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Functional connectivity to a right hemisphere language center in prematurely born adolescents

Eliza H Myers1, Michelle Hampson, Betty Vohr

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA. myers.eliza@gmail.com

Neuroimage
|March 30, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Prematurely born adolescents show altered brain connectivity for language processing. Increased functional connectivity in the right hemisphere is linked to poorer language and cognitive outcomes in these individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Premature birth (PT) is associated with increased risk of language deficits later in life.
  • The underlying neurobiological mechanisms for these language impairments in preterm individuals are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neurobiological basis of language processing in adolescents who were born prematurely.
  • To examine functional brain connectivity and its correlation with cognitive and language outcomes at age 16.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess neural activity during a passive language task in 31 preterm and 36 term adolescents.
  • Neurodevelopmental assessments included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP), and Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE).
  • Functional connectivity (fcMRI) was analyzed, and correlations with cognitive scores were evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Preterm adolescents exhibited significantly lower scores on all WISC-III components compared to term controls.
  • Increased functional connectivity was observed between Wernicke's area (left BA 22) and the right supramarginal gyrus (BA 40) in preterm subjects.
  • The strength of this right-hemisphere connection was inversely correlated with performance on the PPVT-R and the verbal comprehension index.

Conclusions:

  • Adolescents born prematurely utilize a dorsal right hemisphere pathway for language processing at age 16.
  • Greater reliance on this alternate pathway is associated with more significant cognitive deficits in preterm individuals.
  • These findings highlight altered neurodevelopmental trajectories in language networks following premature birth.

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