Saggu Sukhmani Kaur, Huynh Thi, Cummine Jacqueline
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G4, Canada.
Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Brain Struct Funct. 2024 Dec 21;230(1):16. doi: 10.1007/s00429-024-02871-8.
Much brain imaging work has underscored the functional connections among the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; articulation), supramarginal gyrus (SMG; letter-sound correspondence), superior temporal gyrus (STG; sound) and fusiform gyrus (FFG; print) during basic reading processes. This reading network supports and coordinates the complex processes that contribute to successful reading. In line with the Hebbian notion that 'neurons that fire together, wire together' we examined cortical thickness among these regions and the extent to which these regions showed structural relationships in average and impaired readers. Structural high resolution brain scans from 87 adult participants including average (N = 56; 51 right-handed; females = 29; mean age = 20.5; SD = 2.14) and impaired (N = 31; 27 right-handed; females = 24; mean age = 23.1; SD = 4.23) readers were collated. Cortical thickness measurements of the left and right IFG, SMG, STG, and FFG were extracted. Average readers had significantly greater cortical thickness in the right IFG and right SMG compared to impaired readers. Within each group, similarly strong relationships between the left and right structures were observed. Average readers had a significantly stronger connection between the left IFG-FFG compared to impaired readers (p = 0.012). In contrast, the impaired readers had a significantly stronger connection between the left STG-FFG compared to average readers (p = 0.027). In conclusion, the findings suggest that structural relationships within the reading network may contribute to variations in reading proficiency, with average readers exhibiting distinct patterns of cortical thickness and relationships compared to impaired readers. Further exploration of these structural differences could offer valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying reading abilities and disabilities.
许多脑成像研究都强调了在基本阅读过程中，额下回（IFG；发音）、缘上回（SMG；字母-声音对应）、颞上回（STG；声音）和梭状回（FFG；文字）之间的功能联系。这个阅读网络支持并协调有助于成功阅读的复杂过程。根据赫布提出的“一起放电的神经元，会连接在一起”这一概念，我们研究了这些区域的皮质厚度，以及这些区域在普通读者和阅读障碍读者中呈现结构关系的程度。我们整理了87名成年参与者的高分辨率脑结构扫描数据，其中包括普通读者（N = 56；51名右利手；女性 = 29；平均年龄 = 20.5；标准差 = 2.14）和阅读障碍读者（N = 31；27名右利手；女性 = 24；平均年龄 = 23.1；标准差 = 4.23）。提取了左右两侧额下回、缘上回、颞上回和梭状回的皮质厚度测量值。与阅读障碍读者相比，普通读者右侧额下回和右侧缘上回的皮质厚度明显更大。在每组中，左右结构之间都观察到了同样强烈的关系。与阅读障碍读者相比，普通读者左侧额下回-梭状回之间的连接明显更强（p = 0.012）。相比之下，阅读障碍读者左侧颞上回-梭状回之间的连接比普通读者明显更强（p = 0.027）。总之，研究结果表明，阅读网络中的结构关系可能导致阅读能力的差异，与阅读障碍读者相比，普通读者表现出不同的皮质厚度模式和关系。对这些结构差异的进一步探索可能会为阅读能力和阅读障碍背后的神经机制提供有价值的见解。
