1
|
Ocklenburg S, Mundorf A, Gerrits R, Karlsson EM, Papadatou-Pastou M, Vingerhoets G. Clinical implications of brain asymmetries. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:383-394. [PMID: 38783057 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00974-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
No two human brains are alike, and with the rise of precision medicine in neurology, we are seeing an increased emphasis on understanding the individual variability in brain structure and function that renders every brain unique. Functional and structural brain asymmetries are a fundamental principle of brain organization, and recent research suggests substantial individual variability in these asymmetries that needs to be considered in clinical practice. In this Review, we provide an overview of brain asymmetries, variations in such asymmetries and their relevance in the clinical context. We review recent findings on brain asymmetries in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as in specific learning disabilities, with an emphasis on large-scale database studies and meta-analyses. We also highlight the relevance of asymmetries for disease symptom onset in neurodegenerative diseases and their implications for lateralized treatments, including brain stimulation. We conclude that alterations in brain asymmetry are not sufficiently specific to act as diagnostic biomarkers but can serve as meaningful symptom or treatment response biomarkers in certain contexts. On the basis of these insights, we provide several recommendations for neurological clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
- ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Annakarina Mundorf
- ISM Institute for Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robin Gerrits
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (GIfMI), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emma M Karlsson
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (GIfMI), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Guy Vingerhoets
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (GIfMI), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bahar N, Cler GJ, Krishnan S, Asaridou SS, Smith HJ, Willis HE, Healy MP, Watkins KE. Differences in Cortical Surface Area in Developmental Language Disorder. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:288-314. [PMID: 38832358 PMCID: PMC11093399 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 7% of children have developmental language disorder (DLD), a neurodevelopmental condition associated with persistent language learning difficulties without a known cause. Our understanding of the neurobiological basis of DLD is limited. Here, we used FreeSurfer to investigate cortical surface area and thickness in a large cohort of 156 children and adolescents aged 10-16 years with a range of language abilities, including 54 with DLD, 28 with a history of speech-language difficulties who did not meet criteria for DLD, and 74 age-matched controls with typical language development (TD). We also examined cortical asymmetries in DLD using an automated surface-based technique. Relative to the TD group, those with DLD showed smaller surface area bilaterally in the inferior frontal gyrus extending to the anterior insula, in the posterior temporal and ventral occipito-temporal cortex, and in portions of the anterior cingulate and superior frontal cortex. Analysis of the whole cohort using a language proficiency factor revealed that language ability correlated positively with surface area in similar regions. There were no differences in cortical thickness, nor in asymmetry of these cortical metrics between TD and DLD. This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between surface area and cortical thickness in investigating the brain basis of neurodevelopmental disorders and suggests the development of cortical surface area to be of importance to DLD. Future longitudinal studies are required to understand the developmental trajectory of these cortical differences in DLD and how they relate to language maturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nilgoun Bahar
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabriel J. Cler
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Saloni Krishnan
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Surrey, UK
| | - Salomi S. Asaridou
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Harriet J. Smith
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hanna E. Willis
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Máiréad P. Healy
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kate E. Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Larionova E, Rebreikina A, Martynova O. Electrophysiological signatures of spelling sensitivity development from primary school age to adulthood. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7585. [PMID: 38555413 PMCID: PMC10981698 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58219-z] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Recognizing spelling errors is important for correct writing and reading, and develops over an extended period. The neural bases of the development of orthographic sensitivity remain poorly understood. We investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with spelling error recognition when performing the orthographic decision task with correctly spelled and misspelled words in children aged 8-10 years old, early adolescents aged 11-14 years old, and adults. Spelling processing in adults included an early stage associated with the initial recognition of conflict between orthography and phonology (reflected in the N400 time window) and a later stage (reflected in the P600 time window) related to re-checking the spelling. In children 8-10 years old, there were no differences in ERPs to correct and misspelled words; in addition, their behavioral scores were worse than those of early adolescents, implying that the ability to quickly recognize the correct spelling is just beginning to develop at this age. In early adolescents, spelling recognition was reflected only at the later stage, corresponding to the P600 component. At the behavioral level, they were worse than adults at recognizing misspelled words. Our data suggest that orthographic sensitivity can develop beyond 14 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Larionova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.
| | - Anna Rebreikina
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Olga Martynova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Quin-Conroy JE, Bayliss DM, Daniell SG, Badcock NA. Patterns of language and visuospatial functional lateralization and cognitive ability: a systematic review. Laterality 2024; 29:63-96. [PMID: 37771079 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2023.2263199] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
For most individuals, language is predominately localized to the left hemisphere of the brain and visuospatial processing to the right. This is the typical pattern of functional lateralization. Evolutionary theories of lateralization suggest that the typical pattern is most common as it delivers a cognitive advantage. In contrast, deviations from the typical pattern may lead to poorer cognitive abilities. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the evidence for an association between patterns of language and visuospatial lateralization and measures of cognitive ability. We screened 9,122 studies, retrieved from PsycINFO, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Web of Science. The 17 studies that met our selection criteria revealed little evidence for an advantage of typical compared to atypical patterns of lateralization, although atypical lateralization patterns were related to worse language comprehension, spatial ability, and reading, but further research is needed to confirm this. We conclude with recommendations that future researchers recruit larger samples of atypical participants, and consider strength of lateraliation and bilaterality when analysing functional lateralization patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Donna M Bayliss
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Sabrina G Daniell
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Badcock
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Irani ZA, Sheridan AMC, Badcock NA, Fox A. Assessing non-right-handedness and atypical cerebral lateralisation as predictors of paediatric mental health difficulties. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4195-4210. [PMID: 37821770 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Research utilising handedness as a proxy for atypical language lateralisation has invoked the latter to explain increased mental health difficulties in left-/mixed-handed children. The current study investigated unique associations between handedness and language lateralisation, handedness and mental health, and language lateralisation and mental health, in children, to elucidate the role of cerebral lateralisation in paediatric mental health. Participants were N = 64 (34 females [52%]; MAge = 8.56 years; SDAge = 1.33; aged 6-12 years) typically developing children. Hand preference was assessed via a reaching task, language lateralisation was assessed using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD) during an expressive language task, and mental health was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. As hypothesised, leftward hand preference predicted increased general mental health issues in children, with a strong relationship noted between leftward hand preference and the emotional symptoms subscale. Contrary to expectation, no relationship was found between direction of language lateralisation and general mental health issues, although exploratory analyses of subscales showed rightward lateralisation to predict conduct problems. Hand preference and direction of language lateralisation were also not significantly associated. The relatively weak relationship between manual and language laterality coupled with discrepancy regarding the predictive scope of each phenotype (i.e., hand preference predicts overall mental health, whereas language laterality predicts only conduct problems) suggests independent developmental pathways for these phenotypes. The role of manual laterality in paediatric mental health warrants further investigation utilising a neuroimaging method with higher spatial resolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zubin A Irani
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Andrew M C Sheridan
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Badcock
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Allison Fox
