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Hopkins WD. Neuroanatomical asymmetries in nonhuman primates in the homologs to Broca's and Wernicke's areas: a mini-review. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:ETLS20210279. [PMID: 36073786 PMCID: PMC9472819 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Population-level lateralization in structure and function is a fundamental measure of the human nervous system. To what extent nonhuman primates exhibit similar patterns of asymmetry remains a topic of considerable scientific interest. In this mini-review, a brief summary of findings on brain asymmetries in nonhuman primates in brain regions considered to the homolog's to Broca's and Wernicke's area are presented. Limitations of existing and directions for future studies are discussed in the context of facilitating comparative investigations in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michale E Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, U.S.A
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2
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Asymmetry of Endocast Surface Shape in Modern Humans Based on Diffeomorphic Surface Matching. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14071459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain asymmetry is associated with handedness and cognitive function, and is also reflected in the shape of endocasts. However, comprehensive quantification of the asymmetry in endocast shapes is limited. Here, we quantify and visualize the variation of endocast asymmetry in modern humans using diffeomorphic surface matching. Our results show that two types of lobar fluctuating asymmetry contribute most to global asymmetry variation. A dominant pattern of local directional asymmetry is shared in the majority of the population: (1) the left occipital pole protrudes more than the right frontal pole in the left-occipital and right-frontal petalial asymmetry; (2) the left Broca’s cap appears to be more globular and bulges laterally, anteriorly, and ventrally compared to the right side; and (3) the asymmetrical pattern of the parietal is complex and the posterior part of the right temporal lobes are more bulbous than the contralateral sides. This study confirms the validity of endocasts for obtaining valuable information on encephalic asymmetries and reveals a more complicated pattern of asymmetry of the cerebral lobes than previously reported. The endocast asymmetry pattern revealed here provides more shape information to explore the relationships between brain structure and function, to re-define the uniqueness of human brains related to other primates, and to trace the timing of the human asymmetry pattern within hominin lineages.
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Jung S, Lee A, Bang M, Lee SH. Gray matter abnormalities in language processing areas and their associations with verbal ability and positive symptoms in first-episode patients with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:102022. [PMID: 31670071 PMCID: PMC6831896 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired verbal communication is a prominent feature in patients with schizophrenia. Verbal communication difficulties adversely affect psychosocial outcomes and worsen schizophrenia's clinical manifestation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate associations among gray matter (GM) volumes in language processing areas (LPAs), verbal ability, and positive symptoms in first-episode patients (FEPs) with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. METHODS We enrolled 94 FEPs and 52 healthy controls (HCs) and subjected them to structural magnetic resonance imaging. The GM volumes of the bilateral pars opercularis (POp), pars triangularis (PTr), planum temporale (PT), Heschl's gyrus (HG), insula, and fusiform gyrus (FG), were estimated and compared between the FEPs and HCs. Verbal intelligence levels and positive symptom severity were examined for correlations with the left LPA volumes. RESULTS The GM volumes of the left POp, HG, and FG were significantly smaller in the FEPs than in the HCs, while the right regions showed no significant between-group difference. A multiple linear regression model revealed that larger left PT volume was associated with better verbal intelligence in FEPs. In exploratory correlation analysis, several LPAs showed significant correlations with the severity of positive symptoms in FEPs. The left FG volume had a strong inverse correlation with the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations, while the left PT volume was inversely associated with the severity of positive formal thought disorder and delusions. Moreover, the volume of the left insula was positively associated with the severity of bizarre behavior. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that GM abnormalities in the LPAs, which can be detected during the early stage of illness, may underlie impaired verbal communication and positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sra Jung
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Arira Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Bang
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang-Hyuk Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea; Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
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Nair S, Nenert RE, Allendorfer JB, Goodman AM, Vannest J, Mirman D, Szaflarski JP. Sex, Age, and Handedness Modulate the Neural Correlates of Active Learning. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:961. [PMID: 31572114 PMCID: PMC6749092 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-generation of material compared to passive learning results in mproved memory performance; this may be related to recruitment of a fronto-temporal encoding network. Using a verbal paired-associate learning fMRI task, we examined the effects of sex, age, and handedness on the neural correlates of self-generation. METHODS Data from 174 healthy English-speaking participants (78M, 56 atypically handed; ages 19-76) were preprocessed using AFNI and FSL. Independent component analysis was conducted using GIFT (Group ICA fMRI Toolbox). Forty-one independent components were temporally sorted by task time series. Retaining correlations (r > 0.25) resulted in three task-positive ("generate") and three task-negative ("read") components. Using participants' back-projected components, we evaluated the effects of sex, handedness, and aging on activation lateralization and localization in task-relevant networks with two-sample t-tests. Further, we examined the linear relationship between sex and neuroimaging data with multiple regression, covarying for scanner, age, and handedness. RESULTS Task-positive components identified using ICA revealed a fronto-parietal network involved with self-generation, while task-negative components reflecting passive reading showed temporo-occipital involvement. Compared to older adults, younger adults exhibited greater task-positive involvement of the left inferior frontal gyrus and insula, whereas older adults exhibited reduced prefrontal lateralization. Greater involvement of the left angular gyrus in task-positive encoding networks among right-handed individuals suggests the reliance on left dominant semantic processing areas may be modulated by handedness. Sex effects on task-related encoding networks while controlling for age and handedness suggest increased right hemisphere recruitment among males compared to females, specifically in the paracentral lobe during self-generation and the suparmarginal gyrus during passive reading. IMPLICATIONS Identified neuroimaging differences suggest that sex, age, and handedness are factors in the differential recruitment of encoding network regions for both passive and active learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta Nair
- Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Rodolphe E. Nenert
- Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jane B. Allendorfer
- Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Adam M. Goodman
- Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jennifer Vannest
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Daniel Mirman
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jerzy P. Szaflarski
- Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Papadatou-Pastou M. Handedness and cognitive ability: Using meta-analysis to make sense of the data. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 238:179-206. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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Chiarello C, Vazquez D, Felton A, McDowell A. Structural asymmetry of the human cerebral cortex: Regional and between-subject variability of surface area, cortical thickness, and local gyrification. Neuropsychologia 2016; 93:365-379. [PMID: 26792368 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Structural asymmetry varies across individuals, brain regions, and metrics of cortical organization. The current study investigated regional differences in asymmetry of cortical surface area, thickness, and local gyrification, and the extent of between-subject variability in these metrics, in a sample of healthy young adults (N=200). Between-subject variability in cortical structure may provide a means to assess the extent of biological flexibility or constraint of brain regions, and we explored the potential influence of this variability on the phenotypic expression of structural asymmetry. The findings demonstrate that structural asymmetries are nearly ubiquitous across the cortex, with differing regional organization for the three cortical metrics. This implies that there are multiple, only partially overlapping, maps of structural asymmetry. The results further indicate that the degree of asymmetry of a brain region can be predicted by the extent of the region's between-subject variability. These findings provide evidence that reduced biological constraint promotes the expression of strong structural asymmetry.
