Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 7, 2025

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
11:29

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools

Published on: June 20, 2020

9.4K

Aberrant Structural and Functional Developmental Trajectories in Children With Intellectual Disability

Xuejin Ma1, Jianxia Tan1, Lin Jiang1

  • 1Department of Radiology, The First People's Hospital of Zunyi, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.

Frontiers in Psychiatry
|April 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children with intellectual disability (ID) show altered brain development trajectories, with decreased gray and white matter volumes and abnormal functional connectivity. These changes highlight the frontoparietal network's role in typical development and may underlie ID neuropathology.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Intellectual disability (ID) involves aberrant brain development, but its dynamic changes from childhood to puberty are poorly understood.
  • Investigating developmental trajectories is crucial for understanding the neuropathological basis of ID.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the abnormal developmental trajectories of brain structure and function in children with ID.
  • To identify structural and functional differences and their correlation with intelligence.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 40 children with ID (6-13 years) and 30 healthy controls (HC).
  • Utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for structural analysis and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) for functional analysis.
  • Performed seed-based whole-brain FC analyses on regions with altered gray matter volume (GMV).

Main Results:

  • Children with ID exhibited significantly decreased total gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) compared to HC.
  • Developmental trajectories of GMV and WMV were reversed in ID compared to HC.
  • Increased GMV was observed in specific regions (dmPFC, orb_IFG, cuneus.R, MFG) in ID, with decreased FCs between cuneus.R-IPS.L and MFG.R-ACC.
  • Negative correlations between GMV and IQ, and positive correlations between specific FCs and IQ were found in ID and HC groups.

Conclusions:

  • Findings demonstrate abnormal structural and functional brain development in children with ID.
  • The frontoparietal network plays a critical role in typical neurodevelopment.
  • Abnormal GMV and functional connectivity patterns may represent the neuropathological basis of ID.

Keywords:
developmentfronto-parietal networkfunctional connectivitygray matter volumeintellectual disability

More Related Videos

Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking IPL: Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism10:11

Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking IPL: Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism

Published on: December 14, 2012

18.7K
A Novel Experimental and Analytical Approach to the Multimodal Neural Decoding of Intent During Social Interaction in Freely-behaving Human Infants11:14

A Novel Experimental and Analytical Approach to the Multimodal Neural Decoding of Intent During Social Interaction in Freely-behaving Human Infants

Published on: October 4, 2015

11.2K

Related Concept Videos

Intellectual Disability01:29

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
254
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
283
Introduction to Developmental Psychology01:27

Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology explores the changes and continuities in human abilities throughout life, encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social dimensions. Human development is not restricted to growth, but includes aspects of decline, particularly in physical abilities as individuals age. Developmental psychologists seek to understand how people change as they age and how their mental and social skills evolve.Developmental MilestonesA key concept in developmental psychology is...
887
Three Developmental Domains01:29

Three Developmental Domains

Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
680
Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
532
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition01:24

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are...
155