Reading performance correlates with white-matter properties in preterm and term children

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Reading ability is crucial for academic success.
• White-matter integrity, assessed via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), plays a role in cognitive functions.
• Preterm birth is associated with potential neurological and developmental challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between white-matter integrity and reading ability in children.
• To explore correlations between fractional anisotropy (FA) in specific brain regions and reading performance.
• To examine the influence of birth weight and gestational age on white-matter structure and reading skills.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to measure white-matter integrity.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) was analyzed in the left temporoparietal region and corpus callosum.
• Reading ability was assessed using Woodcock-Johnson III subtests (word identification, word attack, passage comprehension).

Main Results:

• Preterm children exhibited lower reading scores compared to a control group.
• Significant correlations were found between birth weight and FA in the corpus callosum.
• FA in the genu and body of the corpus callosum correlated significantly with reading skills.

Conclusions:

• White-matter integrity in the corpus callosum is associated with reading performance.
• Perinatal white-matter injury, especially in the corpus callosum, may have lasting effects on reading development.
• The findings highlight the importance of perinatal factors for long-term reading outcomes.