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McDowell A, Felton A, Vazquez D, Chiarello C. Neurostructural correlates of consistent and weak handedness. Laterality 2015; 21:348-370. [PMID: 26470000 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2015.1096939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Various cognitive differences have been reported between consistent and weak handers, but little is known about the neurobiological factors that may be associated with this distinction. The current study examined cortical structural lateralization and corpus callosum volume in a large, well-matched sample of young adults (N = 164) to explore potential neurostructural bases for this hand group difference. The groups did not differ in corpus callosum volume. However, at the global hemispheric level, weak handers had reduced or absent asymmetries for grey and white matter volume, cortical surface area, thickness, and local gyrification, relative to consistent handers. Group differences were also observed for some regional hemispheric asymmetries, the most prominent of which was reduced or absent gyrification asymmetry for weak handers in a large region surrounding the central sulcus and extending into parietal association cortex. The findings imply that variations in handedness strength are associated with differences in structural lateralization, not only in somatomotor regions, but also in areas associated with high level cognitive control of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra McDowell
- a Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA
| | - Adam Felton
- a Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA
| | - David Vazquez
- a Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA
| | - Christine Chiarello
- a Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA
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Alm M, Behne D. Do gender differences in audio-visual benefit and visual influence in audio-visual speech perception emerge with age? Front Psychol 2015; 6:1014. [PMID: 26236274 PMCID: PMC4503887 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender and age have been found to affect adults' audio-visual (AV) speech perception. However, research on adult aging focuses on adults over 60 years, who have an increasing likelihood for cognitive and sensory decline, which may confound positive effects of age-related AV-experience and its interaction with gender. Observed age and gender differences in AV speech perception may also depend on measurement sensitivity and AV task difficulty. Consequently both AV benefit and visual influence were used to measure visual contribution for gender-balanced groups of young (20-30 years) and middle-aged adults (50-60 years) with task difficulty varied using AV syllables from different talkers in alternative auditory backgrounds. Females had better speech-reading performance than males. Whereas no gender differences in AV benefit or visual influence were observed for young adults, visually influenced responses were significantly greater for middle-aged females than middle-aged males. That speech-reading performance did not influence AV benefit may be explained by visual speech extraction and AV integration constituting independent abilities. Contrastingly, the gender difference in visually influenced responses in middle adulthood may reflect an experience-related shift in females' general AV perceptual strategy. Although young females' speech-reading proficiency may not readily contribute to greater visual influence, between young and middle-adulthood recurrent confirmation of the contribution of visual cues induced by speech-reading proficiency may gradually shift females AV perceptual strategy toward more visually dominated responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Alm
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway
| | - Dawn Behne
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway
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Altarelli I, Leroy F, Monzalvo K, Fluss J, Billard C, Dehaene-Lambertz G, Galaburda AM, Ramus F. Planum temporale asymmetry in developmental dyslexia: Revisiting an old question. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:5717-35. [PMID: 25044828 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the various asymmetrical structures of the human brain, the planum temporale, an anatomical region associated with a variety of auditory and language-related processes, has received particular attention. While its surface area has been shown to be greater in the left hemisphere compared to the right in about two-thirds of the general population, altered patterns of asymmetry were revealed by post mortem analyses in individuals with developmental dyslexia. These findings have been inconsistently replicated in magnetic resonance imaging studies of this disorder. In this report, we attempt to resolve past inconsistencies by analyzing the T1-weighted MR images of 81 children (mean age: 11 years, sd: 17 months), including 46 control (25 boys) and 35 dyslexic children (20 boys). We manually outlined Heschl's gyri, the planum temporale and the posterior rami of the Sylvian fissure on participants' brain images, using the same anatomical criteria as in post mortem studies. Results revealed an altered pattern of asymmetry of the planum temporale surface area in dyslexic boys only, with a greater proportion of rightward asymmetrical cases among dyslexic boys compared to control boys. Additionally, analyses of cortical thickness showed no asymmetry differences between groups for any of the regions of interest. Finally, a greater number of Heschl's gyrus full duplications emerged for the right hemisphere of dyslexic boys compared to controls. The present findings confirm and extend early post mortem observations. They also stress the importance of taking gender into account in studies of developmental dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Altarelli
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, EHESS, CNRS, PSL Research University, 75230, Paris Cedex 05, France; Brain and Learning Laboratory, FPSE, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Manns M, Ströckens F. Functional and structural comparison of visual lateralization in birds - similar but still different. Front Psychol 2014; 5:206. [PMID: 24723898 PMCID: PMC3971188 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate brains display physiological and anatomical left-right differences, which are related to hemispheric dominances for specific functions. Functional lateralizations likely rely on structural left-right differences in intra- and interhemispheric connectivity patterns that develop in tight gene-environment interactions. The visual systems of chickens and pigeons show that asymmetrical light stimulation during ontogeny induces a dominance of the left hemisphere for visuomotor control that is paralleled by projection asymmetries within the ascending visual pathways. But structural asymmetries vary essentially between both species concerning the affected pathway (thalamo- vs. tectofugal system), constancy of effects (transient vs. permanent), and the hemisphere receiving stronger bilateral input (right vs. left). These discrepancies suggest that at least two aspects of visual processes are influenced by asymmetric light stimulation: (1) visuomotor dominance develops within the ontogenetically stronger stimulated hemisphere but not necessarily in the one receiving stronger bottom-up input. As a secondary consequence of asymmetrical light experience, lateralized top-down mechanisms play a critical role in the emergence of hemispheric dominance. (2) Ontogenetic light experiences may affect the dominant use of left- and right-hemispheric strategies. Evidences from social and spatial cognition tasks indicate that chickens rely more on a right-hemispheric global strategy whereas pigeons display a dominance of the left hemisphere. Thus, behavioral asymmetries are linked to a stronger bilateral input to the right hemisphere in chickens but to the left one in pigeons. The degree of bilateral visual input may determine the dominant visual processing strategy when redundant encoding is possible. This analysis supports that environmental stimulation affects the balance between hemispheric-specific processing by lateralized interactions of bottom-up and top-down systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Manns
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum Bochum, Germany
| | - Felix Ströckens
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum Bochum, Germany
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11
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Brain lateralization of complex movement: neuropsychological evidence from unilateral stroke. Brain Cogn 2013; 84:164-9. [PMID: 24384089 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2013.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Complex movement (CM) refers to the representation of a goal-oriented action and is classified as either transitive (use of tools) or intransitive (communication gestures). Both types of CM have three specific components: temporal, spatial, and content, which are subdivided into specific error types (SET). Since there is debate regarding the contribution of each brain hemisphere for the types of CM, our objective was to describe the brain lateralization of components and SET of transitive and intransitive CM. We studied 14 patients with a left hemisphere stroke (LH), 12 patients with a right hemisphere stroke (RH), and 16 control subjects. The Florida Apraxia Screening Test-Revised (FAST-R, Rothi et al., 1988) was used for the assessment of CM. Both clinical groups showed a worse performance than the control group on the total FAST-R and transitive movement scores (p<0.001). Failures in Spatial and Temporal components were found in both clinical groups, but only LH patients showed significantly more Content errors (p<0.01) than the control group. Also, only the LH group showed a higher number of errors for intransitive movements score (p=0.017), due to lower scores in the content component, compared to the control group (p=0.04). Transitive and intransitive CMs differ in their neurocognitive representation; transitive CM shows a bilateral distribution of its components when compared to intransitive CM, which shows a preferential left hemisphere representation. This could result from higher neurocognitive demands for movements that require use of tools, compared with more automatic communication gestures.
