Brain white matter structure and language ability in preschool-aged children

•We tested how pre-reading language relates to brain structure in children 3–5 years.•Phonological processing was related to diffusion parameters in ventral white matter.•We also observe relationships in non-traditional reading areas.•Results show that brain alterations predate reading instruction....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain and language 2018-01, Vol.176, p.19-25
Main Authors: Walton, Matthew, Dewey, Deborah, Lebel, Catherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropy
Brain - diagnostic imaging
Brain - growth & development
Child, Preschool
Corpus Callosum - diagnostic imaging
Corpus Callosum - growth & development
Diffusion tensor imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging - methods
Female
Humans
Language
Magnetic resonance imaging
Male
Phonological processing
Reading
White matter
White Matter - diagnostic imaging
White Matter - growth & development
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Summary:•We tested how pre-reading language relates to brain structure in children 3–5 years.•Phonological processing was related to diffusion parameters in ventral white matter.•We also observe relationships in non-traditional reading areas.•Results show that brain alterations predate reading instruction. Brain alterations are associated with reading and language difficulties in older children, but little research has investigated relationships between early language skills and brain white matter structure during the preschool period. We studied 68 children aged 3.0–5.6 years who underwent diffusion tensor imaging and participated in assessments of Phonological Processing and Speeded Naming. Tract-based spatial statistics and tractography revealed relationships between Phonological Processing and diffusion parameters in bilateral ventral white matter pathways and the corpus callosum. Phonological Processing was positively correlated with fractional anisotropy and negatively correlated with mean diffusivity. The relationships observed in left ventral pathways are consistent with studies in older children, and demonstrate that structural markers for language performance are apparent as young as 3 years of age. Our findings in right hemisphere areas that are not as commonly found in adult studies suggest that young children rely on a widespread network for language processing that becomes more specialized with age.
ISSN:0093-934X
1090-2155
DOI:10.1016/j.bandl.2017.10.008