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fernandez-Velasco P, Coutrot A, Oloye H, Wiener JM, Dalton RC, Holscher C, Manley E, Hornberger M, Spiers HJ. No link between handedness and spatial navigation: evidence from over 400 000 participants in 41 countries. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231514. [PMID: 37817602 PMCID: PMC10565369 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1514] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an active debate concerning the association of handedness and spatial ability. Past studies used small sample sizes. Determining the effect of handedness on spatial ability requires a large, cross-cultural sample of participants and a navigation task with real-world validity. Here, we overcome these challenges via the mobile app Sea Hero Quest. We analysed the navigation performance from 422 772 participants from 41 countries and found no reliable evidence for any difference in spatial ability between left- and right-handers across all countries. A small but growing gap in performance appears for participants over 64 years old, with left-handers outperforming right-handers. Further analysis, however, suggests that this gap is most likely due to selection bias. Overall, our study clarifies the factors associated with spatial ability and shows that left-handedness is not associated with either a benefit or a deficit in spatial ability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P. Fernandez-Velasco
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Philosophy, University of York, York, UK
| | - A. Coutrot
- LIRIS, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - H. Oloye
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Centre of Medical Imaging Computing, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - J. M. Wiener
- Department of Psychology, Ageing and Dementia Research Centre, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - R. C. Dalton
- Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - C. Holscher
- ETH Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - E. Manley
- Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London, London, UK
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - M. Hornberger
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - H. J. Spiers
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abbondanza F, Dale PS, Wang CA, Hayiou‐Thomas ME, Toseeb U, Koomar TS, Wigg KG, Feng Y, Price KM, Kerr EN, Guger SL, Lovett MW, Strug LJ, van Bergen E, Dolan CV, Tomblin JB, Moll K, Schulte‐Körne G, Neuhoff N, Warnke A, Fisher SE, Barr CL, Michaelson JJ, Boomsma DI, Snowling MJ, Hulme C, Whitehouse AJO, Pennell CE, Newbury DF, Stein J, Talcott JB, Bishop DVM, Paracchini S. Language and reading impairments are associated with increased prevalence of non-right-handedness. Child Dev 2023; 94:970-984. [PMID: 36780127 PMCID: PMC10330064 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Handedness has been studied for association with language-related disorders because of its link with language hemispheric dominance. No clear pattern has emerged, possibly because of small samples, publication bias, and heterogeneous criteria across studies. Non-right-handedness (NRH) frequency was assessed in N = 2503 cases with reading and/or language impairment and N = 4316 sex-matched controls identified from 10 distinct cohorts (age range 6-19 years old; European ethnicity) using a priori set criteria. A meta-analysis (Ncases = 1994) showed elevated NRH % in individuals with language/reading impairment compared with controls (OR = 1.21, CI = 1.06-1.39, p = .01). The association between reading/language impairments and NRH could result from shared pathways underlying brain lateralization, handedness, and cognitive functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip S. Dale
- Department of Speech and Hearing SciencesUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Carol A. Wang
- School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Umar Toseeb
- Department of EducationUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | | | - Karen G. Wigg
- Division of Experimental and Translational Neuroscience, Krembil Research InstituteUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Yu Feng
- Division of Experimental and Translational Neuroscience, Krembil Research InstituteUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Kaitlyn M. Price
- Division of Experimental and Translational Neuroscience, Krembil Research InstituteUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioCanada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental HealthHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth N. Kerr
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of PsychologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Sharon L. Guger
- Department of PsychologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Maureen W. Lovett
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental HealthHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Lisa J. Strug
- Genetics and Genome BiologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Dalla Lana School of Public HealthUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elsje van Bergen
- Department of Biological PsychologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Conor V. Dolan
- Department of Biological PsychologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | - Kristina Moll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and PsychosomaticsLudwig‐Maximilians‐University Hospital MunichMunchenGermany
| | - Gerd Schulte‐Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and PsychosomaticsLudwig‐Maximilians‐University Hospital MunichMunchenGermany
| | - Nina Neuhoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and PsychosomaticsLudwig‐Maximilians‐University Hospital MunichMunchenGermany
| | | | - Simon E. Fisher
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Cathy L. Barr
- Division of Experimental and Translational Neuroscience, Krembil Research InstituteUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioCanada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental HealthHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | | | - Dorret I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological PsychologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Craig E. Pennell
- School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Dianne F. Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | - John Stein
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Joel B. Talcott
- Aston Brain Center, School of Life and Health SciencesAston UniversityBirminghamUK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ladányi E, Novakovic M, Boorom OA, Aaron AS, Scartozzi AC, Gustavson DE, Nitin R, Bamikole PO, Vaughan C, Fromboluti EK, Schuele CM, Camarata SM, McAuley JD, Gordon RL. Using Motor Tempi to Understand Rhythm and Grammatical Skills in Developmental Language Disorder and Typical Language Development. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 4:1-28. [PMID: 36875176 PMCID: PMC9979588 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) show relative weaknesses on rhythm tasks beyond their characteristic linguistic impairments. The current study compares preferred tempo and the width of an entrainment region for 5- to 7-year-old typically developing (TD) children and children with DLD and considers the associations with rhythm aptitude and expressive grammar skills in the two populations. Preferred tempo was measured with a spontaneous motor tempo task (tapping tempo at a comfortable speed), and the width (range) of an entrainment region was measured by the difference between the upper (slow) and lower (fast) limits of tapping a rhythm normalized by an individual's spontaneous motor tempo. Data from N = 16 children with DLD and N = 114 TD children showed that whereas entrainment-region width did not differ across the two groups, slowest motor tempo, the determinant of the upper (slow) limit of the entrainment region, was at a faster tempo in children with DLD vs. TD. In other words, the DLD group could not pace their slow tapping as slowly as the TD group. Entrainment-region width was positively associated with rhythm aptitude and receptive grammar even after taking into account potential confounding factors, whereas expressive grammar did not show an association with any of the tapping measures. Preferred tempo was not associated with any study variables after including covariates in the analyses. These results motivate future neuroscientific studies of low-frequency neural oscillatory mechanisms as the potential neural correlates of entrainment-region width and their associations with musical rhythm and spoken language processing in children with typical and atypical language development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Ladányi
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michaela Novakovic
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Olivia A. Boorom
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - Allison S. Aaron
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - Alyssa C. Scartozzi
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Daniel E. Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Rachana Nitin
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Peter O. Bamikole
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | - Chloe Vaughan
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - C. Melanie Schuele
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Stephen M. Camarata
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - J. Devin McAuley
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Reyna L. Gordon
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pfeifer LS, Schmitz J, Papadatou-Pastou M, Peterburs J, Paracchini S, Ocklenburg S. Handedness in twins: meta-analyses. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:11. [PMID: 35033205 PMCID: PMC8760823 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-021-00695-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the general population, 10.6% of people favor their left hand over the right for motor tasks. Previous research suggests higher prevalence of atypical (left-, mixed-, or non-right-) handedness in (i) twins compared to singletons, and in (ii) monozygotic compared to dizygotic twins. Moreover, (iii) studies have shown a higher rate of handedness concordance in monozygotic compared to dizygotic twins, in line with genetic factors playing a role for handedness. METHODS By means of a systematic review, we identified 59 studies from previous literature and performed three sets of random effects meta-analyses on (i) twin-to-singleton Odds Ratios (21 studies, n = 189,422 individuals) and (ii) monozygotic-to-dizygotic twin Odds Ratios (48 studies, n = 63,295 individuals), both times for prevalence of left-, mixed-, and non-right-handedness. For monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs we compared (iii) handedness concordance Odds Ratios (44 studies, n = 36,217 twin pairs). We also tested for potential effects of moderating variables, such as sex, age, the method used to assess handedness, and the twins' zygosity. RESULTS We found (i) evidence for higher prevalence of left- (Odds Ratio = 1.40, 95% Confidence Interval = [1.26, 1.57]) and non-right- (Odds Ratio = 1.36, 95% Confidence Interval = [1.22, 1.52]), but not mixed-handedness (Odds Ratio = 1.08, 95% Confidence Interval = [0.52, 2.27]) among twins compared to singletons. We further showed a decrease in Odds Ratios in more recent studies (post-1975: Odds Ratio = 1.30, 95% Confidence Interval = [1.17, 1.45]) compared to earlier studies (pre-1975: Odds Ratio = 1.90, 95% Confidence Interval = [1.59-2.27]). While there was (ii) no difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twins regarding prevalence of left- (Odds Ratio = 0.98, 95% Confidence Interval = [0.89, 1.07]), mixed- (Odds Ratio = 0.96, 95% Confidence Interval = [0.46, 1.99]), or non-right-handedness (Odds Ratio = 1.01, 95% Confidence Interval = [0.91, 1.12]), we found that (iii) handedness concordance was elevated among monozygotic compared to dizygotic twin pairs (Odds Ratio = 1.11, 95% Confidence Interval = [1.06, 1.18]). By means of moderator analyses, we did not find evidence for effects of potentially confounding variables. CONCLUSION We provide the largest and most comprehensive meta-analysis on handedness in twins. Although a raw, unadjusted analysis found a higher prevalence of left- and non-right-, but not mixed-handedness among twins compared to singletons, left-handedness was substantially more prevalent in earlier than in more recent studies. The single large, recent study which included birth weight, Apgar score and gestational age as covariates found no twin-singleton difference in handedness rate, but these covariates could not be included in the present meta-analysis. Together, the secular shift and the influence of covariates probably make it unsafe to conclude that twinning has a genuine relationship to handedness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Sophie Pfeifer
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Judith Schmitz
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
| | - Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- School of Education, Department of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Jutta Peterburs
- Institute of Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chilosi AM, Brovedani P, Cipriani P, Casalini C. Sex differences in early language delay and in developmental language disorder. J Neurosci Res 2021; 101:654-667. [PMID: 34822733 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental condition, occurring in about 3% to 7% of preschoolers, that can impair communication and negatively impact educational and social attainments, in spite of adequate neurological, cognitive, emotional, social development, and educational opportunities for language learning. Significant risk factors for DLD are male sex, familial history of early language delay, low parental education, and various perinatal factors. A strong sex effect with a higher prevalence of language delay and DLD in males than in females has been consistently reported. Neurobiological and environmental risk factors, interacting with each other, are probably responsible for the phenotypic expression of DLD. The aim of this brief review is to further the knowledge of the role of sex in early language delay and DLD by analyzing the evidence from four significant sources: epidemiological studies, studies on twins, family aggregation studies, and studies on sex chromosome trisomies. Data pertaining only to sex differences (biological and physiological characteristics of females and males) will be analyzed. Studies on family aggregations and twins confirm the role of genetic factors and of sex in determining language abilities and disabilities, but genes alone do not determine outcomes. Sex chromosome trisomies represent a unique example of the relationship between a genetic alteration and a language disorder. Clarification of how sex acts in determining DLD could provide new information on early risk factors and, thus, contribute to improve diagnosis and clinical management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Chilosi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Brovedani
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Cipriani
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Casalini
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Newbury DF, Simpson NH, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Stage 2 Registered Report: Variation in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with sex chromosome trisomies: testing the double hit hypothesis. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 3:85. [PMID: 30271887 PMCID: PMC6134338 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14677.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of an extra sex chromosome is associated with an increased rate of neurodevelopmental difficulties involving language. The 'double hit' hypothesis proposes that the adverse impact of the extra sex chromosome is amplified when genes that are expressed from the sex chromosomes interact with autosomal variants that usually have only mild effects. We predicted that the impact of an additional sex chromosome on neurodevelopment would depend on common autosomal variants involved in synaptic functions. Methods: We analysed data from 130 children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs: 42 girls with trisomy X, 43 boys with Klinefelter syndrome, and 45 boys with XYY). Two comparison groups were formed from 370 children from a twin study. Three indicators of phenotype were: (i) Standard score on a test of nonword repetition; (ii). A language factor score derived from a test battery; (iii) A general scale of neurodevelopmental challenges based on all available information. Preselected regions of two genes, CNTNAP2 and NRXN1, were tested for association with neurodevelopmental outcomes using Generalised Structural Component Analysis. Results: There was wide phenotypic variation in the SCT group, as well as overall impairment on all three phenotypic measures. There was no association of phenotype with CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 variants in either the SCT group or the comparison groups. Supplementary analyses found no indication of any impact of trisomy type on the results, and exploratory analyses of individual SNPs confirmed the lack of association. Conclusions: We cannot rule out that a double hit may be implicated in the phenotypic variability in children with SCTs, but our analysis does not find any support for the idea that common variants in CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 are associated with the severity of language and neurodevelopmental impairments that often accompany an extra X or Y chromosome. Stage 1 report: http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13828.2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dianne F. Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Nuala H. Simpson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Paul A. Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Dorothy V. M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Vansteensel MJ, Selten IS, Charbonnier L, Berezutskaya J, Raemaekers MAH, Ramsey NF, Wijnen F. Reduced brain activation during spoken language processing in children with developmental language disorder and children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Neuropsychologia 2021; 158:107907. [PMID: 34058175 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Language difficulties of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) have been associated with multiple underlying factors and are still poorly understood. One way of investigating the mechanisms of DLD language problems is to compare language-related brain activation patterns of children with DLD to those of a population with similar language difficulties and a uniform etiology. Children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) constitute such a population. Here, we conducted an fMRI study, in which children (6-10yo) with DLD and 22q11DS listened to speech alternated with reversed speech. We compared language laterality and language-related brain activation levels with those of typically developing (TD) children who performed the same task. The data revealed no significant differences between groups in language lateralization, but task-related activation levels were lower in children with language impairment than in TD children in several nodes of the language network. We conclude that language impairment in children with DLD and in children with 22q11DS may involve (partially) overlapping cortical areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariska J Vansteensel
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Iris S Selten
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics (UIL-OTS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lisette Charbonnier
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Julia Berezutskaya
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mathijs A H Raemaekers
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Nick F Ramsey
- UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics (UIL-OTS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Krishnan S, Asaridou SS, Cler GJ, Smith HJ, Willis HE, Healy MP, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM, Watkins KE. Functional organisation for verb generation in children with developmental language disorder. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117599. [PMID: 33285329 PMCID: PMC7836232 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is characterised by difficulties in learning one's native language for no apparent reason. These language difficulties occur in 7% of children and are known to limit future academic and social achievement. Our understanding of the brain abnormalities associated with DLD is limited. Here, we used a simple four-minute verb generation task (children saw a picture of an object and were instructed to say an action that goes with that object) to test children between the ages of 10-15 years (DLD N = 50, typically developing N = 67). We also tested 26 children with poor language ability who did not meet our criteria for DLD. Contrary to our registered predictions, we found that children with DLD did not have (i) reduced activity in language relevant regions such as the left inferior frontal cortex; (ii) dysfunctional striatal activity during overt production; or (iii) a reduction in left-lateralised activity in frontal cortex. Indeed, performance of this simple language task evoked activity in children with DLD in the same regions and to a similar level as in typically developing children. Consistent with previous reports, we found sub-threshold group differences in the left inferior frontal gyrus and caudate nuclei, but only when analysis was limited to a subsample of the DLD group (N = 14) who had the poorest performance on the task. Additionally, we used a two-factor model to capture variation in all children studied (N = 143) on a range of neuropsychological tests and found that these language and verbal memory factors correlated with activity in different brain regions. Our findings indicate a lack of support for some neurological models of atypical language learning, such as the procedural deficit hypothesis or the atypical lateralization hypothesis, at least when using simple language tasks that children can perform. These results also emphasise the importance of controlling for and monitoring task performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saloni Krishnan
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK.
| | - Salomi S Asaridou
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Gabriel J Cler
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Harriet J Smith
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Hannah E Willis
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Máiréad P Healy
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Paul A Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Kate E Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Labache L, Mazoyer B, Joliot M, Crivello F, Hesling I, Tzourio-Mazoyer N. Typical and atypical language brain organization based on intrinsic connectivity and multitask functional asymmetries. eLife 2020; 9:e58722. [PMID: 33064079 PMCID: PMC7605859 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on the joint investigation in 287 healthy volunteers (150 left-Handers (LH)) of language task-induced asymmetries and intrinsic connectivity strength of the sentence-processing supramodal network, we show that individuals with atypical rightward language lateralization (N = 30, 25 LH) do not rely on an organization that simply mirrors that of typical leftward lateralized individuals. Actually, the resting-state organization in the atypicals showed that their sentence processing was underpinned by left and right networks both wired for language processing and highly interacting by strong interhemispheric intrinsic connectivity and larger corpus callosum volume. Such a loose hemispheric specialization for language permits the hosting of language in either the left and/or right hemisphere as assessed by a very high incidence of dissociations across various language task-induced asymmetries in this group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Labache
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Mathématiques de Bordeaux, UMR 5251BordeauxFrance
- Bordeaux INP, Institut de Mathématiques de Bordeaux, UMR 5251BordeauxFrance
- INRIA Bordeaux Sud-Ouest, Institut de Mathématiques de Bordeaux, UMR 5251, Contrôle de Qualité et Fiabilité DynamiqueTalenceFrance
| | - Bernard Mazoyer
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Marc Joliot
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
| | - Fabrice Crivello
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
| | - Isabelle Hesling
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
| | - Nathalie Tzourio-Mazoyer
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Neurodégéneratives, UMR 5293, Groupe d’Imagerie NeurofonctionnelleBordeauxFrance
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bishop DV, Bates TC. Heritability of language laterality assessed by functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a twin study. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 4:161. [PMID: 32399495 PMCID: PMC7194484 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15524.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Prior studies have estimated heritability of around 0.25 for the trait of handedness, with studies of structural brain asymmetry giving estimates in a similar or lower range. Little is known about heritability of functional language lateralization. This report describes heritability estimates using functional language laterality and handedness phenotypes in a twin sample previously reported by Wilson and Bishop (2018). Methods: The total sample consisted of 194 twin pairs (49% monozygotic) aged from 6 to 11 years. A language laterality index was obtained for 141 twin pairs, who completed a protocol where relative blood flow through left and right middle cerebral arteries was measured using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) while the child described animation sequences. Handedness data was available from the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) and Quantification of Hand Preference (QHP) for all 194 pairs. Heritability was assessed using conventional structural equation modeling, assuming no effect of shared environment (AE model). Results: For the two handedness measures, heritability estimates (95% CI) were consistent with prior research: .25 (.03 - .34) and .18 (0 - .31) respectively for the EHI and QHP. For the language laterality index, however, the twin-cotwin correlations were close to zero for both MZ and DZ twins, and the heritability estimate was zero (0 - .15). Conclusions: A single study cannot rule out a genetic effect on language lateralisation. It is possible that the low twin-cotwin correlations were affected by noisy data: although the split-half reliability of the fTCD-based laterality index was high (0.85), we did not have information on test-retest reliability in children, which is likely to be lower. We cannot reject the hypothesis that there is low but nonzero heritability for this trait, but our data suggest that individual variation in language lateralisation is predominantly due to stochastic variation in neurodevelopment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy V.M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxon, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Timothy C. Bates
- Psychology Department, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Newbury DF, Simpson NH, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Stage 2 Registered Report: Variation in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with sex chromosome trisomies: testing the double hit hypothesis. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 3:85. [PMID: 30271887 PMCID: PMC6134338 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14677.3] [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] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 04/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of an extra sex chromosome is associated with an increased rate of neurodevelopmental difficulties involving language. The 'double hit' hypothesis proposes that the adverse impact of the extra sex chromosome is amplified when genes that are expressed from the sex chromosomes interact with autosomal variants that usually have only mild effects. We predicted that the impact of an additional sex chromosome on neurodevelopment would depend on common autosomal variants involved in synaptic functions. Methods: We analysed data from 130 children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs: 42 girls with trisomy X, 43 boys with Klinefelter syndrome, and 45 boys with XYY). Two comparison groups were formed from 370 children from a twin study. Three indicators of phenotype were: (i) Standard score on a test of nonword repetition; (ii). A language factor score derived from a test battery; (iii) A general scale of neurodevelopmental challenges based on all available information. Preselected regions of two genes, CNTNAP2 and NRXN1, were tested for association with neurodevelopmental outcomes using Generalised Structural Component Analysis. Results: There was wide phenotypic variation in the SCT group, as well as overall impairment on all three phenotypic measures. There was no association of phenotype with CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 variants in either the SCT group or the comparison groups. Supplementary analyses found no indication of any impact of trisomy type on the results, and exploratory analyses of individual SNPs confirmed the lack of association. Conclusions: We cannot rule out that a double hit may be implicated in the phenotypic variability in children with SCTs, but our analysis does not find any support for the idea that common variants in CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 are associated with the severity of language and neurodevelopmental impairments that often accompany an extra X or Y chromosome. Stage 1 report: http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13828.2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dianne F. Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Nuala H. Simpson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Paul A. Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Dorothy V. M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Thiede A, Parkkonen L, Virtala P, Laasonen M, Mäkelä J, Kujala T. Neuromagnetic speech discrimination responses are associated with reading-related skills in dyslexic and typical readers. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04619. [PMID: 32904386 PMCID: PMC7452546 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor neural speech discrimination has been connected to dyslexia, and may represent phonological processing deficits that are hypothesized to be the main cause for reading impairments. Thus far, neural speech discrimination impairments have rarely been investigated in adult dyslexics, and even less by examining sources of neuromagnetic responses. We compared neuromagnetic speech discrimination in dyslexic and typical readers with mismatch fields (MMF) and determined the associations between MMFs and reading-related skills. We expected weak and atypically lateralized MMFs in dyslexic readers, and positive associations between reading-related skills and MMF strength. MMFs were recorded to a repeating pseudoword /ta-ta/ with occasional changes in vowel identity, duration, or syllable frequency from 43 adults, 21 with confirmed dyslexia. Phonetic (vowel and duration) changes elicited left-lateralized MMFs in the auditory cortices. Contrary to our hypothesis, MMF source strengths or lateralization did not differ between groups. However, better verbal working memory was associated with stronger left-hemispheric MMFs to duration changes across groups, and better reading was associated with stronger right-hemispheric late MMFs across speech-sound changes in dyslexic readers. This suggests a link between neural speech processing and reading-related skills, in line with previous work. Furthermore, our findings suggest a right-hemispheric compensatory mechanism for language processing in dyslexia. The results obtained promote the use of MMFs in investigating reading-related brain processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. Thiede
