title: Spatiotemporal and frequency signatures of word recognition in the developing brain: a magnetoencephalographic study.
abstract: High-frequency oscillations in the brain open a new window for studies of language development in humans. The objective of this study is to determine the spatiotemporal and frequency signatures of word processing in healthy children. Sixty healthy children aged 6-17 years were studied with a whole-cortex magnetoencephalography (MEG) system using a word recognition paradigm optimized for children. The temporal signature of neuromagnetic activation was measured using averaged waveforms. The spatial and frequency signatures of neuromagnetic activation were assessed with wavelet-based beamformer analyses. The results of waveform analyses showed that the latencies of the first and third neuromagnetic responses changed with age (p<0.01). The source imaging data revealed a clear lateralization of source activation in the 70-120 Hz range in children within the age range of 6 to 13 years of age (p<0.01). Males and females demonstrated different developmental trajectories over the age range of 9 to 13 years of age (p<0.01). These findings suggest that left-hemisphere language processing emerges from early bilateral brain areas with gender optimal neural networks. The neuromagnetic signatures of language development in healthy children may be used as references for future identification of aberrant language function in children with various disorders.
authors: MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
authors: Abhijeet
authors: A
authors: Gummadavelli
authors: MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
authors: Yingying
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
authors: Xinyao
authors: X
authors: Guo
authors: MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Pardos
authors: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
authors: Hongtao
authors: H
authors: Chu
authors: Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors: Yinhong
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA; Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Horn
authors: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
authors: Fawen
authors: F
authors: Zhang
authors: MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA. Electronic address: Jing.xiang@cchmc.org.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011932:Reading; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*