Neuroimaging in pediatric language development and disorders: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Infancy and early childhood are crucial for language acquisition and identifying language disorders.
• Neuroimaging techniques like fMRI, DTI, and MEG offer detailed insights into the neural basis of language development and disorders.
• A significant gap exists in comprehensive literature reviews on neuroimaging applications in pediatric language research, especially for children under eight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of neuroimaging studies examining language development and disorders in children under eight.
• To synthesize existing literature and address the lack of cohesive understanding in this research area.
• To provide a foundation for future research and clinical applications in pediatric neuroimaging for language.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review guided by the Arksey and O'Malley framework.
• Systematic literature search across multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library) including grey literature.
• Screening of studies based on predefined inclusion criteria, followed by quantitative and qualitative data synthesis.

Main Results:

• The review will provide a comprehensive overview of methodologies and findings in pediatric neuroimaging for language.
• Identification of critical gaps in current research will be a key outcome.
• Strengths and limitations of different neuroimaging techniques in studying pediatric language will be highlighted.

Conclusions:

• This review will offer a summary of neuroimaging's role in understanding pediatric language development and disorders.
• It will guide future research directions by pinpointing areas needing further investigation.
• The findings will contribute to a better understanding of neuroimaging's clinical implications in speech-language pathology for young children.