Language-related white matter tracts and their relationship to language function in typically developing children

Abstract

The dorsal and ventral white matter tracts believed to connect the anterior and posterior language cortices have been investigated in previous studies, but not extensively in children and adolescents. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography was used in order to examine the asymmetry of dorsal and ventral language white matter tracts of 34 typically developing children ages 8 to 18, and the relationship of these asymmetries with language development and ability. In our sample of participants, the dorsal and ventral tracts both demonstrated lateralization to the left hemisphere in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD), but not for tract volume or axial diffusivity (AD). We found no correlations between tract asymmetries and age or language level.