reading intervention (n = 26; Seeing Stars from Lindamood-Bell which emphasizes orthographic fluency) or be deferred to a wait-list group (n = 15), enabling us to analyze how white matter properties varied across a wide spectrum of skill development and regression trajectories. On average, the intervention group had larger gains in reading compared to the non-intervention group, who declined in reading scores. Improvements on a proximal measure of orthographic processing (but not other more distal reading measures) were associated with decreases in mean diffusivity within core reading brain circuitry (left arcuate fasciculus and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus) and increases in fractional anisotropy in the left corticospinal tract. Our findings suggest that responses to intensive reading instruction are related predominantly to white matter plasticity in tracts most associated with reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven L. Meisler
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - John D. E. Gabrieli
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Joanna A. Christodoulou
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Charlestown, MA, United States
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19
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Nisbet K, Kostiw A, Huynh TKT, Saggu SK, Patel D, Cummine J. A volumetric asymmetry study of gray matter in individuals with and without dyslexia. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25305. [PMID: 38361418 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25305] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Brain imaging work aimed at increased classification of dyslexia has underscored an important relationship between anterior (i.e., the inferior frontal gyrus; IFG) and posterior (i.e., superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus) brain regions. The extent to which the three components of the inferior frontal gyrus, namely the pars orbitalis, triangularis, and opercularis, are differentially related to the posterior regions, namely the superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus, needs further elucidation. Information about the nature of the anterior-posterior connections would facilitate our understanding of the neural underpinnings associated with dyslexia. Adult participants (N = 38; 16 with dyslexia) took part in an MRI study, whereby high-resolution structural scans were obtained. Volumetric asymmetry of the three regions of the IFG, the superior temporal gyrus, and the supramarginal gyrus was extracted. Significant differences were found for each of the three IFG regions, such that skilled readers had a greater leftward asymmetry of the orbitalis and triangularis, and greater rightward asymmetry of the opercularis, when compared to individuals with dyslexia. Furthermore, the pars triangularis was significantly associated with leftward asymmetry of the superior temporal gyrus for skilled but not dyslexic participants. For individuals with dyslexia, the cortical asymmetry of the IFG, and the corresponding connections with other reading-related brain regions, is inherently different from skilled readers. We discuss our findings in the context of the print-to-speech framework to further our understanding of the neural underpinnings associated with dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Nisbet
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Avary Kostiw
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Thi Kim Truc Huynh
- Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sukhmani Kaur Saggu
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dev Patel
- Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Cummine
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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20
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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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21
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Roy E, Richie-Halford A, Kruper J, Narayan M, Bloom D, Nedelec P, Rauschecker AM, Sugrue LP, Brown TT, Jernigan TL, McCandliss BD, Rokem A, Yeatman JD. White matter and literacy: A dynamic system in flux. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101341. [PMID: 38219709 PMCID: PMC10825614 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101341] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cross-sectional studies have linked differences in white matter tissue properties to reading skills. However, past studies have reported a range of, sometimes conflicting, results. Some studies suggest that white matter properties act as individual-level traits predictive of reading skill, whereas others suggest that reading skill and white matter develop as a function of an individual's educational experience. In the present study, we tested two hypotheses: a) that diffusion properties of the white matter reflect stable brain characteristics that relate to stable individual differences in reading ability or b) that white matter is a dynamic system, linked with learning over time. To answer these questions, we examined the relationship between white matter and reading in a five-year longitudinal dataset and a series of large-scale, single-observation, cross-sectional datasets (N = 14,249 total participants). We find that gains in reading skill correspond to longitudinal changes in the white matter. However, in the cross-sectional datasets, we find no evidence for the hypothesis that individual differences in white matter predict reading skill. These findings highlight the link between dynamic processes in the white matter and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Roy
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Adam Richie-Halford
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John Kruper
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Manjari Narayan
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Bloom
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Pierre Nedelec
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andreas M Rauschecker
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leo P Sugrue
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Timothy T Brown
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Terry L Jernigan
- Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Ariel Rokem
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jason D Yeatman
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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22
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Economou M, Bempt FV, Van Herck S, Wouters J, Ghesquière P, Vanderauwera J, Vandermosten M. Myelin plasticity during early literacy training in at-risk pre-readers. Cortex 2023; 167:86-100. [PMID: 37542803 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of neuroimaging evidence shows that white matter can change as a result of experience and structured learning. Although the majority of previous work has used diffusion MRI to characterize such changes in white matter, diffusion metrics offer limited biological specificity about which microstructural features may be driving white matter plasticity. Recent advances in myelin-specific MRI techniques offer a promising opportunity to assess the specific contribution of myelin in learning-related plasticity. Here we describe the application of such an approach to examine structural plasticity during an early intervention in preliterate children at risk for dyslexia. To this end, myelin water imaging data were collected before and after a 12-week period in (1) at-risk children following early literacy training (n = 13-24), (2) at-risk children engaging with other non-literacy games (n = 10-17) and (3) children without a risk receiving no training (n = 11-22). Before the training, regional risk-related differences were identified, showing higher myelin water fraction (MWF) in right dorsal white matter in at-risk children compared to the typical control group. Concerning intervention-specific effects, our results revealed an increase across left-hemispheric and right ventral MWF over the course of training in the at-risk children receiving early literacy training, but not in the at-risk active control group or the no-risk typical control group. Overall, our results provide support for the use of myelin water imaging as a sensitive tool to investigate white matter and offer a first indication of myelin plasticity in young children at the onset of literacy acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Economou
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Femke Vanden Bempt
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Shauni Van Herck
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Wouters
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pol Ghesquière
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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23
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Slaby RJ, Arrington CN, Malins J, Sevcik RA, Pugh KR, Morris R. Properties of white matter tract diffusivity in children with developmental dyslexia and comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2023; 15:25. [PMID: 37550628 PMCID: PMC10408076 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-023-09495-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental dyslexia (DD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are highly comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. Individuals with DD or ADHD have both been shown to have deficits in white matter tracts associated with reading and attentional control networks. However, white matter diffusivity in individuals comorbid with both DD and ADHD (DD + ADHD) has not been specifically explored. METHODS Participants were 3rd and 4th graders (age range = 7 to 11 years; SD = 0.69) from three diagnostic groups ((DD (n = 40), DD + ADHD (n = 22), and typical developing (TD) (n = 20)). Behavioral measures of reading and attention alongside measures of white matter diffusivity were collected for all participants. RESULTS DD + ADHD and TD groups differed in mean fractional anisotropy (FA) for the left and right Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (SLF)-Parietal Terminations and SLF-Temporal Terminations. Mean FA for the DD group across these SLF tracts fell between the lower DD + ADHD and higher TD averages. No differences in mean diffusivity nor significant brain-behavior relations were found. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that WM diffusivity in the SLF increases along a continuum across DD + ADHD, DD, and TD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Slaby
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
- GSU/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Dell' Ateneo Nuovo,1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - C Nikki Arrington
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
- GSU/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA.
