A longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging study of language development in children 5 to 11 years old.
OBJECTIVE
Language skills continue to develop rapidly in children during the school-age years, and the "snapshot" view of the neural substrates of language provided by current neuroimaging studies cannot capture the dynamic changes associated with brain development. The aim of this study was to conduct a 5-year longitudinal investigation of language development using functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy children.


METHODS
Thirty subjects enrolled at ages 5, 6, or 7 were examined annually for 5 years using a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner and a verb generation task. Data analysis was conducted based on a general linear model that was modified to investigate developmental changes whereas minimizing the potential for missing data.


RESULTS
With increasing age, there is progressive participation in language processing by the inferior/middle frontal, middle temporal, and angular gyri of the left hemisphere and the lingual and inferior temporal gyri of the right hemisphere and regression of participation of the left posterior insula/extrastriate cortex, left superior frontal and right anterior cingulate gyri, and left thalamus.


CONCLUSIONS
The age-related changes observed in this study provide evidence of increased neuroplasticity of language in this age group and may have implications for further investigations of normal and aberrant language development.
Szaflarski
Jerzy P
JP
Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, OH, USA.
Schmithorst
Vincent J
VJ
Altaye
Mekibib
M
Byars
Anna W
AW
Ret
Jennifer
J
Plante
Elena
E
Holland
Scott K
SK
D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics