Cerebral structure on magnetic resonance imaging in language- and learning-impaired children

T. L. Jernigan, J. R. Hesselink, E. Sowell and P. A. Tallal
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA.

Using magnetic resonance imaging 20 language- and learning-impaired children were compared with 12 normal control subjects. Gross brain structure was remarkably normal in the language- and learning-impaired group. Semiautomated morphometry was used to measure hemispheric volumes and cerebral asymmetries in six cerebral regions. The volume of the left posterior perisylvian region was significantly reduced in language- and learning-impaired children. Asymmetries in inferoanterior and superoposterior cerebral regions were also significantly different in this group. Results of descriptive group comparisons of estimated volumes of other cerebral gray-matter structures raise the possibility that some language- and learning-impaired children may have additional volume reductions in cortical and subcortical structures. The results suggest that hemispheric specialization of function may be anomalous in this population.

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