- Georgia State University, Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, 55 Park Place, 18th Floor, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Malins
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
- GSU/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA
| | - Rose A Sevcik
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Yale University, Haskins Laboratories, 300 George Street, Suite 900, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Robin Morris
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
- GSU/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA
- Georgia State University, Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, 55 Park Place, 18th Floor, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
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24
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Delinte N, Dricot L, Macq B, Gosse C, Van Reybroeck M, Rensonnet G. Unraveling multi-fixel microstructure with tractography and angular weighting. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1199568. [PMID: 37351427 PMCID: PMC10282555 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1199568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in MRI technology have enabled richer multi-shell sequences to be implemented in diffusion MRI, allowing the investigation of both the microscopic and macroscopic organization of the brain white matter and its complex network of neural fibers. The emergence of advanced diffusion models has enabled a more detailed analysis of brain microstructure by estimating the signal received from a voxel as the combination of responses from multiple fiber populations. However, disentangling the individual microstructural properties of different macroscopic white matter tracts where those pathways intersect remains a challenge. Several approaches have been developed to assign microstructural properties to macroscopic streamlines, but often present shortcomings. ROI-based heuristics rely on averages that are not tract-specific. Global methods solve a computationally-intensive global optimization but prevent the use of microstructural properties not included in the model and often require restrictive hypotheses. Other methods use atlases that might not be adequate in population studies where the shape of white matter tracts varies significantly between patients. We introduce UNRAVEL, a framework combining the microscopic and macroscopic scales to unravel multi-fixel microstructure by utilizing tractography. The framework includes commonly-used heuristics as well as a new algorithm, estimating the microstructure of a specific white matter tract with angular weighting. Our framework grants considerable freedom as the inputs required, a set of streamlines defining a tract and a multi-fixel diffusion model estimated in each voxel, can be defined by the user. We validate our approach on synthetic data and in vivo data, including a repeated scan of a subject and a population study of children with dyslexia. In each case, we compare the estimation of microstructural properties obtained with angular weighting to other commonly-used approaches. Our framework provides estimations of the microstructure at the streamline level, volumetric maps for visualization and mean microstructural values for the whole tract. The angular weighting algorithm shows increased accuracy, robustness to uncertainties in its inputs and maintains similar or better reproducibility compared to commonly-used analysis approaches. UNRAVEL will provide researchers with a flexible and open-source tool enabling them to study the microstructure of specific white matter pathways with their diffusion model of choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Delinte
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benoit Macq
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Claire Gosse
- Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marie Van Reybroeck
- Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Gaetan Rensonnet
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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25
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Jang SH, Yeo SS, Cho MJ. Relationships of the arcuate fasciculus and nigrostriatal tract with language ability in intracerebral hemorrhage using a diffusion tensor imaging. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9198. [PMID: 37280328 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36307-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the relationships of the arcuate fasciculus (AF) and the nigrostriatal tract (NST) with the language ability in patients with putaminal hemorrhage (PH) in the dominant hemisphere, using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Twenty-seven consecutive right-handed patients with PH and 27 age- and sex-matched normal control subjects were recruited. The aphasia quotient (AQ) score was used to evaluate the language ability at the early stage (within six weeks after onset). The fractional anisotropy (FA) value and tract volume (TV) of the ipsilesional AF and the ipsilesional NST were measured. The FA values and TVs of the ipsilesional AF and the ipsilesional NST of the patient group were lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). The AQ score showed no significant correlation with the FA values of the ipsilesional AF and the ipsilesional NST (p > 0.05). By contrast, the AQ score showed a strong positive correlation with the TV of the ipsilesional AF (r = 0.868, p < 0.05). In addition, the AQ score revealed a moderate positive correlation with the TV of the ipsilesional NST (r = 0.577, p < 0.05). The states of the ipsilesional AF and the ipsilesional NST were closely related to the language ability at the early stages in patients with PH in the dominant hemisphere. Furthermore, the ipsilesional AF was more closely related to the language ability than the ipsilesional NST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Ho Jang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, 317-1, Daemyung dong, Namgu, Daegu, 705-717, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Seok Yeo
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Dankook University, 119, Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Jye Cho
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, 317-1, Daemyung dong, Namgu, Daegu, 705-717, Republic of Korea.