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12
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Bloom JS, Garcia-Barrera MA, Miller CJ, Miller SR, Hynd GW. Planum temporale morphology in children with developmental dyslexia. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:1684-92. [PMID: 23707683 PMCID: PMC3799899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2012] [Revised: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The planum temporale is a highly lateralized cortical region, located within Wernicke's area, which is thought to be involved in auditory processing, phonological processing, and language. Research has linked abnormal morphology of the planum temporale to developmental dyslexia, although results have varied in large part due to methodological inconsistencies in the literature. This study examined the asymmetry of the planum temporale in 29 children who met criteria for dyslexia and 26 children whose reading was unimpaired. Leftward asymmetry of the planum temporale was found in the total sample and this leftward asymmetry was significantly reduced in children with dyslexia. This reduced leftward asymmetry in children with dyslexia was due to a planum temporale that is larger in the right hemisphere. This study lends support to the idea that planum temporale asymmetry is altered in children with developmental dyslexia.
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13
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Chiarello C, Vazquez D, Felton A, Leonard CM. Structural asymmetry of anterior insula: behavioral correlates and individual differences. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 126:109-22. [PMID: 23681069 PMCID: PMC3722256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The current study investigated behavioral correlates of structural asymmetry of the insula, and traditional perisylvian language regions, in a large sample of young adults (N=200). The findings indicated (1) reliable leftward surface area asymmetry of the anterior insula, (2) association of this asymmetry with divided visual field lateralization of visual word recognition, and (3) modulation of the correlation of structural and linguistic asymmetry by consistency of hand preference. Although leftward asymmetry of cortical surface area was observed for the anterior insula, pars opercularis and triangularis, and planum temporale, only the anterior insula asymmetry was associated with lateralized word recognition. We interpret these findings within the context of recent structural and functional findings about the human insula. We suggest that leftward structural lateralization of earlier developing insular cortex may bootstrap asymmetrical functional lateralization even if the insula is only a minor component of the adult language network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Chiarello
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside CA 92521, USA.
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14
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Phillips KA, Schaeffer J, Barrett E, Hopkins WD. Performance asymmetries in tool use are associated with corpus callosum integrity in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): a diffusion tensor imaging study. Behav Neurosci 2013; 127:106-13. [PMID: 23398443 DOI: 10.1037/a0031089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The authors examined the relationship of corpus callosum (CC) morphology and organization to hand preference and performance on a motor skill task in chimpanzees. Handedness was assessed using a complex tool use task that simulated termite fishing. Chimpanzees were initially allowed to perform the task wherein they could choose which hand to use (preference measure), then they were required to complete trials using each hand (performance measure). Two measures were used to assess the CC: midsagittal area obtained from in vivo magnetic resonance images and density of transcallosal connections as determined by fractional anisotropy values obtained from diffusion tensor imaging. The authors hypothesized that chimpanzees would perform better on their preferred hand compared to the nonpreferred hand, and that strength of behavioral lateralization (rather the direction) on this task would be negatively correlated to regions of the CC involved in motor processing. Results indicate that the preferred hand was the most adept hand. Performance asymmetries correlated with fractional anisotropy measures but not area measures of the CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA.
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15
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Meyer M, Liem F, Hirsiger S, Jancke L, Hanggi J. Cortical Surface Area and Cortical Thickness Demonstrate Differential Structural Asymmetry in Auditory-Related Areas of the Human Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2013; 24:2541-52. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
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Gilissen EP, Hopkins WD. Asymmetries of the parietal operculum in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in relation to handedness for tool use. Cereb Cortex 2013; 23:411-22. [PMID: 22368087 PMCID: PMC3539455 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A left larger than right planum temporale (PT) is a neuroanatomical asymmetry common to both humans and chimpanzees. A similar asymmetry was observed in the human parietal operculum (PO), and the convergence of PT and PO asymmetries is strongly associated with right-handedness. Here, we assessed whether this combination also exists in common chimpanzees. Magnetic resonance scans were obtained in 83 captive subjects. PT was quantified following procedures previously employed and PO was defined as the maximal linear distance between the end point of the sylvian fissure and the central sulcus. Handedness was assessed using 2 tasks that were designed to simulate termite fishing of wild chimpanzees and to elicit bimanual coordination without tool use. Chimpanzees showed population-level leftward asymmetries for both PT and PO. As in humans, these leftward asymmetries were not correlated. Handedness for tool use but not for nontool use motor actions mediated the expression of asymmetries in PT and PO, with right-handed apes showing more pronounced leftward asymmetries. Consistent PT and PO asymmetry combinations were observed in chimpanzees. The proportions of individuals showing these combinations were comparable in humans and chimpanzees; however, interaction between handedness and patterns of combined PO and PT asymmetries differed between the 2 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel P Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium.
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Hopkins WD, Gardner M, Mingle M, Reamer L, Schapiro SJ. Within- and between-task consistency in hand use as a means of characterizing hand preferences in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 127:380-91. [PMID: 23356440 DOI: 10.1037/a0031071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
There remain considerable questions regarding the evidence for population-level handedness in nonhuman primates when compared with humans. One challenge in comparing human and nonhuman primate handedness involves the procedures used to characterize individual handedness. Studies of human handedness use consistency in hand use within and between tasks as a basis for hand preference classification. In contrast, studies of handedness in nonhuman primates use statistical criteria for classifying handedness. In this study, we examined within- and between-task consistency in hand use as a means of characterizing individual handedness in a sample of 300 captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Chimpanzees showed population-level right-handedness for both within- and between-tasks consistency, though the proportion of right-handed chimpanzees was lower than what has typically been reported for humans. We further found that there were small, but significant, associations in hand use between measures. There were no significant sex or colony effects on the distribution of handedness. The results are discussed in the context of theories on the evolution of handedness in nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center
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Speech dominance is a better predictor of functional brain asymmetry than handedness: a combined fMRI word generation and behavioral dichotic listening study. Neuropsychologia 2012; 51:91-7. [PMID: 23149380 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
An unresolved issue in behavioral studies of hemispheric asymmetry is why both left-handers and right-handers show a right ear advantage at the group level. In the present study we screened left-handers for left- versus right-hemisphere speech dominance with fMRI by comparing right versus left hemisphere frontal lobe activity (in Broca's area) in a silent word generation task. A left hemisphere dominant right-handed control group was included as well. All participants took part in a dichotic listening task with consonant-vowel syllables. The results showed that left-handers and right-handers with left-hemisphere speech dominance showed a right ear advantage. However, the left-handers with right hemisphere speech dominance had a left ear advantage. Thus, at the group level the direction of the ear advantage in dichotic listening was predicted by language dominance but not by hand preference. At the individual level, the dichotic task we used showed more variability than the fMRI results. Further research will have to indicate whether this is a feature inherent to dichotic listening, or whether the variability is due to alternative explanations such as a more bilateral representation of speech perception compared to speech production.
