• Jonathan L. Preston
  • Peter J. Molfese
  • W. Einar Mencl
  • Stephen J. Frost
  • Fumiko Hoeft
  • Robert K. Fulbright
  • Nicole Landi
  • Elena L. Grigorenko
  • Ayumi Seki
  • Susan Felsenfeld
  • Kenneth R. Pugh

The purpose of the study was to identify structural brain differences in school-age children with residual speech sound errors. Voxel based morphometry was used to compare gray and white matter volumes for 23 children with speech sound errors, ages 8;6-11;11, and 54 typically speaking children matched on age, oral language, and IQ. We hypothesized that regions associated with production and perception of speech sounds would differ between groups. Results indicated greater gray matter volumes for the speech sound error group relative to typically speaking controls in bilateral superior temporal gyrus. There was greater white matter volume in the corpus callosum for the speech sound error group, but less white matter volume in right lateral occipital gyrus. Results may indicate delays in neuronal pruning in critical speech regions or differences in the development of networks for speech perception and production.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)25-33
Number of pages9
JournalBrain and Language
Volume128
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2014

    Scopus subject areas

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Linguistics and Language
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Speech and Hearing

    Research areas

  • Children, Speech sound disorders, Speech sound errors, Structural MRI

ID: 62727207