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26
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Ostertag C, Reynolds JE, Kar P, Dewey D, Gibbard WB, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. Arcuate fasciculus and pre-reading language development in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1174165. [PMID: 37332878 PMCID: PMC10272404 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1174165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) contributes to widespread neurodevelopmental challenges, including reading, and has been associated with altered white matter. Here, we aimed to investigate whether arcuate fasciculus (AF) development is associated with pre-reading language skills in young children with PAE. Methods A total of 51 children with confirmed PAE (25 males; 5.6 ± 1.1 years) and 116 unexposed controls (57 males; 4.6 ± 1.2 years) underwent longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), for a total of 111 scans from participants with PAE and 381 scans in the unexposed control group. We delineated the left and right AF and extracted mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Pre-reading language ability was assessed using age-standardized phonological processing (PP) and speeded naming (SN) scores of the NEPSY-II. Linear mixed effects models were run to determine the relationship between diffusion metrics and age, group, sex, and age-by-group interactions, with subject modeled as a random factor. A secondary mixed effect model analysis assessed the influence of white matter microstructure and PAE on pre-reading language ability using diffusion metric-by-age-by-group interactions, with 51 age- and sex-matched unexposed controls. Results Phonological processing (PP) and SN scores were significantly lower in the PAE group (p < 0.001). In the right AF, there were significant age-by-group interactions for FA (p < 0.001) and MD (p = 0.0173). In the left AF, there was a nominally significant age-by-group interaction for MD that failed to survive correction (p = 0.0418). For the pre-reading analysis, a significant diffusion-by-age-by-group interaction was found for left FA (p = 0.0029) in predicting SN scores, and for the right FA (p = 0.00691) in predicting PP scores. Discussion Children with PAE showed altered developmental trajectories for the AF, compared with unexposed controls. Children with PAE, regardless of age, showed altered brain-language relationships that resembled those seen in younger typically developing children. Our findings support the contention that altered developmental trajectories in the AF may be associated with functional outcomes in young children with PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis Ostertag
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jess E. Reynolds
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Preeti Kar
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - W. Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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27
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Turesky TK, Luetje MM, Eden GF. An fMRI study of finger movements in children with and without dyslexia. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1135437. [PMID: 37274202 PMCID: PMC10233035 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1135437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Developmental dyslexia is a language-based reading disability, yet some have reported motor impairments, usually attributed to cerebellar dysfunction. Methods Using fMRI, we compared children with and without dyslexia during irregularly paced, left or right-hand finger tapping. Next, we examined seed-to-voxel intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) using six seed regions of the motor system (left and right anterior lobe of the cerebellum, SM1 and SMA). Results A whole-brain task-evoked analysis revealed relatively less activation in the group with dyslexia in right anterior cerebellum during right hand tapping. For iFC, we found the group with dyslexia to have greater iFC between the right SM1 seed and a medial aspect of right postcentral gyrus for left hand tapping; and greater iFC between the left SM1 seed and left thalamus, as well as weaker local iFC around the left SM1 seed region for right hand tapping. Lastly, extracted activity and connectivity values that had been identified in these between-group comparisons were not correlated with measures of reading. Discussion We conclude that there are some aberrations in motor system function in children with dyslexia, but these are not tied to reading ability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guinevere F. Eden
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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28
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Cross AM, Lammert JM, Peters L, Frijters JC, Ansari D, Steinbach KA, Lovett MW, Archibald LMD, Joanisse MF. White matter correlates of reading subskills in children with and without reading disability. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 241:105270. [PMID: 37141728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in reading ability are associated with characteristics of white matter microstructure in the brain. However, previous studies have largely measured reading as a single construct, resulting in difficulty characterizing the role of structural connectivity in discrete subskills of reading. The present study used diffusion tensor imaging to examine how white matter microstructure, measured by fractional anisotropy (FA), relates to individual differences in reading subskills in children aged 8 to 14 (n = 65). Findings showed positive correlations between FA of the left arcuate fasciculus and measures of single word reading and rapid naming abilities. Negative correlations were observed between FA of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus and bilateral uncinate fasciculi, and reading subskills, particularly reading comprehension. The results suggest that although reading subskills rely to some extent on shared tracts, there are also distinct characteristics of white matter microstructure supporting different components of reading ability in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Cross
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
| | - Jessica M Lammert
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Lien Peters
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Jan C Frijters
- Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | | | - Maureen W Lovett
- The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Canada; Paediatrics and Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lisa M D Archibald
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Marc F Joanisse
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven CT, USA
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29
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Shekari E, Nozari N. A narrative review of the anatomy and function of the white matter tracts in language production and comprehension. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1139292. [PMID: 37051488 PMCID: PMC10083342 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1139292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Much is known about the role of cortical areas in language processing. The shift towards network approaches in recent years has highlighted the importance of uncovering the role of white matter in connecting these areas. However, despite a large body of research, many of these tracts' functions are not well-understood. We present a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence on the role of eight major tracts that are hypothesized to be involved in language processing (inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, extreme capsule, middle longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, arcuate fasciculus, and frontal aslant tract). For each tract, we hypothesize its role based on the function of the cortical regions it connects. We then evaluate these hypotheses with data from three sources: studies in neurotypical individuals, neuropsychological data, and intraoperative stimulation studies. Finally, we summarize the conclusions supported by the data and highlight the areas needing further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Shekari
- Department of Neuroscience, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nazbanou Nozari
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Junttila K, Smolander AR, Karhila R, Kurimo M, Ylinen S. Non-game like training benefits spoken foreign-language processing in children with dyslexia. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1122886. [PMID: 36968782 PMCID: PMC10036584 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1122886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with dyslexia often face difficulties in learning foreign languages, which is reflected as weaker neural activation. However, digital language-learning applications could support learning-induced plastic changes in the brain. Here we aimed to investigate whether plastic changes occur in children with dyslexia more readily after targeted training with a digital language-learning game or similar training without game-like elements. We used auditory event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically, the mismatch negativity (MMN), to study learning-induced changes in the brain responses. Participants were 24 school-aged Finnish-speaking children with dyslexia and 24 age-matched typically reading control children. They trained English speech sounds and words with "Say it again, kid!" (SIAK) language-learning game for 5 weeks between ERP measurements. During the game, the players explored game boards and produced English words aloud to score stars as feedback from an automatic speech recognizer. To compare the effectiveness of the training type (game vs. non-game), we embedded in the game some non-game levels stripped of all game-like elements. In the dyslexia group, the non-game training increased the MMN amplitude more than the game training, whereas in the control group the game training increased the MMN response more than the non-game training. In the dyslexia group, the MMN increase with the non-game training correlated with phonological awareness: the children with poorer phonological awareness showed a larger increase in the MMN response. Improved neural processing of foreign speech sounds as indicated by the MMN increase suggests that targeted training with a simple application could alleviate some spoken foreign-language learning difficulties that are related to phonological processing in children with dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Junttila
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna-Riikka Smolander
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Logopedics, Welfare Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Reima Karhila
- Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Mikko Kurimo
- Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Sari Ylinen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Logopedics, Welfare Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Nemmi F, Cignetti F, Vaugoyeau M, Assaiante C, Chaix Y, Péran P. Developmental dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder and comorbidity discrimination using multimodal structural and functional neuroimaging. Cortex 2023; 160:43-54. [PMID: 36680923 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia (DD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are two common neurodevelopmental disorders with a high co-occurrence rate. This led several authors to postulate that the two disorders share, at least partially, similar neural underpinning. However, even though several studies examined brain differences between typically developing (TD) children and children with either DD or DCD, no previous study directly compared DD, DCD and children with both disorders (COM) using neuroimaging. We acquired structural and resting-state functional MRI images of 136 children (TD = 42, DD = 45, DCD = 20, COM = 29). Difference between TD children and the other groups was assessed using univariate analysis of structural indexes including grey and white matter volumes and functional indexes quantifying activity (fraction of the amplitude of the low frequency fluctuations), local and global connectivity. Regional differences in structural and functional brain indexes were then used to train machine learning models to discriminate among DD, DCD and COM and to find the most discriminant regions. While no imaging index alone discriminated between the three groups, grouping grey and white matter volumes (structural model) or activity, local and global connectivity (functional model) made possible to discriminate among the DD, DCD and COM groups. The most important discrimination was obtained using the functional model, with regions in the cerebellum and the temporal lobe being the most discriminant for DCD and DD children, respectively. Results further showed that children with both DD and DCD have subtle but identifiable brain differences that can only be captured using several imaging indexes pertaining to both brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Nemmi
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center (ToNIC - UMR1214), Inserm/Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Fabien Cignetti
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgro Sup, Grenoble INP, TIMC, Grenoble, France
| | - Marianne Vaugoyeau
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cogntives (LNC - UMR7291, CNRS/Aix Marseille Université), Marseille, France
| | - Christine Assaiante
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cogntives (LNC - UMR7291, CNRS/Aix Marseille Université), Marseille, France
| | - Yves Chaix
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center (ToNIC - UMR1214), Inserm/Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; Pediatric Neurology Unit, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Patrice Péran
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center (ToNIC - UMR1214), Inserm/Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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32
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Kelly KJ, Hutton JS, Parikh NA, Barnes-Davis ME. Neuroimaging of brain connectivity related to reading outcomes in children born preterm: A critical narrative review. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1083364. [PMID: 36937974 PMCID: PMC10014573 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1083364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Premature children are at high risk for delays in language and reading, which can lead to poor school achievement. Neuroimaging studies have assessed structural and functional connectivity by diffusion MRI, functional MRI, and magnetoencephalography, in order to better define the "reading network" in children born preterm. Findings point to differences in structural and functional connectivity compared to children born at term. It is not entirely clear whether this discrepancy is due to delayed development or alternative mechanisms for reading, which may have developed to compensate for brain injury in the perinatal period. This narrative review critically appraises the existing literature evaluating the neural basis of reading in preterm children, summarizes the current findings, and suggests future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn J. Kelly
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - John S. Hutton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of General & Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nehal A. Parikh
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Maria E. Barnes-Davis
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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33
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Exploring Genetic and Neural Risk of Specific Reading Disability within a Nuclear Twin Family Case Study: A Translational Clinical Application. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13010156. [PMID: 36675818 PMCID: PMC9862148 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13010156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Imaging and genetic studies have characterized biological risk factors contributing to specific reading disability (SRD). The current study aimed to apply this literature to a family of twins discordant for SRD and an older sibling with reading difficulty. Intraclass correlations were used to understand the similarity of imaging phenotypes between pairs. Reading-related genes and brain region phenotypes, including asymmetry indices representing the relative size of left compared to right hemispheric structures, were descriptively examined. SNPs that corresponded between the SRD siblings and not the typically developing (TD) siblings were in genes ZNF385D, LPHN3, CNTNAP2, FGF18, NOP9, CMIP, MYO18B, and RBFOX2. Imaging phenotypes were similar among all sibling pairs for grey matter volume and surface area, but cortical thickness in reading-related regions of interest (ROIs) was more similar among the siblings with SRD, followed by the twins, and then the TD twin and older siblings, suggesting cortical thickness may differentiate risk for this family. The siblings with SRD had more symmetry of cortical thickness in the transverse temporal and superior temporal gyri, while the TD sibling had greater rightward asymmetry. The TD sibling had a greater leftward asymmetry of grey matter volume and cortical surface area in the fusiform, supramarginal, and transverse temporal gyrus. This exploratory study demonstrated that reading-related risk factors appeared to correspond with SRD within this family, suggesting that early examination of biological factors may benefit early identification. Future studies may benefit from the use of polygenic risk scores or machine learning to better understand SRD risk.
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Alatorre-Cruz GC, Andres A, Gu Y, Downs H, Hagood D, Sorensen ST, Williams DK, Larson-Prior LJ. Impact of feeding habits on the development of language-specific processing of phonemes in brain: An event-related potentials study. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1032413. [PMID: 36875846 PMCID: PMC9982124 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1032413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Infancy is a stage characterized by multiple brain and cognitive changes. In a short time, infants must consolidate a new brain network and develop two important properties for speech comprehension: phonemic normalization and categorical perception. Recent studies have described diet as an essential factor in normal language development, reporting that breastfed infants show an earlier brain maturity and thus a faster cognitive development. Few studies have described a long-term effect of diet on phonological perception. Methods To explore that effect, we compared the event-related potentials (ERPs) collected during an oddball paradigm (frequent /pa/80%, deviant/ba/20%) of infants fed with breast milk (BF), cow-milk-based formula (MF), and soy-based formula (SF), which were assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months of age [Mean across all age groups: 127 BF infants, Mean (M) 39.6 gestation weeks; 121 MF infants, M = 39.16 gestation weeks; 116 SF infants, M = 39.16 gestation weeks]. Results Behavioral differences between dietary groups in acoustic comprehension were observed at 24-months of age. The BF group displayed greater scores than the MF and SF groups. In phonological discrimination task, the ERPs analyses showed that SF group had an electrophysiological pattern associated with difficulties in phonological-stimulus awareness [mismatch negativity (MMN)-2 latency in frontal left regions of interest (ROI) and longer MMN-2 latency in temporal right ROI] and less brain maturity than BF and MF groups. The SF group displayed more right-lateralized brain recruitment in phonological processing at 12-months old. Discussion We conclude that using soy-based formula in a prolonged and frequent manner might trigger a language development different from that observed in the BF or MF groups. The soy-based formula's composition might affect frontal left-brain area development, which is a nodal brain region in phonological-stimuli awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graciela C Alatorre-Cruz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Aline Andres
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Yuyuan Gu
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Heather Downs
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Darcy Hagood
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Seth T Sorensen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - David Keith Williams
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Linda J Larson-Prior
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Departments of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, Psychiatry, Neurology, Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
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35
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Meisler SL, Gabrieli JDE. Fiber-specific structural properties relate to reading skills in children and adolescents. eLife 2022; 11:e82088. [PMID: 36576253 PMCID: PMC9815823 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that the cross-sectional relationship between reading skills and white matter microstructure, as indexed by fractional anisotropy, is not as robust as previously thought. Fixel-based analyses yield fiber-specific micro- and macrostructural measures, overcoming several shortcomings of the traditional diffusion tensor model. We ran a whole-brain analysis investigating whether the product of fiber density and cross-section (FDC) related to single-word reading skills in a large, open, quality-controlled dataset of 983 children and adolescents ages 6-18. We also compared FDC between participants with (n = 102) and without (n = 570) reading disabilities. We found that FDC positively related to reading skills throughout the brain, especially in left temporoparietal and cerebellar white matter, but did not differ between reading proficiency groups. Exploratory analyses revealed that among metrics from other diffusion models - diffusion tensor imaging, diffusion kurtosis imaging, and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging - only the orientation dispersion and neurite density indexes from NODDI were associated (inversely) with reading skills. The present findings further support the importance of left-hemisphere dorsal temporoparietal white matter tracts in reading. Additionally, these results suggest that future DWI studies of reading and dyslexia should be designed to benefit from advanced diffusion models, include cerebellar coverage, and consider continuous analyses that account for individual differences in reading skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Lee Meisler
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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36
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Del Mauro G, Del Maschio N, Abutalebi J. The relationship between reading abilities and the left occipitotemporal sulcus: A dual perspective study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 235:105189. [PMID: 36260960 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Reading activates a region within the left lateral occipitotemporal sulcus (OTS) known as the 'visual word form area' (VWFA). While several studies have investigated the impact of reading on brain structure through neuroplastic mechanisms, it has been recently suggested that individual differences in the pattern of the posterior OTS may predict reading skills in adults. In the present study, we first examined whether the structure and morphology and the anatomical connectivity of the left OTS are associated to reading ability. Second, we explored whether reading skills are predicted by the pattern of the left OTS. We found that reading skills were positively associated with increased connectivity between the left OTS and a network of reading-related regions in the left hemisphere. On the other hand, we did not observe an association between the pattern of the left OTS and reading skills. Finally, we found evidence that the morphology and the connectivity of the left OTS are correlated to its sulcal pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianpaolo Del Mauro
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Del Maschio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Facultyof Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Facultyof Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; TheArctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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37
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Socioeconomic dissociations in the neural and cognitive bases of reading disorders. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101175. [PMID: 36401889 PMCID: PMC9674867 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) strongly predicts disparities in reading development, yet it is unknown whether early environments also moderate the cognitive and neurobiological bases of reading disorders (RD) such as dyslexia, the most prevalent learning disability. SES-diverse 6-9-year-old children (n = 155, half with RD) completed behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks engaging phonological and orthographic processing, which revealed corresponding double-dissociations in neurocognitive deficits. At the higher end of the SES spectrum, RD was most strongly explained by differences in phonological skill and corresponding activation in left inferior frontal and temporoparietal regions during phonological processing-widely considered the "core deficit" of RD. However, at the lower end of the SES spectrum, RD was most strongly explained by differences in rapid naming skills and corresponding activation in left temporoparietal and fusiform regions during orthographic processing. Findings indicate that children's early environments systematically moderate the neurocognitive systems underlying RD, which has implications for assessment and treatment approaches to reduce SES disparities in RD outcomes. Further, results suggest that reliance on high-SES convenience samples may mask critical heterogeneity in the foundations of both typical and disordered reading development.
