Structural correlates of functional language dominance: a voxel-based morphometry study.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to explore the structural correlates of functional language dominance by directly comparing the brain morphology of healthy subjects with left- and right-hemisphere language dominance.


METHODS
Twenty participants were selected based on their language dominance from a cohort of subjects with known language lateralization. Structural differences between both groups were assessed by voxel-based morphometry, a technique that automatically identifies differences in the local gray matter volume between groups using high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance images.


RESULTS
The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) Subjects with right-hemisphere language dominance had significantly larger gray matter volume in the right hippocampus than subjects with left-hemisphere language dominance. (2) Leftward structural asymmetries in the posterior superior temporal cortex, including the planum temporale (PT), were observed in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study does not support the still prevalent view that asymmetries of the PT are related in a direct way to functional language lateralization. The structural differences found in the hippocampus underline the importance of the medial temporal lobe in the neural language network. They are discussed in the context of recent findings attributing a critical role of the hippocampus in the development of language lateralization.
Jansen
Andreas
A
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Liuzzi
Gianpiero
G
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Deppe
Michael
M
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Kanowski
Martin
M
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Ölschläger
Christian
C
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Albers
Johannes M
JM
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Schlaug
Gottfried
G
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
Knecht
Stefan
S
Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ).
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic