Ted K. Turesky|Joseph S. Sanfilippo|Jennifer Zuk|Banu Ahtam|Borjan Gagoski|Ally Lee|Kathryn Garrisi|Jade Dunstan|Clarisa Carruthers|Jolijn Vanderauwera|Xianchuan Yu|Nadine Gaab
Home language and literacy environment and its relationship to socioeconomic status and white matter structure in infancy
Boston Children's Hospital|Harvard University|Harvard University|Boston Children's Hospital|Boston Children's Hospital|Boston Children's Hospital|Boston Children's Hospital|UCLouvain|Beijing Normal University|Harvard University
home language literacy environment hlle infancy associated subsequent preliteracy skill development hlle preschoolage shown correlate white matter organization tracts subserve prereading reading skills furthermore childhood socioeconomic status ses linked hlle white matter organization important understand whether relationships environmental factors hlle ses white matter organization detected early infancy period characterized rapid brain development may make white matter pathways particularly susceptible early experiences hypothesized hlle 1 relates white matter organization prereading readingrelated tracts infants 2 mediates link ses white matter organization test hypotheses infants mean age 86 23 months n 38 underwent diffusionweighted imaging mri natural sleep image processing performed infantspecific pipeline fractional anisotropy fa estimated arcuate fasciculus af superior longitudinal fasciculus slf bilaterally using baby automated fiber quantification method hlle measured reading subscale stimq stimqreading ses measured years maternal education selfreported maternal reading ability also quantified applied statistical models proxy confounding genetic effects stimqreading positively correlated fa left af maternal education mediate relationship taken together findings underscore importance considering hlle start life may inform novel prevention intervention strategies support developing infants period heightened brain plasticity