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38
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Sokolowski HM, Levine B. Common neural substrates of diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain 2022; 146:438-447. [PMID: 36299249 PMCID: PMC9924912 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are categorized and studied according to their manifestations as distinct syndromes. For instance, congenital prosopagnosia and dyslexia have largely non-overlapping research literatures and clinical pathways for diagnosis and intervention. On the other hand, the high incidence of neurodevelopmental comorbidities or co-existing extreme strengths and weaknesses suggest that transdiagnostic commonalities may be greater than currently appreciated. The core-periphery model holds that brain regions within the stable core perceptual and motor regions are more densely connected to one another compared to regions in the flexible periphery comprising multimodal association regions. This model provides a framework for the interpretation of neural data in normal development and clinical disorders. Considering network-level commonalities reported in studies of neurodevelopmental disorders, variability in multimodal association cortex connectivity may reflect a shared origin of seemingly distinct neurodevelopmental disorders. This framework helps to explain both comorbidities in neurodevelopmental disorders and profiles of strengths and weaknesses attributable to competitive processing between cognitive systems within an individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Moriah Sokolowski
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: H. Moriah Sokolowski E-mail: Twitter: https://twitter.com/hm_sokolowski
| | - Brian Levine
- Correspondence to: Brian Levine 3560 Bathurst St, North York, ON M6A 2E1, Canada E-mail: Website: www.LevineLab.ca Twitter: https://twitter.com/briantlevine
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Gómez MJC, Beaulieu C, McMorris CA, Gibbard B, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. Frontoparietal and temporal white matter diffusion MRI in children and youth with prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1808-1818. [PMID: 36016474 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with brain alterations and neurocognitive deficits, but relationships between brain alterations and neurocognitive deficits remain unclear. METHODS Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were obtained from 31 participants with PAE and 31 unexposed controls aged 7-15 years. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), bilateral cingulum, and inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF, SLF). Participants completed language subtests from the NEPSY-II. Executive functioning was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF-PR) and verbal learning was assessed using the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C) only in children with PAE. Group differences in diffusion metrics and cognitive scores were tested. Principal component analysis was used to reduce redundancy in cognitive and behavior variables; associations between components and brain measures were then assessed. RESULTS Children with PAE had lower MD in the right SLF compared with unexposed controls. FA was positively related to age in 6 of 9 tracts and MD negatively related to age in all tracts; there were no significant age-by-group interactions. Participants with PAE scored lower than unexposed peers on the NEPSY-II Comprehension of Instructions and Phonological Processing and above population norms (indicating worse performance) on the BRIEF-PR. Children with PAE had a negative association between a principal component closely associated with Speeded Naming and FA in the left SLF (PAE: p = 0.002) and left ILF (PAE: p = 0.002); unexposed controls showed no significant associations. CONCLUSION We found widespread cognitive difficulties in children with PAE, but relatively limited differences in brain metrics and associations with age. Different brain-cognitive relationships were found in children with PAE compared with controls. Overall, the results provide additional evidence that PAE may lead to cognitive difficulties and disrupt typical brain-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José C Gómez
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carly A McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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40
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Seshadri NPG, Geethanjali B, Singh BK. EEG based functional brain networks analysis in dyslexic children during arithmetic task. Cogn Neurodyn 2022; 16:1013-1028. [PMID: 36237405 PMCID: PMC9508309 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-021-09769-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental Dyslexia is a neuro-developmental disorder that often refers to a phonological processing deficit regardless of average IQ. The present study investigated the distinct functional changes in brain networks of dyslexic children during arithmetic task performance using an electroencephalogram. Fifteen dyslexic children and fifteen normally developing children (NDC) were recruited and performed an arithmetic task. Brain functional network measures such as node strength, clustering coefficient, characteristic pathlength and small-world were calculated using graph theory methods for both groups. Task performance showed significantly less performance accuracy in dyslexics against NDC. The neural findings showed increased connectivity in the delta band and reduced connectivity in theta, alpha, and beta band at temporoparietal, and prefrontal regions in dyslexic group while performing the task. The node strengths were found to be significantly high in delta band (T3, O1, F8 regions) and low in theta (T5, P3, Pz regions), beta (Pz) and gamma band (T4 and prefrontal regions) during the task in dyslexics compared to the NDC. The clustering coefficient was found to be significantly low in the dyslexic group (theta and alpha band) and characteristic pathlength was found to be significantly high in the dyslexic group (theta and alpha band) compared to the NDC group while performing task. In conclusion, the present study shows evidence for poor fact-retrieval mechanism and altered network topology in dyslexic brain networks during arithmetic task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. P. Guhan Seshadri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, Raipur, India
| | - B. Geethanjali
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, India
| | - Bikesh Kumar Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, Raipur, India
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Guo W, Geng S, Cao M, Feng J. The Brain Connectome for Chinese Reading. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1097-1113. [PMID: 35575936 PMCID: PMC9468198 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00864-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chinese, as a logographic language, fundamentally differs from alphabetic languages like English. Previous neuroimaging studies have mainly focused on alphabetic languages, while the exploration of Chinese reading is still an emerging and fast-growing research field. Recently, a growing number of neuroimaging studies have explored the neural circuit of Chinese reading. Here, we summarize previous research on Chinese reading from a connectomic perspective. Converging evidence indicates that the left middle frontal gyrus is a specialized hub region that connects the ventral with dorsal pathways for Chinese reading. Notably, the orthography-to-phonology and orthography-to-semantics mapping, mainly processed in the ventral pathway, are more specific during Chinese reading. Besides, in addition to the left-lateralized language-related regions, reading pathways in the right hemisphere also play an important role in Chinese reading. Throughout, we comprehensively review prior findings and emphasize several challenging issues to be explored in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanwan Guo
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Shujie Geng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Miao Cao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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Liu T, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Altarelli I, Ramus F, Zhao J. Neural dissociation of visual attention span and phonological deficits in developmental dyslexia: A hub-based white matter network analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5210-5219. [PMID: 35808916 PMCID: PMC9812243 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that developmental dyslexia may have two dissociable causes-a phonological deficit and a visual attention span (VAS) deficit. Yet, neural evidence for such a dissociation is still lacking. This study adopted a data-driven approach to white matter network analysis to explore hubs and hub-related networks corresponding to VAS and phonological accuracy in a group of French dyslexic children aged from 9 to 14 years. A double dissociation in brain-behavior relations was observed. Structural connectivity of the occipital-parietal network surrounding the left superior occipital gyrus hub accounted for individual differences in dyslexic children's VAS, but not in phonological processing accuracy. In contrast, structural connectivity of two networks: the temporal-parietal-occipital network surrounding the left middle temporal gyrus hub and the frontal network surrounding the left medial orbital superior frontal gyrus hub, accounted for individual differences in dyslexic children's phonological processing accuracy, but not in VAS. Our findings provide evidence in favor of distinct neural circuits corresponding to VAS and phonological deficits in developmental dyslexia. The study points to connectivity-constrained white matter subnetwork dysfunction as a key principle for understanding individual differences of cognitive deficits in developmental dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqiang Liu
- School of PsychologyShaanxi Normal University, and Key Laboratory for Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience of Shaanxi ProvinceXi'anChina
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives‐UMR 5293, CNRS, CEAUniversity of BordeauxBordeauxFrance,Brain Connectivity and Behaviour LaboratorySorbonne UniversitiesParisFrance
| | - Irene Altarelli
- LaPsyDÉ laboratory (UMR 8240)Université Paris CitéParisFrance,Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale SupérieurePSL UniversityParisFrance
| | - Franck Ramus
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale SupérieurePSL UniversityParisFrance
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- School of PsychologyShaanxi Normal University, and Key Laboratory for Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience of Shaanxi ProvinceXi'anChina
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43
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Romeo RR, Uchida L, Christodoulou JA. Socioeconomic status and reading outcomes: Neurobiological and behavioral correlates. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:57-70. [PMID: 35868867 PMCID: PMC9588575 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter, we examine reading outcomes and socioeconomic status (SES) using a developmental cognitive and educational neuroscience perspective. Our focus is on reading achievement and intervention outcomes for students from lower SES backgrounds who struggle with reading. Socioeconomic disadvantage is a specific type of vulnerability students experience, which is often narrowly defined based on parental income, education level, and/or occupational prestige. However, implications of socioeconomic status extend broadly to a suite of areas relevant for reading outcomes including a student's access to resources, experiences, language exposure, academic outcomes, and psychological correlates. Underlying this constellation of factors are brain systems supporting the processing of oral and written language as well as stress-related factors. We review the implications of SES and reading achievement, and their intersectionality, for the science and practice of reading instruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R. Romeo
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Lili Uchida
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joanna A. Christodoulou
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Braid J, Richlan F. The Functional Neuroanatomy of Reading Intervention. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:921931. [PMID: 35784836 PMCID: PMC9243375 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.921931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present article reviews the literature on the brain mechanisms underlying reading improvements following behavioral intervention for reading disability. This includes evidence of neuroplasticity concerning functional brain activation, brain structure, and brain connectivity related to reading intervention. Consequently, the functional neuroanatomy of reading intervention is compared to the existing literature on neurocognitive models and brain abnormalities associated with reading disability. A particular focus is on the left hemisphere reading network including left occipito-temporal, temporo-parietal, and inferior frontal language regions. In addition, potential normalization/compensation mechanisms involving right hemisphere cortical regions, as well as bilateral sub-cortical and cerebellar regions are taken into account. The comparison of the brain systems associated with reading intervention and the brain systems associated with reading disability enhances our understanding of the neurobiological basis of typical and atypical reading development. All in all, however, there is a lack of sufficient evidence regarding rehabilitative brain mechanisms in reading disability, which we discuss in this review.
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Xu X, Jin Y, Pan N, Cao M, Jing J, Ma J, Fan X, Tan S, Song X, Li X. A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study on the White Matter Structures Related to the Phonology in Cantonese-Mandarin Bilinguals. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:851669. [PMID: 35601910 PMCID: PMC9120590 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.851669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cantonese and Mandarin are logographic languages, and the phonology is the main difference between the two languages. It is unclear whether the long-term experience of Cantonese-Mandarin bilingualism will shape different brain white matter structures related to phonological processing. A total of 30 Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals and 30 Mandarin monolinguals completed diffusion-weighted imaging scan and phonological processing tasks. The tractography and tract-based spatial statistics were used to investigate the structural differences in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) between Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals and Mandarin monolinguals. The post-hoc correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between the different structures with phonological processing skills. Compared to the Mandarin monolinguals, the Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) along the left ILFs higher mean diffusivity (MD) along the right IFOF and the temporoparietal segment of SLF (tSLF), higher axial diffusivity (AD) in the right IFOF and left ILF, and lower number of streamlines in the bilateral tSLF. The mean AD of the different voxels in the right IFOF and the mean FA of the different voxels in the left ILF were positively correlated with the inverse efficiency score (IES) of the Cantonese auditory and Mandarin visual rhyming judgment tasks, respectively, within the bilingual group. The correlation between FA and IES was different among the groups. The long-term experience of Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals shapes the different brain white matter structures in tSLF, IFOF, and ILF. Compared to the monolinguals, the bilinguals' white matter showed higher diffusivity, especially in the axonal direction. These changes were related to bilinguals' phonological processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Xu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuying Jin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Pan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muqing Cao
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingwen Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Fan
- Wuhan Children’s Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Si Tan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojing Song
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Brignoni-Pérez E, Dubner SE, Ben-Shachar M, Berman S, Mezer AA, Feldman HM, Travis KE. White matter properties underlying reading abilities differ in 8-year-old children born full term and preterm: A multi-modal approach. Neuroimage 2022; 256:119240. [PMID: 35490913 PMCID: PMC9213558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) studies document associations between reading skills and fractional anisotropy (FA) within brain white matter, suggesting that efficient transfer of information across the brain contributes to individual differences in reading. Use of complementary imaging methods can determine if these associations relate to myelin content of white matter tracts. Compared to children born at term (FT), children born preterm (PT) are at risk for reading deficits. We used two MRI methods to calculate associations of reading and white matter properties in FT and PT children. Participants (N=79: 36 FT and 43 PT) were administered the Gray's Oral Reading Test at age 8. We segmented three dorsal (left arcuate and bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus) and four ventral (bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus and bilateral uncinate) tracts and quantified (1) FA from dMRI and (2) R1 from quantitative T1 relaxometry. We examined correlations between reading scores and these metrics along the trajectories of the tracts. Reading positively correlated with FA in segments of left arcuate and bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculi in FT children; no FA associations were found in PT children. Reading positively correlated with R1 in segments of the left superior longitudinal, right uncinate, and left inferior longitudinal fasciculi in PT children; no R1 associations were found in FT children. Birth group significantly moderated the associations of reading and white matter metrics. Myelin content of white matter may contribute to individual differences in PT but not FT children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Brignoni-Pérez
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Sarah E Dubner
