Maturation of speech and language functional neuroanatomy in pediatric normal controls.
OBJECTIVE
This study explores the relationship between age and resting-state regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in regions associated with higher order language skills using a population of normal children, adolescents, and young adults.


METHODS
rCBF was measured in 33 normal participants between the ages of 7 and 19 years using single photon emission computed tomography. Participants' ages were regressed on rCBF values (normalized to whole-brain CBF) in 2 ways: (a) within anatomically defined, language-related regions of interest (ROIs) including Wernicke's area, Broca's area, angular gyrus, planum temporale, and Heschl's gyrus and (b) within clusters of voxels found to be significantly related to age in voxel-wise analyses.


RESULTS
rCBF in all anatomically defined ROIs except Heschl's gyrus declined as a function of age. Additionally, voxel-wise analyses revealed clusters where rCBF declined with age in left inferior parietal, left superior temporal, and right middle temporal regions-areas often implicated in higher order language functions.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that ongoing maturation (e.g., dendritic pruning) in higher order cognitive areas (e.g., angular gyrus) continues into adolescence, as reflected by declining rCBF, while the primary auditory area (Heschl's gyrus) has become a stable neuronal population by age 7 years.
Devous
Michael D
MD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9061, USA. Michael.Devous@UTSouthwestern.edu
Altuna
Dianne
D
Furl
Nicholas
N
Cooper
William
W
Gabbert
Gretchen
G
Ngai
Wei Tat
WT
Chiu
Stephanie
S
Scott
Jack M
JM
Harris
Thomas S
TS
Payne
J Kelly
JK
Tobey
Emily A
EA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon