Structural neural connectivity correlates with pre-reading abilities in preschool children
Mohammad Ghasoub1, Meaghan Perdue2, Xiangyu Long2
1Cumming School of Medicine, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
|January 3, 2024
Summary
Early childhood brain connectivity, specifically in the reading network, supports phonological processing skills crucial for reading development. This research highlights the structural neural correlates emerging before formal reading instruction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Pre-reading abilities predict later reading success and can be measured before formal instruction.
- The neural underpinnings of these early pre-reading skills in young children remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of pre-reading abilities in young children.
- To examine the association between white matter connectivity and pre-reading skills.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diffusion MRI to assess white matter connectivity in 81 children (aged 2-6 years).
- Applied graph theory analysis to a defined reading and language neural network.
- Employed linear mixed models to analyze associations between pre-reading assessments (Phonological Processing, Speeded Naming) and network connectivity measures.
Main Results:
- Phonological Processing scores showed positive associations with global efficiency, local efficiency, and clustering coefficient in the bilateral and right hemisphere reading networks.
- Significant associations were also found for local efficiency and clustering coefficient in the left hemisphere network.
Conclusions:
- Structural neural correlates of Phonological Processing are evident in early childhood, preceding and during early reading instruction.
- This study provides evidence for the early emergence of brain network structures supporting foundational reading skills.
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