title: Early gray-matter and white-matter concentration in infancy predict later language skills: a whole brain voxel-based morphometry study.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans were obtained from 19 infants at 7 months. Expressive and receptive language performance was assessed at 12 months. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) identified brain regions where gray-matter and white-matter concentrations at 7 months correlated significantly with children's language scores at 12 months. Early gray-matter concentration in the right cerebellum, early white-matter concentration in the right cerebellum, and early white-matter concentration in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC)/cerebral peduncle were positively and strongly associated with infants' receptive language ability at 12 months. Early gray-matter concentration in the right hippocampus was positively and strongly correlated with infants' expressive language ability at 12 months. Our results suggest that the cerebellum, PLIC/cerebral peduncle, and the hippocampus may be associated with early language development. Potential links between these structural predictors and infants' linguistic functions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA. dilara@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Dilara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deniz Can
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Patricia K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kuhl
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002663:Child Language; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D007804:Language Development; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests