Structural Maturation of Neural Pathways in Children and Adolescents: In Vivo Study

Structural maturation of fiber tracts in the human brain, including an increase in the diameter and myelination of axons, may play a role in cognitive development during childhood and adolescence. A computational analysis of structural magnetic resonance images obtained in 111 children and adolescen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1999-03, Vol.283 (5409), p.1908-1911
Main Authors: Paus, Tomáš, Zijdenbos, Alex, Worsley, Keith, Collins, D. Louis, Blumenthal, Jonathan, Giedd, Jay N., Rapoport, Judith L., Evans, Alan C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescent
Adolescents
Aging
Axons
Axons - physiology
Axons - ultrastructure
Biological and medical sciences
Brain
Brain - anatomy & histology
Brain - growth & development
Brain Mapping
Child
Child, Preschool
Childhood
Children & youth
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive Development
Density
Developmental neurology
Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision
Female
Frontal Lobe - anatomy & histology
Frontal Lobe - growth & development
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Growth
Humans
Internal capsule
Language Skills
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Motor Skills
Multiple Regression Analysis
Myelin Sheath - ultrastructure
Nerve Fibers - ultrastructure
Neural Conduction
Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology
Neural Pathways - growth & development
Neurology
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Pyramidal tracts
Regression Analysis
Speech
Spinal Cord - anatomy & histology
Synaptic Transmission
Teenagers
Temporal Lobe - anatomy & histology
Temporal Lobe - growth & development
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Wechsler scales
White matter
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Description
Summary:Structural maturation of fiber tracts in the human brain, including an increase in the diameter and myelination of axons, may play a role in cognitive development during childhood and adolescence. A computational analysis of structural magnetic resonance images obtained in 111 children and adolescents revealed age-related increases in white matter density in fiber tracts constituting putative corticospinal and frontotemporal pathways. The maturation of the corticospinal tract was bilateral, whereas that of the frontotemporal pathway was found predominantly in the left (speech-dominant) hemisphere. These findings provide evidence for a gradual maturation, during late childhood and adolescence, of fiber pathways presumably supporting motor and speech functions.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.283.5409.1908