Age-related brain structural alterations in children with specific language impairment.
Previous neuroimaging studies have suggested that children with specific language impairment (SLI) may show subtle anatomical alterations in specific brain regions. We aimed to characterize structural abnormalities in children with SLI using a voxel-wise analysis over the whole brain. Subjects covered a wide age range (5-17 years) in order to assess the dynamic nature of the disorder across childhood. Three-dimensional MRIs were collected from 36 children with SLI and from a comparable group of healthy controls. Global gray and white matter measurements were obtained for each subject, and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to evaluate between-group differences in regional brain anatomy. Possible age-related changes were assessed in separate analyses of younger (below 11 years of age) and older children. SLI patients showed larger global gray and white matter volumes, particularly in the younger subgroup. Voxel-wise analyses of the whole sample showed two regions of increased gray matter volume in SLI: the right perisylvian region and the occipital petalia. Age-group analyses suggested a more extended pattern of volume increases in the younger subjects, which included entorhinal, temporopolar, caudate nucleus, motor-precentral and precuneus gray matter, and white matter of the frontal and temporal lobes. Our results suggest that in the SLI brain there are enduring anatomical alterations that exist across a wide age range, as well as a distributed pattern of abnormalities that appear to normalize with development. They also suggest that the neuroanatomical basis of SLI may be better characterized by considering the dynamic course of the disorder throughout childhood.
Soriano-Mas
Carles
C
Institut d'Alta Tecnologia-PRBB, CRC Corporació Sanitària, Passeig Marítim 25-29, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. csoriano@crccorp.es
Pujol
Jesús
J
Ortiz
Héctor
H
Deus
Joan
J
López-Sala
Anna
A
Sans
Anna
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology
Brain Lang. 1991 Jul;41(1):52-66
1884191
Pediatrics. 2006 Nov;118(5):e1541-9
17079548
Neuroimage. 2002 Oct;17(2):670-9
12377142
Brain Lang. 2007 Jul;102(1):91-8
17010420
Neurology. 2001 Jul 24;57(2):245-54
11468308
Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007 May;8(5):393-402
17431404
Semin Pediatr Neurol. 1997 Jun;4(2):86-92
9195665
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2000 Oct;41(7):869-74
11079429
Lang Cogn Process. 2001 Apr 1;16(2-3):287-308
16703115
J Commun Disord. 2002 Nov-Dec;35(6):501-31
12443050
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1996 Sep;37(6):643-55
8894945
Psychol Bull. 2004 Nov;130(6):858-86
15535741
Neuroimage. 2006 May 1;30(4):1414-32
16413796
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Oct 13;95(21):12695-700
9770548
Brain. 2002 Mar;125(Pt 3):465-78
11872605
Neuroimage. 2000 Jun;11(6 Pt 1):805-21
10860804
Neuroimage. 2006 Jan 1;29(1):254-66
16109491
Brain. 2006 Dec;129(Pt 12):3329-42
17012292
Neuroimage. 2002 Aug;16(4):1038-51
12202091
Behav Brain Sci. 2002 Dec;25(6):727-50; discussion 750-87
14598624
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1998 Apr;41(2):407-18
9570592
Brain. 2005 Apr;128(Pt 4):797-810
15705610
Neuroreport. 2005 Mar 15;16(4):397-401
15729145
Magn Reson Med. 2003 Oct;50(4):749-57
14523961
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1997 Dec;40(6):1272-84
9430748
Dev Med Child Neurol. 2000 Jul;42(7):470-5
10972419
Nat Neurosci. 1999 Oct;2(10):861-3
10491603
Brain. 2005 Jan;128(Pt 1):213-26
15563515
Neuroimage. 2006 Feb 15;29(4):1066-79
16198126
Neuropsychologia. 1998 Sep;36(9):849-55
9740358
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2005 Mar;46(3):317-26
15755307
J Speech Hear Res. 1990 Mar;33(1):70-83
2314086
Neurology. 2002 Jul 23;59(2):245-50
12136065
Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2000 Sep;10(1-2):37-44
10978690
Nat Neurosci. 2003 Nov;6(11):1230-7
14555953
Arch Neurol. 1991 May;48(5):539-45
2021369
Ann Neurol. 2004 Dec;56(6):757-66
15478219
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2006;30(6):718-29
16887188
J Child Neurol. 2004 Jul;19(7):471-81
15526950
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1999 Oct;42(5):1195-204
10515515
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2000 Jul;41(5):587-600
10946751
Brain. 2003 May;126(Pt 5):1182-92
12690057
Ann Neurol. 2004 Apr;55(4):530-40
15048892
Dev Psychobiol. 2005 May;46(4):362-9
15832319
Trends Neurosci. 2006 Mar;29(3):148-59
16472876