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - L. Parkkonen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
- Aalto Neuroimaging, Aalto University, Finland
| | - P. Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - M. Laasonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Phoniatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
| | - J.P. Mäkelä
- BioMag Laboratory, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland
| | - T. Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Mountford HS, Bishop DVM, Thompson PA, Simpson NH, Newbury DF. Copy number variation burden does not predict severity of neurodevelopmental phenotype in children with a sex chromosome trisomy. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 184:256-266. [PMID: 32452638 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs) (XXX, XXY, and XYY karyotypes) are associated with an elevated risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. The range of severity of the phenotype is substantial. We considered whether this variable outcome was related to the presence of copy number variants (CNVs)-stretches of duplicated or deleted DNA. A sample of 125 children with an SCT were compared with 181 children of normal karyotype who had been given the same assessments. First, we compared the groups on measures of overall CNV burden: number of CNVs, total span of CNVs, and likely functional impact (probability of loss-of-function intolerance, pLI, summed over CNVs). Differences between groups were small relative to within-group variance and not statistically significant on overall test. Next, we considered whether a measure of general neurodevelopmental impairment was predicted by pLI summed score, SCT versus comparison group, or the interaction between them. There was a substantial effect of SCT/comparison status but the pLI score was not predictive of outcomes in either group. We conclude that variable presence of CNVs is not a likely explanation for the wide phenotypic variation in children with SCTs. We discuss methodological challenges of testing whether CNVs are implicated in causing neurodevelopmental problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayley S Mountford
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Paul A Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Nuala H Simpson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Dianne F Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bishop DV, Bates TC. Heritability of language laterality assessed by functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a twin study. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 4:161. [PMID: 32399495 PMCID: PMC7194484 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15524.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Prior studies have estimated heritability of around 0.25 for the trait of handedness, with studies of structural brain asymmetry giving estimates in a similar or lower range. Little is known about heritability of functional language lateralization. This report describes heritability estimates using functional language laterality and handedness phenotypes in a twin sample previously reported by Wilson and Bishop (2018). Methods: The total sample consisted of 194 twin pairs (49% monozygotic) aged from 6 to 11 years. A language laterality index was obtained for 141 twin pairs, who completed a protocol where relative blood flow through left and right middle cerebral arteries was measured using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) while the child described animation sequences. Handedness data was available from the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) and Quantification of Hand Preference (QHP) for all 194 pairs. Heritability was assessed using conventional structural equation modeling, assuming no effect of shared environment (AE model). Results: For the two handedness measures, heritability estimates were consistent with prior research: 0.23 and 0.22 respectively for the EHI and QHP. For the language laterality index, however, the twin-cotwin correlations were close to zero for both MZ and DZ twins, and the heritability estimate was zero. Conclusions: A single study cannot rule out a genetic effect on language lateralisation. It is possible that the low twin-cotwin correlations were affected by noisy data: although the split-half reliability of the fTCD-based laterality index was high (0.85), we did not have information on test-retest reliability in children, which is likely to be lower. We cannot reject the hypothesis that there is low but nonzero heritability for this trait, but our data suggest that individual variation in language lateralisation is predominantly due to stochastic variation in neurodevelopment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy V.M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxon, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Timothy C. Bates
- Psychology Department, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Woodhead ZV, Rutherford HA, Bishop DV. Measurement of language laterality using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a comparison of different tasks. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 3:104. [PMID: 30345386 PMCID: PMC6171558 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14720.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Relative blood flow in the two middle cerebral arteries can be measured using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) to give an index of lateralisation as participants perform a specific task. Language laterality has mostly been studied with fTCD using a word generation task, but it is not clear whether this is optimal. Methods: Using fTCD, we evaluated a sentence generation task that has shown good reliability and strong left lateralisation in fMRI. We interleaved trials of word generation, sentence generation and list generation and assessed agreement of these tasks in 31 participants (29 right-handers). Results: Although word generation and sentence generation both gave robust left-lateralisation, lateralisation was significantly stronger for sentence generation. Bland-Altman analysis showed that these two methods were not equivalent. The comparison list generation task was not systematically lateralised, but nevertheless laterality indices (LIs) from this task were significantly correlated with the other two tasks. Subtracting list generation LI from sentence generation LI did not affect the strength of the laterality index. Conclusions: This was a pre-registered methodological study designed to explore novel approaches to optimising measurement of language lateralisation using fTCD. It confirmed that sentence generation gives robust left lateralisation in most people, but is not equivalent to the classic word generation task. Although list generation does not show left-lateralisation at the group level, the LI on this task was correlated with left-lateralised tasks. This suggests that word and sentence generation involve adding a constant directional bias to an underlying continuum of laterality that is reliable in individuals but not biased in either direction. In future research we suggest that consistency of laterality across tasks might have more functional significance than strength or direction of laterality on any one task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe V.J. Woodhead
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Woodhead ZVJ, Rutherford HA, Bishop DVM. Measurement of language laterality using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a comparison of different tasks. Wellcome Open Res 2020. [PMID: 30345386 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14720.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Relative blood flow in the two middle cerebral arteries can be measured using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) to give an index of lateralisation as participants perform a specific task. Language laterality has mostly been studied with fTCD using a word generation task, but it is not clear whether this is optimal. Methods: Using fTCD, we evaluated a sentence generation task that has shown good reliability and strong left lateralisation in fMRI. We interleaved trials of word generation, sentence generation and list generation and assessed agreement of these tasks in 31 participants (29 right-handers). Results: Although word generation and sentence generation both gave robust left-lateralisation, lateralisation was significantly stronger for sentence generation. Bland-Altman analysis showed that these two methods were not equivalent. The comparison list generation task was not systematically lateralised, but nevertheless laterality indices (LIs) from this task were significantly correlated with the other two tasks. Subtracting list generation LI from sentence generation LI did not affect the strength of the laterality index. Conclusions: This was a pre-registered methodological study designed to explore novel approaches to optimising measurement of language lateralisation using fTCD. It confirmed that sentence generation gives robust left lateralisation in most people, but is not equivalent to the classic word generation task. Although list generation does not show left-lateralisation at the group level, the LI on this task was correlated with left-lateralised tasks. This suggests that word and sentence generation involve adding a constant directional bias to an underlying continuum of laterality that is reliable in individuals but not biased in either direction. In future research we suggest that consistency of laterality across tasks might have more functional significance than strength or direction of laterality on any one task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe V J Woodhead
