Article

AIM: To assess associations between white matter properties and pre-reading
skills (phonological awareness and receptive and expressive language) in children
born preterm and at term at the onset of reading acquisition. METHOD: Six-year-old children born preterm (n=36; gestational age 22-32wks) and at term
(n=43) underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural
assessments. Tracts were selected a priori based on findings from a study of
6-year-old children born at term: the left-hemisphere arcuate fasciculus and
superior longitudinal fasciculus, and right-hemisphere uncinate fasciculus. Using
linear regression, we assessed associations between fractional anisotropy of
tracts and phonological awareness and receptive and expressive language scores.
We investigated whether associations were moderated by prematurity. RESULTS:
Fractional anisotropy of the left-hemisphere arcuate fasciculus contributed
unique variance to phonological awareness across birth groups. The association
between fractional anisotropy of the right-hemisphere uncinate fasciculus and
receptive and expressive language was significantly moderated by prematurity.
INTERPRETATION: A left-hemisphere tract was associated with phonological
awareness in both birth groups. A right-hemisphere tract was associated with
language only in the term group, suggesting that expressive and receptive
language is mediated by different white matter pathways in 6-year-old children
born preterm. These findings provide novel insights into similarities and
differences of the neurobiology of pre-reading skills between children born
preterm and at term at reading onset. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: White matter
properties and pre-reading abilities were associated in children born preterm at
the onset of reading. The neurobiology of phonological awareness was similar in
children born preterm versus children born at term at 6 years. The neurobiology
of language was different in children born preterm versus children born at term
at 6 years.
CI - (c) 2018 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS