White Matter Language Pathways and Language Performance in Healthy Adults Across Ages

摘要: White matter pathways associated with language functions include the arcuate (AF), superior longitudinal (SLF), inferior (ILF), frontal-occipital (IFOF), and uncinate (UF) fasciculi. Using Tract Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS), we investigated if measurements of white integrity in these correlate linguistic performance. 228 healthy participants (126 female; 146 right-handed), ages 18 to 76, underwent 3.0 Tesla MR diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) a battery assessments including Boston Naming Test (BNT), Peabody Picture Vocabulary (PPVT), Controlled Oral Word Association (COWAT), Semantic Fluency (SFT), subset Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE). Results were considered significant for p<0.05, corrected multiple comparisons cluster-wise family-wise error rate. We found diffuse linear decrease age global fractional anisotropy (FA) focal increase FA cerebellar peduncle. Increased BNT scores increased left SLF, posterior anterio-lateral portions right IFOF. SFT PPVT portion Decreased body corpus callosum (left) was higher COWAT scores. no association between BDAE Our data show, as expected, decreases structural age. In addition, that faster fasciculus males compared females. However, positive correlation testing regions non-dominant IFOF indicates more robust networks bilateral connectivity may contribute better overall functioning, regardless