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Powell JL, Kemp GJ, Roberts N, García-Finaña M. Sulcal morphology and volume of Broca's area linked to handedness and sex. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2012; 121:206-218. [PMID: 22482924 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Revised: 02/28/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of handedness and sex on: (i) sulcal contours defining PO and PTR and (ii) volume estimates of PO and PTR subfields in 40 left- and 42 right-handers. Results show an effect of handedness on discontinuity of the inferior frontal sulcus (IFS: P<0.01). Discontinuity of IFS was observed in: 43% left- and 62% right hemispheres in right-handers and in 65% left- and 48% right-hemispheres in left-handers. PO volume asymmetry was rightward in left-handed males (P=0.007) and females (P=0.02), showed a leftward trend in right-handed males (P=0.06), and was non-asymmetrical in right-handed females (P=0.96, i.e. left- and right-hemisphere PO volumes did not differ significantly). PO volume asymmetry in males differed significantly between handedness groups (P=0.001). Findings indicate a high degree of variability in the sulcal contours of PO and PTR and volume asymmetry of PO: the factors sex and handedness can explain some of this variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne L Powell
- Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre (MARIARC), University of Liverpool, UK.
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20
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Powell JL, Parkes L, Kemp GJ, Sluming V, Barrick TR, García-Fiñana M. The effect of sex and handedness on white matter anisotropy: a diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging study. Neuroscience 2012; 207:227-42. [PMID: 22274289 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2011] [Revised: 01/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging provides a way of assessing the asymmetry of white matter (WM) connectivity, the degree of anisotropic diffusion within a given voxel being a marker of coherently bundled myelinated fibers. Voxel-based statistical analysis was performed on fractional anisotropy (FA) images of 42 right- and 40 left-handers, to assess differences in underlying WM anisotropy and FA asymmetry across the whole brain. Right-handers show greater anisotropy than left-handers in the uncinate fasciculus (UF) within the limbic lobe, and WM underlying prefrontal cortex, medial and inferior frontal gyri. Significantly greater leftward FA asymmetry in cerebellum posterior lobe is seen in left- than right-handers, and males show significantly greater rightward (right-greater-than-left) FA asymmetry in regions of middle occipital lobe, medial temporal gyrus, and a region of the superior longitudinal fasciculus underlying the supramarginal gyrus. Leftward (left-greater-than-right) anisotropy is found in regions of the arcuate fasciculus (AF), UF, and WM underlying pars triangularis in both handedness groups, with right-handers alone showing additional leftward FA asymmetry along the length of the superior temporal gyrus. Overall results indicate that although both handedness groups show anisotropy in similar WM regions, greater anisotropy is observed in right-handers compared with left-handers. The largest differences in FA asymmetry are found between males and females, suggesting a greater effect of sex than handedness on FA asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Powell
- Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre, University of Liverpool, UK.
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21
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Arnone B, Pompili A, Tavares MC, Gasbarri A. Sex-related memory recall and talkativeness for emotional stimuli. Front Behav Neurosci 2011; 5:52. [PMID: 21909326 PMCID: PMC3164105 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have evidenced an increasing interest in sex-related brain mechanisms and cerebral lateralization subserving emotional memory, language processing, and conversational behavior. We used event-related-potentials (ERP) to examine the influence of sex and hemisphere on brain responses to emotional stimuli. Given that the P300 component of ERP is considered a cognitive neuroelectric phenomenon, we compared left and right hemisphere P300 responses to emotional stimuli in men and women. As indexed by both amplitude and latency measures, emotional stimuli elicited more robust P300 effects in the left hemisphere in women than in men, while a stronger P300 component was elicited in the right hemisphere in men compared to women. Our findings show that the variables of sex and hemisphere interacted significantly to influence the strength of the P300 component to the emotional stimuli. Emotional stimuli were also best recalled when given a long-term, incidental memory test, a fact potentially related to the differential P300 waves at encoding. Moreover, taking into account the sex-related differences in language processing and conversational behavior, in the present study we evaluated possible talkativeness differences between the two genders in the recollection of emotional stimuli. Our data showed that women used a higher number of words, compared to men, to describe both arousal and neutral stories. Moreover, the present results support the view that sex differences in lateralization may not be a general feature of language processing but may be related to the specific condition, such as the emotional content of stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetto Arnone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L'Aquila L'Aquila, Italy
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22
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Lyn H, Pierre P, Bennett AJ, Fears S, Woods R, Hopkins WD. Planum temporale grey matter asymmetries in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), vervet (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus), rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and bonnet (Macaca radiata) monkeys. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:2004-12. [PMID: 21447349 PMCID: PMC3151738 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2010] [Revised: 03/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Brain asymmetries, particularly asymmetries within regions associated with language, have been suggested as a key difference between humans and our nearest ancestors. These regions include the planum temporale (PT) - the bank of tissue that lies posterior to Heschl's gyrus and encompasses Wernicke's area, an important brain region involved in language and speech in the human brain. In the human brain, both the surface area and the grey matter volume of the PT are larger in the left compared to right hemisphere, particularly among right-handed individuals. Here we compared the grey matter volume and asymmetry of the PT in chimpanzees and three other species of nonhuman primate in two Genera including vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus), rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata). We show that the three monkey species do not show population-level asymmetries in this region whereas the chimpanzees do, suggesting that the evolutionary brain development that gave rise to PT asymmetry occurred after our split with the monkey species, but before our split with the chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Lyn
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030
| | - Peter Pierre
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Allyson J. Bennett
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Scott Fears
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Roger Woods
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030
- Division of Cognitive and Developmental Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Bidirectional connectivity between hemispheres occurs at multiple levels in language processing but depends on sex. J Neurosci 2010; 30:11576-85. [PMID: 20810879 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1245-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Our aim was to determine the direction of interhemispheric communication in a phonological task in regions involved in different levels of processing. Effective connectivity analysis was conducted on functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 39 children (ages 9-15 years) performing rhyming judgment on spoken words. The results show interaction between hemispheres at multiple levels. First, there is unidirectional transfer of information from right to left at the sensory level of primary auditory cortex. Second, bidirectional connections between superior temporal gyri (STGs) suggest a reciprocal cooperation between hemispheres at the level of phonological and prosodic processing. Third, a direct connection from right STG to left inferior frontal gyrus suggest that information processed in the right STG is integrated into the final stages of phonological segmentation required for the rhyming decision. Intrahemispheric connectivity from primary auditory cortex to STG was stronger in the left compared to the right hemisphere. These results support a model of cooperation between hemispheres, with asymmetric interhemispheric and intrahemispheric connectivity consistent with the left hemisphere specialization for phonological processing. Finally, we found greater interhemispheric connectivity in girls compared to boys, consistent with the hypothesis of a more bilateral representation of language in females than males. However, interhemispheric communication was associated with slow performance and low verbal intelligent quotient within girls. We suggest that females may have the potential for greater interhemispheric cooperation, which may be an advantage in certain tasks. However, in other tasks too much communication between hemispheres may interfere with task performance.
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Rocca MA, Filippi M. FMRI correlates of execution and observation of foot movements in left-handers. J Neurol Sci 2010; 288:34-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2009.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2009] [Revised: 09/18/2009] [Accepted: 10/13/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Rocca
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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25
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Hopkins WD, Nir TM. Planum temporale surface area and grey matter asymmetries in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): the effect of handedness and comparison with findings in humans. Behav Brain Res 2009; 208:436-43. [PMID: 20035802 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2009] [Revised: 11/06/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The planum temporale (PT) is the bank of tissue that lies posterior to Heschl's gyrus and is considered a key brain region involved in language and speech in the human brain. In the human brain, both the surface area and grey matter volume of the PT is larger in the left compared to right hemisphere in approximately 2/3rds of individuals, particularly among right-handed individuals. Here we examined whether chimpanzees show asymmetries in the PT for grey matter volume and surface area in a sample of 103 chimpanzees from magnetic resonance images. The results indicated that, overall, the chimpanzees showed population-level leftward asymmetries for both surface area and grey matter volumes. Furthermore, chimpanzees that prefer to gesture with their right-handed had significantly greater leftward grey matter asymmetries compared to ambiguously- and left-handed apes. When compared to previously published data in humans, the direction and magnitude of PT grey matter asymmetries were similar between humans and apes; however, for the surface area measures, the human showed more pronounced leftward asymmetries. These results suggest that leftward asymmetries in the PT were present in the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030, USA.
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26
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Tzourio-Mazoyer N, Simon G, Crivello F, Jobard G, Zago L, Perchey G, Hervé PY, Joliot M, Petit L, Mellet E, Mazoyer B. Effect of Familial Sinistrality on Planum Temporale Surface and Brain Tissue Asymmetries. Cereb Cortex 2009; 20:1476-85. [PMID: 19846471 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhp209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Tzourio-Mazoyer
- Centre d'Imagerie-Neurosciences et Applications aux Pathologies UMR6232 CNRS, CEA, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Caen, France.
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27
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Miller JL, Couch JA, Leonard CM, Schwenk K, Towler SD, Shuster J, Goldstone AP, He G, Driscoll DJ, Liu Y. Sylvian fissure morphology in Prader-Willi syndrome and early-onset morbid obesity. Genet Med 2009; 9:536-43. [PMID: 17700392 DOI: 10.1097/gim.0b013e31812f720d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Prader-Willi syndrome is a well-defined genetic cause of childhood-onset obesity that can serve as a model for investigating early-onset childhood obesity. Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome have speech and language impairments, suggesting possible involvement of the perisylvian region of the brain. Clinical observations suggest that many individuals with early-onset morbid obesity have similar speech/language deficits, indicating possible perisylvian involvement in these children as well. We hypothesized that similar perisylvian abnormalities may exist in both disorders. METHODS Participants included individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (n = 27), their siblings (n = 16), individuals with early-onset morbid obesity (n = 13), and their siblings (n = 10). Quantitative and qualitative assessments of sylvian fissure conformation, insula closure, and planum temporale length were performed blind to hemisphere and diagnosis. RESULTS Quantitative measurements verified incomplete closure of the insula in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome. Planar asymmetry showed its normal bias toward leftward asymmetry in all groups except those with Prader-Willi syndrome maternal uniparental disomy. Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome and siblings had a normal distribution of sylvian fissure types in both hemispheres, while individuals with early-onset morbid obesity and their siblings had a high proportion of rare sylvian fissures in the right hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS The contrast between the anatomic findings in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome and early-onset morbid obesity suggests that the language problems displayed by children with these two conditions may be associated with different neurodevelopmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Miller
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0296, USA.
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28
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Jansen A, Liuzzi G, Deppe M, Kanowski M, Ölschläger C, Albers JM, Schlaug G, Knecht S. Structural correlates of functional language dominance: a voxel-based morphometry study. J Neuroimaging 2009; 20:148-156. [PMID: 19453831 DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2009.00367.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The goal of this study was to explore the structural correlates of functional language dominance by directly comparing the brain morphology of healthy subjects with left- and right-hemisphere language dominance. METHODS Twenty participants were selected based on their language dominance from a cohort of subjects with known language lateralization. Structural differences between both groups were assessed by voxel-based morphometry, a technique that automatically identifies differences in the local gray matter volume between groups using high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. RESULTS The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) Subjects with right-hemisphere language dominance had significantly larger gray matter volume in the right hippocampus than subjects with left-hemisphere language dominance. (2) Leftward structural asymmetries in the posterior superior temporal cortex, including the planum temporale (PT), were observed in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Our study does not support the still prevalent view that asymmetries of the PT are related in a direct way to functional language lateralization. The structural differences found in the hippocampus underline the importance of the medial temporal lobe in the neural language network. They are discussed in the context of recent findings attributing a critical role of the hippocampus in the development of language lateralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Jansen
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Gianpiero Liuzzi
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Michael Deppe
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Martin Kanowski
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Christian Ölschläger
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Johannes M Albers
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Gottfried Schlaug
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
| | - Stefan Knecht
- Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (AJ, GL, MD, CO, JMA, SK); Department of Neurology II, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany (MK); Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (GS); IZKF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany (SK); Section of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (AJ)
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Keller SS, Crow T, Foundas A, Amunts K, Roberts N. Broca's area: nomenclature, anatomy, typology and asymmetry. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2009; 109:29-48. [PMID: 19155059 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2008.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2008] [Revised: 11/21/2008] [Accepted: 11/23/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we (i) describe the nomenclature of Broca's area and show how the circumscribed definition of Broca's area is disassociated from Broca's aphasia, (ii) describe in detail how the gross anatomy of Broca's area varies between people, and how the definitions vary between studies, (iii) attempt to reconcile the findings of structural asymmetry of Broca's area with the differences in methodological approaches, (iv) consider the functional significance of cytoarchitectonic definitions of Broca's area, and (v) critically elucidate the significance of circumscribed regions of cortex for language lateralisation and language development. Contrary to what has previously been reported in the literature, asymmetry of Broca's area has not been reproducibly demonstrated, particularly on a gross morphological level. This may be due to major inconsistencies in methodology (including different anatomical boundaries, measurement techniques and samples studied) or that the sulcal contours defining Broca's area are so naturally variable between people making a standard definition difficult. Cytoarchitectonic analyses more often than not report leftward asymmetry of some component of area 44 and/or area 45. If a structural asymmetry of Broca's area does exist, it is variable, which differs from that of the functional asymmetry of language, which is more consistent. One reason for this might be that the link between cellular architecture, connectivity and language function still remains to be elucidated. There is currently no convincing explanation to associate asymmetry of Broca's area with the lateralisation of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon S Keller
- The Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre (MARIARC), University of Liverpool, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK.
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Chiarello C, Welcome SE, Halderman LK, Towler S, Julagay J, Otto R, Leonard CM. A large-scale investigation of lateralization in cortical anatomy and word reading: are there sex differences? Neuropsychology 2009; 23:210-22. [PMID: 19254094 PMCID: PMC3086359 DOI: 10.1037/a0014265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The authors report findings of a large-scale, multitask investigation of sex differences in both structural asymmetries and lateralization of word reading. Two hundred participants were tested in eight divided visual field lexical tasks, and each received a structural magnetic resonance imaging scan. The authors examined whether there was evidence for sex differences in overall measures of neuroanatomical and behavioral lateralization, in specific language tasks and brain regions, and in variation in asymmetry within and across tasks and brain regions. There was very little evidence for sex differences on any behavioral measure. The few indications of sex differences in the current report accounted for 2% or less of the individual variation in asymmetry and could not be replicated in independent subsamples. No sex differences were observed in the asymmetry of structures in Broca's and Wernicke's areas such as pars triangularis, pars opercularis, the planum temporale, planum parietale, or Heschl's gyrus. There were also no sex differences in the variability of neuroanatomical asymmetries within or between brain regions. However, a significant relationship between planum temporale and behavioral asymmetry was restricted to men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Chiarello
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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31
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Rodrigues PC, Vasconcelos O, Barreiros J, Barbosa R, Trifilio F. Functional asymmetry in a simple coincidence-anticipation task: Effects of handedness. Eur J Sport Sci 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/17461390802603903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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32
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Dominanza emisferica. Neurologia 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1634-7072(09)70507-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Rocca MA, Falini A, Comi G, Scotti G, Filippi M. The mirror-neuron system and handedness: a "right" world? Hum Brain Mapp 2008; 29:1243-54. [PMID: 17957705 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To assess the relationship between the mirror-neuron system (MNS), an observation-execution matching system, and handedness, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging from 11 right-handed (RH) and eight left-handed (LH) subjects to identify regions involved in processing action (execution and observation) of the right and left upper limbs. During the execution tasks, LH subjects had a more bilateral pattern of activation than RH. An interaction between handedness and hand observed during the observation conditions was detected in several areas of the MNS and the motor system. The within- and between-groups analyses confirmed different lateralizations of the MNS and motor system activations in RH and LH subjects during the observation tasks of the dominant and nondominant limbs. The comparison of the execution vs. observation task demonstrated that during the execution task with their dominant limbs, RH subjects activated areas of the motor system in the left hemisphere, whereas LH subjects also activated areas of the MNS. During the execution task with the nondominant limbs, both groups activated regions of the MNS and motor system. Albeit this study is based on a small sample, the patterns of MNS activations observed in RH and LH subjects support the theory that suggests that this system is involved in brain functions lateralization. In LH people, this system might contribute to their adaptation to a world essentially built for right-handers through a mechanism of mirroring and imitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Rocca
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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34
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to replicate findings of an earlier study of fourth grade boys manifesting mixed handedness with a sample. Among 32 mixed-handed boys in Grades 6 to 8, the right-handed writer, left-handed thrower group obtained low spelling scores (Normal Curve Equivalent Scores) on the California Achievement Test significantly more frequently than the left-handed writer, right-handed thrower group. These findings are consistent with data for Grade 4 boys in the earlier study. Findings strengthen the hypotheses that mixed handedness is not a unitary neuropsychological entity and that boys who write with the right hand and throw with the left hand might be at risk for certain academic deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- P S B Sarma
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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De Nil LF, Beal DS, Lafaille SJ, Kroll RM, Crawley AP, Gracco VL. The effects of simulated stuttering and prolonged speech on the neural activation patterns of stuttering and nonstuttering adults. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2008; 107:114-23. [PMID: 18822455 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2008.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2007] [Revised: 06/27/2008] [Accepted: 07/17/2008] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate the neural correlates of passive listening, habitual speech and two modified speech patterns (simulated stuttering and prolonged speech) in stuttering and nonstuttering adults. Within-group comparisons revealed increased right hemisphere biased activation of speech-related regions during the simulated stuttered and prolonged speech tasks, relative to the habitual speech task, in the stuttering group. No significant activation differences were observed within the nonstuttering participants during these speech conditions. Between-group comparisons revealed less left superior temporal gyrus activation in stutterers during habitual speech and increased right inferior frontal gyrus activation during simulated stuttering relative to nonstutterers. Stutterers were also found to have increased activation in the left middle and superior temporal gyri and right insula, primary motor cortex and supplementary motor cortex during the passive listening condition relative to nonstutterers. The results provide further evidence for the presence of functional deficiencies underlying auditory processing, motor planning and execution in people who stutter, with these differences being affected by speech manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc F De Nil
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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36
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Sex differences in handedness, asymmetry of the Planum Temporale and functional language lateralization. Brain Res 2008; 1206:76-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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SARMA PSB. MIXED HANDEDNESS AND ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS. Percept Mot Skills 2008. [DOI: 10.2466/pms.107.6.497-506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Taglialatela JP, Dadda M, Hopkins WD. Sex differences in asymmetry of the planum parietale in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Behav Brain Res 2007; 184:185-91. [PMID: 17765336 PMCID: PMC2141691 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2007.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2006] [Revised: 06/26/2007] [Accepted: 07/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance images were collected in 76 chimpanzees and the sylvian fissure was examined for the presence of a posterior bifurcation. A bilateral bifurcation of the sylvian fissure into an ascending and descending ramus was identified in 58 of the subjects. The posterior ascending ramus was measured in both hemispheres in order to evaluate the presence, magnitude, and direction of a planum parietale asymmetry. Statistical analysis revealed a main effect for sex. Specifically, females showed a significant rightward bias, whereas males did not. Moreover, an examination of posterior bifurcation patterns of the sylvian fissure revealed differences between the left and right hemispheres. In humans, subject handedness and sex have been found to have an effect on planum parietale asymmetry. To determine if this was also the case in our chimpanzee subjects, we evaluated whether or not planum parietale asymmetry was related to subject handedness. Although subject handedness was not directly related to planum parietale asymmetry quotients, whether or not the sylvian fissure bifurcated bilaterally at its posterior end was influenced by the handedness of the subjects. These results support the view that asymmetries in the perisylvian language areas were present in the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared P Taglialatela
- Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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Narr KL, Bilder RM, Luders E, Thompson PM, Woods RP, Robinson D, Szeszko PR, Dimtcheva T, Gurbani M, Toga AW. Asymmetries of cortical shape: Effects of handedness, sex and schizophrenia. Neuroimage 2006; 34:939-48. [PMID: 17166743 PMCID: PMC3299195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.08.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2006] [Revised: 08/25/2006] [Accepted: 08/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Some evidence suggests that sex, handedness and disease processes associated with schizophrenia affect the magnitude and/or direction of structural brain asymmetries. There are mixed findings, however, on how these factors influence cerebral torque, when torque is assessed with linear or volumetric measurements. We obtained MRI data from 67 healthy (30 males, 10 non-dextrals) and 84 schizophrenia subjects (60 males; 16 non-dextrals) and applied cortical pattern matching to spatially relate and compare differences in the surface morphology of the two cerebral hemispheres at high spatial resolution. Asymmetry indices, computed at thousands of matched hemispheric locations, were used to examine effects of sex, handedness and schizophrenia on hemispheric shape asymmetries while controlling for age and the other factors. Highly significant and discriminative right-frontal and left parietal-occipital surface expansions and protrusions (petalias) were mapped within groups. Although hemispheric shape asymmetries appeared less pronounced within female non-dextrals, asymmetry indices were not shown to differ significantly across sex, hand preference or diagnosis, or to reveal interactions of handedness with sex or diagnosis. Our 3D maps of spatially detailed anterior and posterior hemispheric shape asymmetries reflect subtle geometric distortions in hemispheric surface morphology that cannot be characterized with 2D or volumetric methods. Inter-individual variations in hemispheric torque appear minimally influenced by sex, dextrality or disease status. Biological factors driving language dominance or other lateralized brain functions dissociable from handedness, may more closely relate to hemispheric shape asymmetries, while the lateralization of other discrete brain regions may be more influenced by sexually dimorphic factors or by schizophrenia pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Narr
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, Division of Brain Mapping, UCLA School of Medicine, 710 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1769, USA.
