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Scanning Dos and Don'ts: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Children Aged 3 to 5 Years to Assess Brain Structure and Function
Published on: March 10, 2026
Brain anatomy, processing speed, and reading in school-age children.
Christiana M Leonard1, Pauline Low, Emily E Jonczak
1Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. leonard@mbi.ufl.edu
Developmental Neuropsychology
|October 8, 2011
Summary
Anatomical risk index (ARI) predicts reading ability in children, especially those with low processing speed. Cerebral volume and asymmetry may enhance cognitive flexibility for better reading outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Reading ability is crucial for academic success.
- Understanding the neuroanatomical underpinnings of reading difficulties is essential.
- Previous research suggests links between brain structure and reading skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate an anatomical risk index (ARI) for predicting reading ability in children.
- To investigate the relationship between cerebral volume, perisylvian asymmetry, and reading performance.
- To explore the interaction between anatomical factors and processing speed in reading development.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 43 children aged 9-18.
- Construction of an ARI based on seven anatomical measures of cerebral volume and perisylvian asymmetry.
- Regression analysis to predict real-word reading ability using ARI, processing speed, and their interaction.
Main Results:
- Negative ARIs (low cerebral volume/symmetry) correlated with poor reading ability in children with low processing speed.
- Anatomical factors, processing speed, and their interaction explained 53% of the variance in real-word reading.
- Leftward perisylvian asymmetry and larger cerebral volumes were associated with cognitive flexibility in children with low processing speed.
Conclusions:
- The ARI, combined with processing speed, is a significant predictor of reading ability.
- Cerebral anatomy, particularly volume and symmetry, plays a role in supporting cognitive flexibility for reading in specific populations.
- Findings highlight the complex interplay between neuroanatomy and cognitive function in reading development.
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