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Corpus callosum microstructure is associated with motor function in preschool children
Melody N Grohs1, Jess E Reynolds2, Deborah Dewey3
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada; Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500, University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Neuroimage
|September 7, 2018
Summary
Preschoolers with better motor skills show more mature white matter in key brain pathways. These findings highlight sex differences in motor development and brain structure, particularly in females.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Preschool years are critical for motor skill development.
- Neural basis of early childhood motor advancements is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate brain white matter pathways related to motor skills in preschoolers.
- Examine the link between white matter integrity and motor performance.
Main Methods:
- Used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 80 typically developing children (3-6 years).
- Assessed motor function using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd edition (MABC-II).
- Analyzed correlations between DTI metrics and MABC-II scores, controlling for age and sex.
Main Results:
- Higher motor performance correlated with greater fractional anisotropy in corpus callosum motor fibers.
- Motor performance showed negative correlations with mean and radial diffusivity in these pathways.
- These correlations were significant in girls but not boys.
- Specific regions of the corticospinal tract (CST) showed relationships with motor performance.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers with superior motor skills exhibit more developed white matter in motor pathways.
- White matter structural variations may explain individual differences in motor performance.
- Sex-specific differences in brain-motor relationships warrant further investigation.
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