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Hagmann P, Cammoun L, Martuzzi R, Maeder P, Clarke S, Thiran JP, Meuli R. Hand preference and sex shape the architecture of language networks. Hum Brain Mapp 2006; 27:828-35. [PMID: 16541458 PMCID: PMC6871314 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In right-handed subjects, language processing relies predominantly on left hemisphere networks, more so in men than in women, and in right- versus left-handers. Using DT-MRI tractography, we have shown that right-handed men are massively interconnected between the left-hemisphere language areas, whereas the homologous in the right hemisphere are sparse; interhemispheric connections between the language areas and their contralateral homologues are relatively strong. Women and left-handed men have equally strong intrahemispheric connections in both hemispheres, but women have a higher density of interhemispheric connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patric Hagmann
- Signal Processing Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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41
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Eckert MA, Leonard CM, Possing ET, Binder JR. Uncoupled leftward asymmetries for planum morphology and functional language processing. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2006; 98:102-11. [PMID: 16697453 PMCID: PMC1661833 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2006.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2005] [Revised: 03/23/2006] [Accepted: 04/02/2006] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Explanations for left hemisphere language laterality have often focused on hemispheric structural asymmetry of the planum temporale. We examined the association between an index of language laterality and brain morphology in 99 normal adults whose degree of laterality was established using a functional MRI single-word comprehension task. The index of language laterality was derived from the difference in volume of activation between the left and right hemispheres. Planum temporale and brain volume measures were made using structural MRI scans, blind to the functional data. Although both planum temporale asymmetry (t(1,99) = 6.86, p < .001) and language laterality (t(1,99) = 15.26, p < .001) were significantly left hemisphere biased, there was not a significant association between these variables (r(99) = .01,ns). Brain volume, a control variable for the planum temporale analyses, was related to language laterality in a multiple regression (beta = -.30, t = -2.25, p < .05). Individuals with small brains were more likely to demonstrate strong left hemisphere language laterality. These results suggest that language laterality is a multidimensional construct with complex neurological origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Eckert
- Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, USA.
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Dos Santos Sequeira S, Woerner W, Walter C, Kreuder F, Lueken U, Westerhausen R, Wittling RA, Schweiger E, Wittling W. Handedness, dichotic-listening ear advantage, and gender effects on planum temporale asymmetry—A volumetric investigation using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Neuropsychologia 2006; 44:622-36. [PMID: 16098999 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2004] [Revised: 06/15/2005] [Accepted: 06/23/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has often examined whether the asymmetrical structure of the planum temporale (PT) represents an anatomical correlate of lateralized language-processing functions, gathering diverging empirical evidence by comparing PT asymmetry in subjects with differing handedness, gender, or speech lateralization. Apart from other methodological problems, direct comparisons between studies are hampered by insufficient assessment and consideration of all three potential determinants of structural cerebral asymmetry. Based on volumetric assessment of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of 104 healthy subjects, the present study replicated earlier observations of an overall leftward PT asymmetry, which was found to prevail irrespective of handedness, gender, or dichotic-listening ear advantage. However, the mean magnitude of this leftward asymmetry was not determined by either one of these factors in itself, but varied depending on their specific combination. A clear correspondence between structural and functional asymmetry was only observed among right-handed males. In this particular subgroup, more pronounced structural asymmetry was associated with an enlarged PT on the left side, while the enhanced leftward asymmetry of female sinistrals resulted from smaller adjusted volumes of their right PT. The existence of such complex interactions suggests that future research in this area can only be expected to overcome past inconsistencies by adequately considering handedness, gender, and speech lateralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dos Santos Sequeira
- Center for Neuropsychological Research, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, D-54290 Trier, Germany
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Leonard CM, Eckert MA, Kuldau JM. Exploiting human anatomical variability as a link between genome and cognome. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2006; 5 Suppl 1:64-77. [PMID: 16417619 PMCID: PMC2739009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2006.00196.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Although talents and disabilities appear to run in families, direct links between genes and cognitive ability are difficult to establish. Investigators are currently searching for intermediate phenotypes with plausible links to both genome and cognome (the cognitive phenotype). Cortical anatomy could provide one such intermediate phenotype. Variation in cortical size, asymmetry and sulcal pattern is influenced by genetic variation in neurotrophic factors and can predict variation in verbal and mathematical talent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that individuals with a rare morphological variant of Sylvian fissure sometimes have superior visualization ability combined with verbal deficits. Documentation of such 'cognitive cortical syndromes' might prove as genetically informative as the identification of dysmorphic syndromes associated with mental retardation. A necessary prerequisite for the establishment of such syndromes is a reliable technique for the identification of cortical patterns. Recent technical advances in software for automatically labeling and measuring cortical sulci now provide the possibility of establishing standard measures for their shape, size and location. Such measures are a prerequisite for genetic studies of cortical patterns that could illuminate the neurodevelopmental pathways by which genes affect cognitive ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Leonard
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA.
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Gannon PJ, Kheck NM, Braun AR, Holloway RL. Planum parietale of chimpanzees and orangutans: A comparative resonance of human-like planum temporale asymmetry. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 287:1128-41. [PMID: 16215971 DOI: 10.1002/ar.a.20256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that leftward asymmetry of the planum temporale (PT), a brain language area, was not unique to humans since a similar condition is present in great apes. Here we report on a related area in great apes, the planum parietale (PP). PP in humans has a rightward asymmetry with no correlation to the L>R PT, which indicates functional independence. The roles of the PT in human language are well known while PP is implicated in dyslexia and communication disorders. Since posterior bifurcation of the sylvian fissure (SF) is unique to humans and great apes, we used it to determine characteristics of its posterior ascending ramus, an indicator of the PP, in chimpanzee and orangutan brains. Results showed a human-like pattern of R>L PP (P = 0.04) in chimpanzees with a nonsignificant negative correlation of L>R PT vs. R>L PP (CC = -0.3; P = 0.39). In orangutans, SF anatomy is more variable, although PP was nonsignificantly R>L in three of four brains (P = 0.17). We have now demonstrated human-like hemispheric asymmetry of a second language-related brain area in great apes. Our findings persuasively support an argument for addition of a new component to the comparative neuroanatomic complex that defines brain language or polymodal communication areas. PP strengthens the evolutionary links that living great apes may offer to better understand the origins of these progressive parts of the brain. Evidence mounts for the stable expression of a neural foundation for language in species that we recently shared a common ancestor with.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Gannon
- Department of Otolaryngology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York 10029, USA.