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shai Berman
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Aviv A Mezer
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Heidi M Feldman
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Katherine E Travis
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
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Economou M, Billiet T, Wouters J, Ghesquière P, Vanderauwera J, Vandermosten M. Myelin water fraction in relation to fractional anisotropy and reading in 10-year-old children. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2209-2217. [PMID: 35403895 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02486-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted imaging studies have repeatedly shown that white matter correlates with reading throughout development. However, the neurobiological interpretation of this relationship is constrained by the limited microstructural specificity of diffusion imaging. A critical component of white matter microstructure is myelin, which can be investigated noninvasively using MRI. Here, we examined the link between myelin water fraction (MWF) and reading ability in 10-year-old children (n = 69). To better understand this relationship, we additionally investigated how these two variables relate to fractional anisotropy (FA; a common index of diffusion-weighted imaging). Our analysis revealed that lower MWF coheres with better reading scores in left-hemispheric tracts relevant for reading. While we replicated previous reports on a positive relationship between FA and MWF, we did not find any evidence for an association between reading and FA. Together, these findings contrast previous research suggesting that poor reading abilities might be rooted in lower myelination and emphasize the need for further longitudinal research to understand how this relationship evolves throughout reading development. Altogether, this study contributes important insights into the role of myelin-related processes in the relationship between reading and white matter structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Economou
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Thibo Billiet
- Icometrix, Research and Development, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Wouters
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pol Ghesquière
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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48
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Meisler SL, Gabrieli JDE. A large-scale investigation of white matter microstructural associations with reading ability. Neuroimage 2022; 249:118909. [PMID: 35033675 PMCID: PMC8919267 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading involves the functioning of a widely distributed brain network, and white matter tracts are responsible for transmitting information between constituent network nodes. Several studies have analyzed fiber bundle microstructural properties to shed insights into the neural basis of reading abilities and disabilities. Findings have been inconsistent, potentially due to small sample sizes and varying methodology. To address this, we analyzed a large data set of 686 children ages 5-18 using state-of-the-art neuroimaging acquisitions and processing techniques. We searched for associations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and single-word and single-nonword reading skills in children with diverse reading abilities across multiple tracts previously thought to contribute to reading. We also looked for group differences in tract FA between typically reading children and children with reading disabilities. FA of the white matter increased with age across all participants. There were no significant correlations between overall reading abilities and tract FAs across all children, and no significant group differences in tract FA between children with and without reading disabilities. There were associations between FA and nonword reading ability in older children (ages 9 and above). Higher FA in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and left inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) correlated with better nonword reading skills. These results suggest that letter-sound correspondence skills, as measured by nonword reading, are associated with greater white matter coherence among older children in these two tracts, as indexed by higher FA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven L Meisler
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, 43 Vassar Street, Bldg. 46, Room 4033 Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Bldg. 46, Room 4033 Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Sefcikova V, Sporrer JK, Juvekar P, Golby A, Samandouras G. Converting sounds to meaning with ventral semantic language networks: integration of interdisciplinary data on brain connectivity, direct electrical stimulation and clinical disconnection syndromes. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1545-1564. [PMID: 35267079 PMCID: PMC9098557 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02438-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Numerous traditional linguistic theories propose that semantic language pathways convert sounds to meaningful concepts, generating interpretations ranging from simple object descriptions to communicating complex, analytical thinking. Although the dual-stream model of Hickok and Poeppel is widely employed, proposing a dorsal stream, mapping speech sounds to articulatory/phonological networks, and a ventral stream, mapping speech sounds to semantic representations, other language models have been proposed. Indeed, despite seemingly congruent models of semantic language pathways, research outputs from varied specialisms contain only partially congruent data, secondary to the diversity of applied disciplines, ranging from fibre dissection, tract tracing, and functional neuroimaging to neuropsychiatry, stroke neurology, and intraoperative direct electrical stimulation. The current review presents a comprehensive, interdisciplinary synthesis of the ventral, semantic connectivity pathways consisting of the uncinate, middle longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, with special reference to areas of controversies or consensus. This is achieved by describing, for each tract, historical concept evolution, terminations, lateralisation, and segmentation models. Clinical implications are presented in three forms: (a) functional considerations derived from normal subject investigations, (b) outputs of direct electrical stimulation during awake brain surgery, and (c) results of disconnection syndromes following disease-related lesioning. The current review unifies interpretation of related specialisms and serves as a framework/thinking model for additional research on language data acquisition and integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Sefcikova
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Juliana K Sporrer
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Parikshit Juvekar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra Golby
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George Samandouras
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
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50
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Zhao Y, Yang L, Gong G, Cao Q, Liu J. Identify aberrant white matter microstructure in ASD, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders: A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 113:110477. [PMID: 34798202 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) usually present overlapping symptoms. Abnormal white matter (WM) microstructure has been found in these disorders. Identification of common and unique neural abnormalities across NDDs could provide further insight into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. METHODS We performed a voxel-based meta-analysis of whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other NDDs. A systematic literature search was conducted through March 2020 to identify studies that compared measures of WM microstructure between patients with NDDs and neurotypical controls. Peak voxel coordinates were meta-analyzed via anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) as well as activation likelihood estimation (ALE). RESULTS Our final sample included a total of 4137 subjects from 66 studies across five NDDs. Fractional anisotropy (FA) reductions were found in the splenium of the CC in ADHD, and the genu and splenium of CC in ASD. And mean diffusivity (MD) increases were shown in posterior thalamic radiation in ASD. No consistent abnormalities were detected in specific learning disorder, motor disorder or communication disorder. Significant differences between child/adolescent and adult patients were found within the CC across NDDs, reflective of aberrant neurodevelopmental processes in NDDs. CONCLUSIONS The current study demonstrated atypical WM patterns in ASD, ADHD and other NDDs. Microstructural abnormalities in the splenium of the CC were possibly shared among ASD and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilu Zhao
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Li Yang
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjiu Cao
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China.
| | - Jing Liu
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China.
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