title: Variations in the neurobiology of reading in children and adolescents born full term and preterm.
abstract: Diffusion properties of white matter tracts have been associated with individual differences in reading. Individuals born preterm are at risk of injury to white matter. In this study we compared the associations between diffusion properties of white matter and reading skills in children and adolescents born full term and preterm. 45 participants, aged 9-17 years, included 26 preterms (born < 36 weeks' gestation) and 19 full-terms. Tract fractional anisotropy (FA) profiles were generated for five bilateral white matter tracts previously associated with reading: anterior superior longitudinal fasciculus (aSLF), arcuate fasciculus (Arc), corticospinal tract (CST), uncinate fasciculus (UF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). Mean scores on reading for the two groups were in the normal range and were not statistically different. In both groups, FA was associated with measures of single word reading and comprehension in the aSLF, AF, CST, and UF. However, correlations were negative in the full term group and positive in the preterm group. These results demonstrate variations in the neurobiology of reading in children born full term and preterm despite comparable reading skills. Findings suggest that efficient information exchange required for strong reading abilities may be accomplished via a different balance of neurobiological mechanisms in different groups of readers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.affiliation: The Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Shachar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Nathaniel J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Myall
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States. Electronic address: hfeldman@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Heidi M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Feldman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
keywords: Anisotropy; Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI); Prematurity; Reading; White matter