Developmental differences between the brain of bilingual and monolingual children: an MRI study with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Seyede Ghazal Mohades, Chris Baeken

Research output: Contribution to journalConference paper

Abstract

Developmental differences between the brain of bilingual and monolingual children: an MRI study with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
S.G. Mohades1, C. Baeken2
1Jette,BE,Vrij Universiteit Brussel- UZ Brussel,Radiology, 2Gent,BE,UGent,Psychiatry and Medical Psychology
Purpose/Introduction
Our previous study(1) showed differences in mean fractional anisotropy(FA) values of some language related white matter pathways between 2 groups of bilingual (simultaneous and sequential) and monolingual children. Our hypothesis was that brain of these groups might have different maturation processes. In order to assess this, we examine the same groups after 2 years with same imaging technique: same fibres are studied by DT-MRI fibre tracking. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of 2 year time interval on FA values of these fibres. The explored pathways are:1) left arcuate fasciculus/superior longitudinal fasciculus (lAF/lSLF); 2)left inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus (lIFOF);3)bundle arising from anterior part of corpus callosum (CC) projecting to orbital lobe (AC-OL),4) fibres emerging from anterior midbody (AMB) of CC that associate with premotor cortex (AMB-PMC).
Subjects and Methods
A 3T MR system (Philips Achieva Release 2.5,Eindhoven) with 8 channel SENSE head coil was used.3 groups(11 simultaneous bilinguals,15 sequential bilinguals,9 monolingual children),were scanned with following parameters: SS-SEEPI sequence,15 non-collinear diffusion gradient directions, b=700 s/mm²,TR=6484 ms, TE=60 ms, FOV =224x224x120 mm3, 60 oblique axial 2mm reconstructed slices, scan duration=454 s. All children are right-handed, healthy males and females. The age range was116-165 (135.8±11.3) months and time interval between 2 scans was19-27(22.3±2.3) months.Figure1 shows an example of bundles: IFOF(red),AF/SLF(cyan),AC-OL(green),AMB-PMC (yellow). Mean FA was calculated for each subject using DTIstudio software(Johns Hopkins,Baltimore,USA).Non-parametric tests were used to compare mean FA values for 2 runs and 3 groups for 4 bundles. Correlation analysis was done to show degree of association between FA values and time interval between 2 scans. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered to be significant (considering Bonferroni correction).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)267-268
Number of pages2
JournalMagnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine
Volume1/1993
Issue numberESMRMB October 2013
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2013
EventESMRMB 2013, 30th Annual Scientific Meeting - Toulouse, France
Duration: 3 Oct 20135 Oct 2013

Keywords

  • DTI,
  • Bilingualism
  • Longitudinal

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