Cortical and white matter correlates of language-learning aptitudes
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
People learn new languages with varying degrees of success but what are the neuroanatomical correlates of the difference in language-learning aptitude? In this study, we set out to investigate how differences in cortical morphology and white matter microstructure correlate with aptitudes for vocabulary learning, phonetic memory, and grammatical inferencing as measured by the first-language neutral LLAMA test battery. We used ultra-high field (7T) magnetic resonance imaging to estimate the cortical thickness and surface area from sub-millimeter resolved image volumes. Further, diffusion kurtosis imaging was used to map diffusion properties related to the tissue microstructure from known language-related white matter tracts. We found a correlation between cortical surface area in the left posterior-inferior precuneus and vocabulary learning aptitude, possibly indicating a greater predisposition for storing word-figure associations. Moreover, we report negative correlations between scores for phonetic memory and axial kurtosis in left arcuate fasciculus as well as mean kurtosis, axial kurtosis, and radial kurtosis of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus III, which are tracts connecting cortical areas important for phonological working memory.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | Human Brain Mapping |
Vol/bind | 42 |
Udgave nummer | 15 |
Sider (fra-til) | 5037-5050 |
Antal sider | 14 |
ISSN | 1065-9471 |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - 2021 |
Eksternt udgivet | Ja |
Bibliografisk note
(Ekstern)
Funding Information:
the Swedish Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 2018.00632; Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 2018.0021; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Grant/Award Numbers: 2018.0454, 2014.0139 Funding information
Funding Information:
This work was supported by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (Grant No. 2014.0139 and 2018.0454), Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation (Grant No. 2018.0021), and the Swedish Research Council (Grant No. 2018.00632). Lund University Bioimaging Center (LBIC), Lund University, Sweden, is gratefully acknowledged for providing experimental resources. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (Grant No. 2014.0139 and 2018.0454), Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation (Grant No. 2018.0021), and the Swedish Research Council (Grant No. 2018.00632). Lund University Bioimaging Center (LBIC), Lund University, Sweden, is gratefully acknowledged for providing experimental resources. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
ID: 305549518