Abstract
Introduction: Reading is an acquired-developmental ability that relies on intact language and executive function skills. Verbal fluency tasks (such as verb generation) also engage language and executive function skills. Performance of such tasks matures with normal language development, and is independent of reading proficiency. In this longitudinal fMRI study, we aim to examine the association between maturation of neural-circuits supporting both executive functions and language (assessed using verb generation) with reading proficiency achieved in adolescence with a focus on left-lateralization typical for language proficiency.Methods: Normalized fMRI data from the verb generation task was collected from 16 healthy children at ages 7, 11, and 17 years and was correlated with reading scores at 17 years of age. Lateralization indices were calculated in key language, reading, and executive function-related regions in all age groups.Results: Typical development was associated with (i) increasingly left-lateralized patterns in language regions (ii) more profound left-lateralized activation for reading and executive function-related regions when correlating with reading scores, (iii) greater involvement of frontal and parietal regions (in older children), and of the anterior frontal cortex (in younger children).Conclusion: We suggest that reading and verb generation share mutual neural-circuits during development with major reliance on regions related to executive functions and reading. The results are discussed in the context of the dual-networks architecture model.
Highlights
Reading is an acquired-developmental ability that relies on intact language and executive function skills
Typical development was associated with (i) increasingly left-lateralized patterns in language regions (ii) more profound left-lateralized activation for reading and executive function-related regions when correlating with reading scores, (iii) greater involvement of frontal and parietal regions, and of the anterior frontal cortex
We suggest that reading and verb generation share mutual neural-circuits during development with major reliance on regions related to executive functions and reading
Summary
Reading is an acquired-developmental ability that relies on intact language and executive function skills. Verbal fluency tasks (such as verb generation) engage language and executive function skills Performance of such tasks matures with normal language development, and is independent of reading proficiency. Individuals performing a semantic category fluency task, exhibit activation of the left hemisphere regions related to language and articulation [inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), representing word retrieval; middle frontal gyrus (MFG) attributed to verbal WM, and supplementary motor area (SMA), which reflects attention and motor planning] (Paulesu et al, 1997; Hugdahl et al, 1999; Pihlajamaki et al, 2000; Gaillard et al, 2003) in both children and adults (Gaillard et al, 2003). The verb generation task reflects semantic verbal fluency ability (Piatt et al, 1999) In this task, participants are presented with a noun, either auditorily or visually, and are asked to generate related verbs. We have documented developmental changes in lateralization of the language-network supporting the verb generation task in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience www.frontiersin.org
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