Rachel Romeo|Joshua Segaran|Julia A. Leonard|Sydney T. Robinson|Martin R. West|Allyson P. Mackey|Anastasia Yendiki|Meredith L. Rowe|John D. E. Gabrieli
Language Exposure Relates to Structural Neural Connectivity in Childhood
Boston Children's Hospital|Harvard University|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|Harvard University Press|University of Pennsylvania|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging|Harvard University|Massachusetts General Hospital|Harvard University Press|Harvard University Press|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology
neuroscience research elucidated broad relationships socioeconomic status ses young childrens brain structure little mechanistic knowledge specific environmental factors associated specific variation brain structure one environmental factor early language exposure predicts childrens linguistic cognitive skills later academic achievement language exposure relates neuroanatomy unknown measuring realworld language exposure young children ages 46 years 27 male13 female confirmed preregistered hypothesis greater adultchild conversational experience independent ses sheer amount adult speech related stronger coherent white matter connectivity left arcuate superior longitudinal fasciculi average specifically near anterior termination brocas area left inferior frontal cortex fractional anisotropy significant tract subregions mediated relationship conversational turns childrens language skills indicated neuroanatomical mechanism underlying ses language gap post hoc wholebrain analyses revealed language exposure related white matter tracts indicating specificity relationship results suggest development dorsal language tracts environmentally influenced specifically early dialogic interaction furthermore findings raise possibility early intervention programs aiming ameliorate disadvantages development due family ses may focus increasing childrens conversational exposure capitalize early neural plasticity underlying cognitive developmentsignificance statement last decade cognitive neuroscience highlighted detrimental impact disadvantaged backgrounds young childrens brain structure however intervene effectively must know proximal aspects environmental aspects strongly related neural development present study finds young childrens realworld language exposure specifically amount adultchild conversation correlates strength connectivity left hemisphere white matter pathway connecting two canonical language regions independent socioeconomic status sheer volume adult speech findings suggest early intervention programs aiming close achievement gap may focus increasing childrens conversational exposure capitalize early neural plasticity underlying cognitive development