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Johnstone LT, Karlsson EM, Carey DP. The validity and reliability of quantifying hemispheric specialisation using fMRI: Evidence from left and right handers on three different cerebral asymmetries. Neuropsychologia 2020; 138:107331. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
23
|
Wallentin M. Gender differences in language are small but matter for disorders. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:81-102. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00007-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
|
24
|
Abstract
Developmental language disorders (DLD) are prevalent and persistent among school-age children but are often underrecognized. This chapter discusses the ways in which the various components of communication are impacted by these disorders and outlines the differences in expression seen in different languages. Research on biological and psychologic roots of the syndrome is also reviewed. As yet, no single definitive cause has been identified; the disorders are likely to result from a constellation of genetic, biological, and cognitive weaknesses that are influenced by environmental experiences. Basic methods of assessment and differential diagnosis are presented and the principles guiding the development of intervention programs are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rhea Paul
- Department of Communication Disorders, College of Health Professions, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Bradshaw AR, Woodhead ZVJ, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Investigation into inconsistent lateralisation of language functions as a potential risk factor for language impairment. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:1106-1121. [PMID: 31738452 PMCID: PMC7078955 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Disruption to language lateralisation has been proposed as a cause of developmental language impairments. In this study, we tested the idea that consistency of lateralisation across different language functions is associated with language ability. A large sample of adults with variable language abilities (N = 67 with a developmental disorder affecting language and N = 37 controls) were recruited. Lateralisation was measured using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) for three language tasks that engage different language subprocesses (phonological decision, semantic decision and sentence generation). The whole sample was divided into those with consistent versus inconsistent lateralisation across the three tasks. Language ability (using a battery of standardised tests) was compared between the consistent and inconsistent groups. The results did not show a significant effect of lateralisation consistency on language skills. However, of the 31 individuals showing inconsistent lateralisation, the vast majority (84%) were in the disorder group with only five controls showing such a pattern, a difference that was higher than would be expected by chance. The developmental disorder group also demonstrated weaker correlations between laterality indices across pairs of tasks. In summary, although the data did not support the hypothesis that inconsistent language lateralisation is a major cause of poor language skills, the results suggested that some subtypes of language disorder are associated with inefficient distribution of language functions between hemispheres. Inconsistent lateralisation could be a causal factor in the aetiology of language disorder or may arise in some cases as the consequence of developmental disorder, possibly reflective of compensatory reorganisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R Bradshaw
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zoe V J Woodhead
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul A Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bishop DV, Bates TC. Negligible heritability of language laterality assessed by functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a twin study. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:161. [PMID: 32399495 PMCID: PMC7194484 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15524.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: It is widely assumed that individual differences in language lateralisation have a strong genetic basis, yet prior studies show low heritability (around 0.25) for the related trait of handedness, and two twin studies of structural brain asymmetry obtained similarly low estimates. This report describes heritability estimates from a twin study of language laterality and handedness phenotypes. Methods: The total sample consisted of 194 twin pairs (49% monozygotic) aged from 6 to 11 years. A language laterality index was obtained for 141 twin pairs, who completed a protocol where relative blood flow through left and right middle cerebral arteries was measured using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) while the child described animation sequences. Handedness data was available from the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) and Quantification of Hand Preference (QHP) for all 194 pairs. Heritability was assessed using conventional structural equation modeling, assuming no effect of shared environment (AE model). Results: For the two handedness measures, heritability estimates were consistent with prior research: 0.23 and 0.22 respectively for the EHI and QHP. For the language laterality index, however, the twin-cotwin correlations were very close to zero for both MZ and DZ twins, and the heritability estimate was zero. Conclusions: A single study showing negligible heritability for language laterality cannot rule out a genetic effect on language lateralisation. It is possible that the low twin-cotwin correlations were affected by noisy data: although the split-half reliability of the fTCD-based laterality index was high (0.85), we did not have information on test-retest reliability in children, which is likely to be lower. We cannot rule out the possibility that true heritability of differences in language lateralization is non-zero, but results indicate that the heritability of this trait is low at best. Stochastic variation in neurodevelopment appears to play a major role in determining cerebral lateralisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy V.M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxon, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Timothy C. Bates
- Psychology Department, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Left hemisphere enhancement of auditory activation in language impaired children. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9087. [PMID: 31235763 PMCID: PMC6591383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45597-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific language impairment (SLI) is a developmental disorder linked to deficient auditory processing. In this magnetoencephalography (MEG) study we investigated a specific prolonged auditory response (N250m) that has been reported predominantly in children and is associated with level of language skills. We recorded auditory responses evoked by sine-wave tones presented alternately to the right and left ear of 9-10-year-old children with SLI (n = 10) and children with typical language development (n = 10). Source analysis was used to isolate the N250m response in the left and right hemisphere. In children with language impairment left-hemisphere N250m responses were enhanced compared to those of controls, while no group difference was found in the right hemisphere. Consequently, language impaired children lacked the typical right-ward asymmetry that was found in control children. Furthermore, left but not right hemisphere N250m responses correlated positively with performance on a phonological processing task in the SLI group exclusively, possibly signifying a compensatory mechanism for delayed maturation of language processing. These results suggest that enhanced left-hemisphere auditory activation reflects a core neurophysiological manifestation of developmental language disorders, and emphasize the relevance of this developmentally specific activation pattern for competent language development.
Collapse
|
28
|
Pritchard VE, Malone SA, Burgoyne K, Heron-Delaney M, Bishop DV, Hulme C. Stage 2 Registered Report: There is no appreciable relationship between strength of hand preference and language ability in 6- to 7-year-old children. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:81. [PMID: 31245633 PMCID: PMC6584972 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15254.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Weak or inconsistent hand preference has been postulated to be a risk factor for developmental language delay. Following on from our Registered Stage 1 report this study assessed the extent to which variations in language skills are associated with the strength of hand preference. Methods: Data are drawn from a large sample ( N = 569) of 6- to 7-year-old children unselected for ability, assessed at two time points, 6 months apart. Hand preference was assessed using the Quantitative Hand Preference (QHP) task and five uni-manual motor tasks. Language skills (expressive and receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and morphological awareness) were assessed with standardized measures. Results: We found QHP scores did not distinguish children with weaker language skills from those with stronger language skills and the correlation between QHP scores and language ability was negligible in this study. Hand preference on the QHP task was significantly stronger among right-handed than left-handed children and left-handed children were typically inconsistent in the hand used across different tasks. Conclusions: The findings presented here fail to provide any support for the theory that weak cerebral lateralisation (as assessed here by the QHP task) places children at risk of language difficulties . Stage 1 report: https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15077.1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verena E. Pritchard
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephanie A. Malone
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kelly Burgoyne
- Division of Human Communication, Development and Hearing, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michelle Heron-Delaney
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dorothy V.M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Charles Hulme
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6PY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Pritchard VE, Malone SA, Burgoyne K, Heron-Delaney M, Bishop DVM, Hulme C. Stage 1 Registered Report: The relationship between handedness and language ability in children. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:30. [PMID: 30906882 PMCID: PMC6415320 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15077.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Weak or inconsistent hand preference may be a risk factor for developmental language delay. This study will test the extent to which variations in language skills are associated with the strength of hand preference. Data are drawn from a large sample (n = 569) of 6- to 7-year-old children unselected for ability, assessed at two time points, 6 months apart. Hand preference is assessed using the Quantitative Hand Preference task (QHP) and five uni-manual motor tasks. Language skills (expressive and receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and morphological awareness) are assessed with standardized measures. If weak cerebral lateralisation (as assessed by the QHP task) is a risk factor for language difficulties, it should be possible to detect such effects in the large representative sample of children examined here.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verena E Pritchard
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Stephanie A Malone
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kelly Burgoyne
- Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6PY, UK.,Human Communication, Development and Hearing (HCDH), University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michelle Heron-Delaney
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OXFORD, Please select..., UK
| | - Charles Hulme
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia.,Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6PY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Payne H, Gutierrez-Sigut E, Woll B, MacSweeney M. Cerebral lateralisation during signed and spoken language production in children born deaf. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 36:100619. [PMID: 30711882 PMCID: PMC6891228 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of sensory experience on hemispheric specialisation for language production is not well understood. Children born deaf, including those who have cochlear implants, have drastically different perceptual experiences of language than their hearing peers. Using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD), we measured lateralisation during language production in a heterogeneous group of 19 deaf children and in 19 hearing children, matched on language ability. In children born deaf, we observed significant left lateralisation during language production (British Sign Language, spoken English, or a combination of languages). There was no difference in the strength of lateralisation between deaf and hearing groups. Comparable proportions of children were categorised as left-, right-, or not significantly-lateralised in each group. Moreover, an exploratory subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in lateralisation between deaf children with cochlear implants and those without. These data suggest that the processes underpinning language production remain robustly left lateralised regardless of sensory language experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather Payne
- Deafness, Cognition & Language Research Centre, University College London, WC1H 0PD, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AZ, UK.
| | - Eva Gutierrez-Sigut
- Deafness, Cognition & Language Research Centre, University College London, WC1H 0PD, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AZ, UK; Departamento de Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 2146010, Spain.
| | - Bencie Woll
- Deafness, Cognition & Language Research Centre, University College London, WC1H 0PD, UK.
| | - Mairéad MacSweeney
- Deafness, Cognition & Language Research Centre, University College London, WC1H 0PD, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AZ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wilson AC, Bishop DVM. Sex chromosome trisomies are not associated with atypical lateralization for language. Dev Med Child Neurol 2018; 60:1132-1139. [PMID: 29888392 PMCID: PMC6220794 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
AIM To test the hypothesis that sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs) are associated with reduced left lateralization for language. METHOD Using a cross-sectional design, language laterality was measured during an animation description task using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Data were available for 75 children with an SCT (47,XXX females [n=26], 47,XXY males [n=25], 47,XYY males [n=24]; mean age 11y 4mo [SD 3y 10mo]) and 132 comparison children with typical karyotypes (69 males, 63 females; mean age 9y 1mo [SD 1y 7mo]). RESULTS Lateralization for language did not differ between the SCT and comparison groups, either in mean laterality index or relative frequency of each laterality category. There were no differences when splitting the group with an SCT by trisomy. Handedness showed no group effects. INTERPRETATION Our data provide no evidence for disrupted lateralization for language in SCTs. The brain basis of the cognitive phenotype in SCTs is unlikely to be a failure of the left hemisphere to specialize for language, as previously suggested. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Children with a sex chromosome trisomy (SCT) have typically lateralized language. This disproves theories linking language problems to hemispheric specialization in SCTs.
