Choi Eun Jung, Vandewouw Marlee M, Young Julia M, Taylor Margot J
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2018 Dec 20;12:512. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00512. eCollection 2018.
Language deficits are reported in preterm born children across development. Recent neuroimaging studies have found functional alterations in large-scale brain networks underlying these language deficits, but the early childhood development of the language network has not been investigated. Here, we compared intrinsic language network connectivity in 4-year-old children born VPT and term-born controls, using defined language regions (Broca's area, Wernicke's areas, and their homologues in the right hemisphere). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was obtained, and the group differences in whole-brain connectivity were examined from each seed as well as correlations with language outcomes. We found significantly decreased functional connectivity in almost all language regions in children born VPT compared to their term controls. Notably, Broca's area homologue in the right hemisphere emerged as a functional hub of decreased connectivity in VPT group, specifically to bilateral inferior frontal and supramarginal gyri; connectivity strength between Broca's area homologue with the right supramarginal and the left inferior frontal gyri was associated with better language outcomes at 4 years of age. Wernicke's area and its homologue also showed decreased inter-hemispheric connections to bilateral supramarginal gyri in the VPT group. Decreased intra- and inter-hemispheric connectivity among primary language regions suggests immature and altered function in the language network in children born VPT.
据报道，早产儿童在整个发育过程中存在语言缺陷。最近的神经影像学研究发现，这些语言缺陷背后的大规模脑网络存在功能改变，但语言网络在幼儿期的发育情况尚未得到研究。在此，我们使用定义的语言区域（布洛卡区、韦尼克区及其右半球的对应区域），比较了极早产（VPT）出生儿童和足月儿对照组4岁时的内在语言网络连通性。获取了静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI），并检查了每个种子点的全脑连通性组间差异以及与语言结果的相关性。我们发现，与足月儿对照组相比，VPT出生儿童几乎所有语言区域的功能连通性显著降低。值得注意的是，右半球的布洛卡区对应区域成为VPT组连通性降低的功能枢纽，特别是与双侧额下回和缘上回；布洛卡区对应区域与右侧缘上回和左侧额下回之间的连通性强度与4岁时更好的语言结果相关。VPT组中，韦尼克区及其对应区域与双侧缘上回的半球间连接也减少。主要语言区域内和半球间连通性的降低表明VPT出生儿童的语言网络功能不成熟且发生了改变。
