Variations in distinct white matter tract structures are linked to functional variations in language and attention across development

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Variations in distinct white matter tract structures are linked to functional variations in language and attention across development Bruce D. McCandliss1* 1 Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology, United States Specific relationships exist between structural variations in white matter tract anatomy (as measured by DTI) and functional variations in language and executive attention. Drawing on research spanning from late childhood through adulthood, this talk reviews individual differences in specific regions of white matter anatomical microstructure and links these to variation in functional efficiency across a number of computationally distinct cognitive operations. This is first shown within samples of typically developing children and adults, then in special populations that exhibit deficits in white matter and functional deficits in specific cognitive processes. The resulting structure-function relationships are both regionally specific in their anatomical location and functionally specific in terms of cognitive processes. For example, within the domain of attention, individual differences in separate white matter tracts are linked to performance measures of alerting, orienting, cognitive conflict. Similar structure-function dissociations occur across specific components of memory systems, and across specific components of language processing. These structure-function relationships are paralleled in studies of more extreme functional and structural variation that characterize children with developmental language and attention disabilities, as well as adult studies of cognitive disruptions associated with mild traumatic brain injury. A dimensional framework is presented that argues that the same principled relationships between brain structures and functions may explain specific symptoms of developmental disabilities as well as typical variation in cognitive processes. Conference: Conference on Neurocognitive Development, Berkeley, CA, United States, 12 Jul - 14 Jul, 2009. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Language Citation: McCandliss BD (2009). Variations in distinct white matter tract structures are linked to functional variations in language and attention across development. Conference Abstract: Conference on Neurocognitive Development. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.10.008 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 06 Jul 2009; Published Online: 06 Jul 2009. * Correspondence: Bruce D McCandliss, Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology, Nashville, United States, brucemc@stanford.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Bruce D McCandliss Google Bruce D McCandliss Google Scholar Bruce D McCandliss PubMed Bruce D McCandliss Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.