Collapse
|
32
|
Woodhead ZV, Rutherford HA, Bishop DV. Measurement of language laterality using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a comparison of different tasks. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:104. [PMID: 30345386 PMCID: PMC6171558 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14720.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Relative blood flow in the two middle cerebral arteries can be measured using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) to give an index of lateralisation as participants perform a specific task. Language laterality has mostly been studied with fTCD using a word generation task, but it is not clear whether this is optimal. Methods: Using fTCD, we evaluated a sentence generation task that has shown good reliability and strong left lateralisation in fMRI. We interleaved trials of word generation, sentence generation and list generation and assessed agreement of these tasks in 31 participants (29 right-handers). Results: Although word generation and sentence generation both gave robust left-lateralisation, Bland-Altman analysis showed that these two methods were not equivalent. The comparison list generation task was not systematically lateralised, but nevertheless laterality indices (LIs) from this task were significantly correlated with the other two tasks. Subtracting list generation LI from sentence generation LI did not affect the strength of the laterality index. Conclusions: This was a pre-registered methodological study designed to explore novel approaches to optimising measurement of language lateralisation using fTCD. It confirmed that sentence generation gives robust left lateralisation in most people, but is not equivalent to the classic word generation task. Although list generation does not show left-lateralisation at the group level, the LI on this task was correlated with left-lateralised tasks. This suggests that word and sentence generation involve adding a constant directional bias to an underlying continuum of laterality that is reliable in individuals but not biased in either direction. In future research we suggest that consistency of laterality across tasks might have more functional significance than strength or direction of laterality on any one task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe V.J. Woodhead
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Newbury DF, Simpson NH, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Stage 2 Registered Report: Variation in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with sex chromosome trisomies: testing the double hit hypothesis. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:85. [PMID: 30271887 PMCID: PMC6134338 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14677.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of an extra sex chromosome is associated with an increased rate of neurodevelopmental difficulties involving language. The 'double hit' hypothesis proposes that the adverse impact of the extra sex chromosome is amplified when genes that are expressed from the sex chromosomes interact with autosomal variants that usually have only mild effects. We predicted that the impact of an additional sex chromosome on neurodevelopment would depend on common autosomal variants involved in synaptic functions. Methods: We analysed data from 130 children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs: 42 girls with trisomy X, 43 boys with Klinefelter syndrome, and 45 boys with XYY). Two comparison groups were formed from 370 children from a twin study. Three indicators of phenotype were: (i) Standard score on a test of nonword repetition; (ii). A language factor score derived from a test battery; (iii) A general scale of neurodevelopmental challenges based on all available information. Preselected regions of two genes, CNTNAP2 and NRXN1, were tested for association with neurodevelopmental outcomes using Generalised Structural Component Analysis. Results: There was wide phenotypic variation in the SCT group, as well as overall impairment on all three phenotypic measures. There was no association of phenotype with CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 variants in either the SCT group or the comparison groups. Supplementary analyses found no indication of any impact of trisomy type on the results, and exploratory analyses of individual SNPs confirmed the lack of association. Conclusions: We cannot rule out that a double hit may be implicated in the phenotypic variability in children with SCTs, but our analysis does not find any support for the idea that common variants in CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 are associated with the severity of language and neurodevelopmental impairments that often accompany an extra X or Y chromosome. Stage 1 report: http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13828.2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dianne F. Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Nuala H. Simpson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Paul A. Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Dorothy V. M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Newbury DF, Simpson NH, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Stage 2 Registered Report: Variation in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with sex chromosome trisomies: testing the double hit hypothesis. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:85. [PMID: 30271887 PMCID: PMC6134338 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14677.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of an extra sex chromosome is associated with an increased rate of neurodevelopmental difficulties involving language. The 'double hit' hypothesis proposes that the adverse impact of the extra sex chromosome is amplified when genes that are expressed from the sex chromosomes interact with autosomal variants that usually have only mild effects. We predicted that the impact of an additional sex chromosome on neurodevelopment would depend on common autosomal variants involved in synaptic functions. Methods: We analysed data from 130 children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs: 42 girls with trisomy X, 43 boys with Klinefelter syndrome, and 45 boys with XYY). Two comparison groups were formed from 370 children from a twin study. Three indicators of phenotype were: (i) Standard score on a test of nonword repetition; (ii). A language factor score derived from a test battery; (iii) A general scale of neurodevelopmental challenges based on all available information. Preselected regions of two genes, CNTNAP2 and NRXN1, were tested for association with neurodevelopmental outcomes using Generalised Structural Component Analysis. Results: There was wide phenotypic variation in the SCT group, as well as overall impairment on all three phenotypic measures. There was no association of phenotype with CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 variants in either the SCT group or the comparison groups. Supplementary analyses found no indication of any impact of trisomy type on the results, and exploratory analyses of individual SNPs confirmed the lack of association. Conclusions: We cannot rule out that a double hit may be implicated in the phenotypic variability in children with SCTs, but our analysis does not find any support for the idea that common variants in CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 are associated with the severity of language and neurodevelopmental impairments that often accompany an extra X or Y chromosome. Stage 1 report: http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13828.2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dianne F. Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Nuala H. Simpson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Paul A. Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Dorothy V. M. Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Newbury DF, Simpson NH, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Stage 1 Registered Report: Variation in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with sex chromosome trisomies: protocol for a test of the double hit hypothesis. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:10. [PMID: 29744390 PMCID: PMC5904730 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13828.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of an extra sex chromosome is associated with an increased rate of neurodevelopmental difficulties involving language. Group averages, however, obscure a wide range of outcomes. Hypothesis: The 'double hit' hypothesis proposes that the adverse impact of the extra sex chromosome is amplified when genes that are expressed from the sex chromosomes interact with autosomal variants that usually have only mild effects.
Neuroligin-4 genes are expressed from X and Y chromosomes; they play an important role in synaptic development and have been implicated in neurodevelopment. We predict that the impact of an additional sex chromosome on neurodevelopment will be correlated with common autosomal variants involved in related synaptic functions. We describe here an analysis plan for testing this hypothesis using existing data. The analysis of genotype-phenotype associations will be conducted after this plan is published and peer-reviewed Methods: Neurodevelopmental data and DNA are available for 130 children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs: 42 girls with trisomy X, 43 boys with Klinefelter syndrome, and 45 boys with XYY). Children from a twin study using the same phenotype measures will form two comparison groups (Ns = 184 and 186). Three indicators of a neurodevelopment disorder phenotype will be used: (i) Standard score on a test of nonword repetition; (ii). A language factor score derived from a test battery; (iii) A general scale of neurodevelopmental challenges based on all available information. Autosomal genes were identified by literature search on the basis of prior association with (a) speech/language/reading phenotypes and (b) synaptic function. Preselected regions of two genes scoring high on both criteria,
CNTNAP2 and
NRXN1, will be tested for association with neurodevelopmental outcomes using Generalised Structural Component Analysis. We predict the association with one or both genes will be detectable in children with SCTs and stronger than in the comparison samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dianne F Newbury
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Nuala H Simpson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Paul A Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3UD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Newbury DF, Simpson NH, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM. Stage 1 Registered Report: Variation in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with sex chromosome trisomies: protocol for a test of the double hit hypothesis. Wellcome Open Res 2018. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13828.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of an extra sex chromosome is associated with an increased rate of neurodevelopmental difficulties involving language. Group averages, however, obscure a wide range of outcomes. Hypothesis: The 'double hit' hypothesis proposes that the adverse impact of the extra sex chromosome is amplified when genes that are expressed from the sex chromosomes interact with autosomal variants that usually have only mild effects. Neuroligin-4 genes are expressed from X and Y chromosomes; they play an important role in synaptic development and have been implicated in neurodevelopment. We predict that the impact of an additional sex chromosome on neurodevelopment will be correlated with common autosomal variants involved in related synaptic functions. We describe here an analysis plan for testing this hypothesis using existing data. The analysis of genotype-phenotype associations will be conducted after this plan is published and peer-reviewed Methods: Neurodevelopmental data and DNA are available for 130 children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs: 42 girls with trisomy X, 43 boys with Klinefelter syndrome, and 45 boys with XYY). Children from a twin study using the same phenotype measures will form two comparison groups (Ns = 184 and 186). Three indicators of a neurodevelopment disorder phenotype will be used: (i) Standard score on a test of nonword repetition; (ii). A language factor score derived from a test battery; (iii) A general scale of neurodevelopmental challenges based on all available information. Autosomal genes were identified by literature search on the basis of prior association with (a) speech/language/reading phenotypes and (b) synaptic function. Preselected regions of two genes scoring high on both criteria, CNTNAP2 and NRXN1, will be tested for association with neurodevelopmental outcomes using Generalised Structural Component Analysis. We predict the association with one or both genes will be detectable in children with SCTs and stronger than in the comparison samples.
Collapse
|