Premium
Reading performance correlates with white‐matter properties in preterm and term children
Author(s) -
ANDREWS JAMES S,
BENSHACHAR MICHAL,
YEATMAN JASON D,
FLOM LYNDA L,
LUNA BEATRIZ,
FELDMAN HEIDI M
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03456.x
Subject(s) - fractional anisotropy , corpus callosum , white matter , psychology , diffusion mri , gestational age , audiology , reading comprehension , full term , developmental psychology , medicine , reading (process) , magnetic resonance imaging , pregnancy , genetics , neuroscience , biology , political science , law , radiology
Aim We used diffusion tensor imaging to investigate the association between white‐matter integrity and reading ability in a cohort of 28 children. Nineteen preterm children (14 males, five females; mean age 11y 11mo [SD 1y 10mo], mean gestational age 30.5wks (SD 3.2), mean birthweight was 1455g [SD 625]); and nine term children (five males, four females; mean age 12y 8mo [SD 2y 5mo], mean gestational age 39.6wks (SD 1.2), and mean birthweight 3877g [SD 473]). Method We tested whether fractional anisotropy in a left hemisphere temporoparietal region and in the corpus callosum correlates with birthweight and scores on the following three subtests of the Woodcock‐Johnson III Tests of Achievement: word identification, word attack, and passage comprehension. Results Preterm children had lower reading scores than a comparison group for all reading subtests ( p <0.05). We found significant correlations between birthweight and fractional anisotropy in the whole corpus callosum ( p =0.001), and between fractional anisotropy and reading skill in the genu ( p =0.001) and body ( p =0.001) of the corpus callosum. The correlation between reading skill and fractional anisotropy in a left temporoparietal region previously associated with reading disability was not significant ( p =0.095). Interpretation We conclude that perinatal white‐matter injury of the central corpus callosum may have long‐term developmental implications for reading performance.