Functional magnetic resonance imaging of phonologic processing in neurofibromatosis 1

Neurofibromatosis 1 is associated with reading disabilities, but few associations between neuroanatomic abnormalities and reading problems have been found. We examined the neuronal bases for phonologic processing, a core component of learning to read, in 15 individuals with neurofibromatosis 1 and 1...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of child neurology Vol. 18; no. 11; p. 731
Main Authors Billingsley, Rebecca L, Jackson, Edward F, Slopis, John M, Swank, Paul R, Mahankali, Srikanth, Moore, 3rd, Bartlett D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.11.2003
Subjects
Adolescent
Auditory Perception - physiology
Case-Control Studies
Child
Dyslexia - etiology
Dyslexia - pathology
Dyslexia - physiopathology
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Neurofibromatosis 1 - complications
Neurofibromatosis 1 - pathology
Neurofibromatosis 1 - physiopathology
Task Performance and Analysis
Visual Perception - physiology
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Neurofibromatosis 1 is associated with reading disabilities, but few associations between neuroanatomic abnormalities and reading problems have been found. We examined the neuronal bases for phonologic processing, a core component of learning to read, in 15 individuals with neurofibromatosis 1 and 15 controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our results revealed differential use of inferior and dorsolateral prefrontal cortical areas relative to posterior (temporal, parietal, and occipital) cortices for participants with neurofibromatosis 1 compared with controls during phonologic (rhyme) decisions. In addition, similar to previous brain imaging studies of reading deficits in the general population, poorer performance on one of the phonologic decision tasks was associated with increased signal change in the right superior temporal gyrus for the neurofibromatosis 1 group. Behavioral performance on the functional MRI tasks was related to academic reading measures for the neurofibromatosis 1 group. The differential patterns of functional connectivity observed here lend support to previous morphologic studies that suggested inferior frontal and superior temporal areas to be important mediators of reading and language development in neurofibromatosis 1.
ISSN:0883-0738
DOI:10.1177/08830738030180110701