Schaeffer David J, Krafft Cynthia E, Schwarz Nicolette F, Chi Lingxi, Rodrigue Amanda L, Pierce Jordan E, Allison Jerry D, Yanasak Nathan E, Liu Tianming, Davis Catherine L, McDowell Jennifer E
Departments of aNeuroscience bPsychology cComputer Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia Departments of dRadiology ePediatrics and Georgia Prevention Center, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Neuroreport. 2014 Aug 20;25(12):921-5. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000204.
During childhood, verbal learning and memory are important for academic performance. Recent functional MRI studies have reported on the functional correlates of verbal memory proficiency, but few have reported the underlying structural correlates. The present study sought to test the relationship between fronto-temporal white matter integrity and verbal memory proficiency in children. Diffusion weighted images were collected from 17 Black children (age 8-11 years) who also completed the California Verbal Learning Test. To index white matter integrity, fractional anisotropy values were calculated for bilateral uncinate fasciculus. The results revealed that low anisotropy values corresponded to poor verbal memory, whereas high anisotropy values corresponded to significantly better verbal memory scores. These findings suggest that a greater degree of myelination and cohesiveness of axonal fibers in uncinate fasciculus underlie better verbal memory proficiency in children.
在儿童时期，言语学习和记忆对学业成绩很重要。最近的功能磁共振成像研究报告了言语记忆熟练度的功能相关性，但很少有研究报告其潜在的结构相关性。本研究旨在测试儿童额颞叶白质完整性与言语记忆熟练度之间的关系。对17名黑人儿童（8至11岁）采集了扩散加权图像，这些儿童还完成了加利福尼亚言语学习测试。为了衡量白质完整性，计算了双侧钩束的各向异性分数值。结果显示，低各向异性值对应较差的言语记忆，而高各向异性值对应显著更好的言语记忆分数。这些发现表明，钩束中轴突纤维更高程度的髓鞘化和内聚性是儿童更好的言语记忆熟练度的基础。
