Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Neurite density and arborization is associated with reading skill and phonological processing in children. / Koirala, Nabin; Perdue, Meaghan V.; Su, Xing; Grigorenko, Elena L.; Landi, Nicole.
In: NeuroImage, Vol. 241, 118426, 01.11.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurite density and arborization is associated with reading skill and phonological processing in children
AU - Koirala, Nabin
AU - Perdue, Meaghan V.
AU - Su, Xing
AU - Grigorenko, Elena L.
AU - Landi, Nicole
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - Background: Studies exploring neuroanatomic correlates of reading have associated white matter tissue properties with reading disability and related componential skills (e.g., phonological and single-word reading skills). Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) are widely used surrogate measures of tissue microstructure with high sensitivity; however, they lack specificity for individual microstructural features. Here we investigated neurite features with higher specificity in order to explore the underlying microstructural architecture. Methods: Diffusion weighted images (DWI) and a battery of behavioral and neuropsychological assessments were obtained from 412 children (6 – 16 years of age). Neurite indices influenced by orientation and density were attained from 23 major white matter tracts. Partial correlations were calculated between neurite indices and indicators of phonological processing and single-word reading skills using age, sex, and image quality metrics as covariates. In addition, mediation analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the indirect effect of phonological processing on reading skills. Results: We observed that orientation dispersion index (ODI) and neurite density index (NDI) were negatively correlated with single-word reading and phonological processing skills in several tracts previously shown to have structural correlates with reading efficiency. We also observed a significant and substantial effect in which phonological processing mediated the relationship between neurite indices and reading skills in most tracts. Conclusions: In sum, we established that better reading and phonological processing skills are associated with greater tract coherence (lower ODI) and lower neurite density (lower NDI). We interpret these findings as evidence that reading is associated with neural architecture and its efficiency.
AB - Background: Studies exploring neuroanatomic correlates of reading have associated white matter tissue properties with reading disability and related componential skills (e.g., phonological and single-word reading skills). Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) are widely used surrogate measures of tissue microstructure with high sensitivity; however, they lack specificity for individual microstructural features. Here we investigated neurite features with higher specificity in order to explore the underlying microstructural architecture. Methods: Diffusion weighted images (DWI) and a battery of behavioral and neuropsychological assessments were obtained from 412 children (6 – 16 years of age). Neurite indices influenced by orientation and density were attained from 23 major white matter tracts. Partial correlations were calculated between neurite indices and indicators of phonological processing and single-word reading skills using age, sex, and image quality metrics as covariates. In addition, mediation analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the indirect effect of phonological processing on reading skills. Results: We observed that orientation dispersion index (ODI) and neurite density index (NDI) were negatively correlated with single-word reading and phonological processing skills in several tracts previously shown to have structural correlates with reading efficiency. We also observed a significant and substantial effect in which phonological processing mediated the relationship between neurite indices and reading skills in most tracts. Conclusions: In sum, we established that better reading and phonological processing skills are associated with greater tract coherence (lower ODI) and lower neurite density (lower NDI). We interpret these findings as evidence that reading is associated with neural architecture and its efficiency.
KW - Diffusion measures
KW - Neurite density
KW - Neurite orientation
KW - Reading disability
KW - School-aged children
KW - Tractography
KW - Neurites/physiology
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Cell Count/methods
KW - Reading
KW - Brain/cytology
KW - Adolescent
KW - Neuronal Plasticity/physiology
KW - Phonetics
KW - Female
KW - Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods
KW - Child
KW - BRAIN BASIS
KW - NO EVIDENCE
KW - SPINAL-CORD
KW - MICROSTRUCTURE
KW - ORIENTATION DISPERSION
KW - LETTER-SOUND KNOWLEDGE
KW - WHITE-MATTER STRUCTURE
KW - CONNECTIVITY
KW - DYSLEXIA
KW - DIFFUSION
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111030257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/bfd6380c-c8d4-3c2d-92f0-a68287abe9de/
U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118426
DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118426
M3 - Article
C2 - 34303796
AN - SCOPUS:85111030257
VL - 241
JO - NeuroImage
JF - NeuroImage
SN - 1053-8119
M1 - 118426
ER -
ID: 86662390