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 -