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Meyer M, Steinhauer K, Alter K, Friederici AD, von Cramon DY. Brain activity varies with modulation of dynamic pitch variance in sentence melody. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2004; 89:277-289. [PMID: 15068910 DOI: 10.1016/s0093-934x(03)00350-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Fourteen native speakers of German heard normal sentences, sentences which were either lacking dynamic pitch variation (flattened speech), or comprised of intonation contour exclusively (degraded speech). Participants were to listen carefully to the sentences and to perform a rehearsal task. Passive listening to flattened speech compared to normal speech produced strong brain responses in right cortical areas, particularly in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG). Passive listening to degraded speech compared to either normal or flattened speech particularly involved fronto-opercular and subcortical (Putamen, Caudate Nucleus) regions bilaterally. Additionally the Rolandic operculum (premotor cortex) in the right hemisphere subserved processing of neat sentence intonation. As a function of explicit rehearsing sentence intonation we found several activation foci in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca's area), the left inferior precentral sulcus, and the left Rolandic fissure. The data allow several suggestions: First, both flattened and degraded speech evoked differential brain responses in the pSTG, particularly in the planum temporale (PT) bilaterally indicating that this region mediates integration of slowly and rapidly changing acoustic cues during comprehension of spoken language. Second, the bilateral circuit active whilst participants receive degraded speech reflects general effort allocation. Third, the differential finding for passive perception and explicit rehearsal of intonation contour suggests a right fronto-lateral network for processing and a left fronto-lateral network for producing prosodic information. Finally, it appears that brain areas which subserve speech (frontal operculum) and premotor functions (Rolandic operculum) coincidently support the processing of intonation contour in spoken sentence comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Meyer
- Max-Planck-Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Leipzig, Germany.
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Josse G, Mazoyer B, Crivello F, Tzourio-Mazoyer N. Left planum temporale: an anatomical marker of left hemispheric specialization for language comprehension. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 18:1-14. [PMID: 14659492 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2003.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We report on a study aimed at investigating the relationships between handedness, anatomical data and functional data related to speech processing. Twenty subjects with variable handedness (Edinburgh score ranging from -100 to 100) underwent both anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) during story listening and rest. The surface areas of the left and right planum temporale (PT) were measured on each subject's MRI scan. A multiple regression analysis of PET data was conducted using these PT surface areas as well as handedness scores as predictors. The surface of the left PT explained a significant part of the functional variability. We observed that subjects who had the larger left PT were likely to show a larger leftward functional asymmetry of several perisylvian areas, namely the inferior parietal lobule outside the supra-marginal gyrus (the angular gyrus and the cortex above), Heschl's gyrus, the rolandic operculum, and the temporal pole. The size of the right PT explained only a little part of functional variability and we found no evidence that the anatomical asymmetry of the PT explained functional variability. In addition, we could not evidence any relationship between handedness and functional data. These results, which confirm previous work, argue for a perceptive origin of hemispheric specialization for language comprehension as has been suggested by others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goulven Josse
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, UMR 6095, CNRS, CEA, Université de Caen and Université Paris V, GIP Cyceron, Bd Becquerel BP 5229, 14074 Caen Cedex, France
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Abstract
Hemispheric specialization for language is one of the most robust findings of cognitive neuroscience. In this review, we first present the main hypotheses about the origins of this important aspect of brain organization. These theories are based in part on the main approaches to hemispheric specialization: studies of aphasia, anatomical asymmetries and, nowadays, neuroimaging. All these approaches uncovered a large inter-individual variability which became the bulk of research on hemispheric specialization. This is why, in a second part of the review, we present the main facts about inter-individual variability, trying to relate findings to the theories presented in the first part. This review focuses on neuroimaging as it has recently given important results, thanks to investigations of both anatomical and functional asymmetries in healthy subjects. Such investigations have confirmed that left-handers, especially "familial left-handers", are more likely to have an atypical pattern of hemispheric specialization for language. Differences between men and women seem less evident although a less marked hemispheric specialization for language was depicted in women. As for the supposed relationship between anatomical and functional asymmetries, it has been shown that the size of the left (not the right) planum temporale could explain part of the variability of left hemispheric specialization for language comprehension. Taken as a whole, findings seem to vary with language tasks and brain regions, therefore showing that hemispheric specialization for language is multi-dimensional. This is not accounted for in the existing models of hemispheric specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goulven Josse
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, UMR 6095, CNRS, CEA, Université de Caen and Université Paris V., France
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Basic S, Hajnsek S, Poljakovic Z, Basic M, Culic V, Zadro I. Determination of cortical language dominance using functional transcranial Doppler sonography in left-handers. Clin Neurophysiol 2004; 115:154-60. [PMID: 14706483 DOI: 10.1016/s1388-2457(03)00281-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Verbal analytical functions are primarily related to the left hemisphere in right-handers, but there is yet no agreement about cortical language dominance in left-handers. Also, there are some contradictory reports about sex differences in cortical language lateralization. The aim of this study is to investigate cortical language dominance in left-handers and to explore gender influence on cortical language representation. METHODS We performed functional transcranial Doppler sonography (previous validated for determination of cerebral language lateralization) during a word generation task, measuring changes in mean cerebral blood flow velocity (BFVmean) in both middle cerebral arteries (MCA) in 150 healthy subjects (75 left-handers and 75 right-handers). In left-handers we observed significant increase BFVmean in right MCA in 58 (77.3%) subjects. Bilateral increase was observed in 11 (14.7%) subjects and increase in left MCA in 6 (8%) subjects. In right-handed group 93.3% subjects showed left cortical dominance, while 6.7% showed bilateral language representation. RESULTS Current results showed significant (P<0.0001) right hemispheric language dominance in healthy left-handed subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed significant difference in hemispheric dominance for verbal function between righthanders and lefthanders. Also there is statistically insignificant female gender tendency for bilateral hemispheric language representation in both handedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Basic
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zagreb, Kispaticeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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Knaus TA, Bollich AM, Corey DM, Lemen LC, Foundas AL. Sex-Linked Differences in the Anatomy of the Perisylvian Language Cortex: A Volumetric MRI Study of Gray Matter Volumes. Neuropsychology 2004; 18:738-47. [PMID: 15506842 DOI: 10.1037/0894-4105.18.4.738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Perisylvian regions important for auditory processing include Heschl's gyrus (HG), the planum temporale (PT), the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), and the posterior ascending ramus (PAR). Sex-linked differences in language functions and anatomy have been suggested. To examine sex-linked differences, the authors used MRI to measure HG, PT, pSTG, and PAR volumes. Sex differences were found in right HG and right pSTG volumes but not in the left volumes of these structures. For the PT, there were sex differences in asymmetry; women exhibited leftward asymmetry of the PT, whereas men did not exhibit PT asymmetry. These findings suggest that there are sex-linked differences in the anatomy of primary and association auditory cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Knaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neuroscience Training Program, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Chiarello C, Kacinik N, Manowitz B, Otto R, Leonard C. Cerebral Asymmetries for Language: Evidence for Structural-Behavioral Correlations. Neuropsychology 2004; 18:219-31. [PMID: 15099144 DOI: 10.1037/0894-4105.18.2.219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The current investigation tested 20 male right-handers in 5 divided visual field lexical tasks. Asymmetries in Heschl's gyrus, planum temporale, and planum parietale were measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Composite task asymmetries were positively correlated with asymmetry of the planum temporale only. There was also an association between the consistency of anatomical and behavioral asymmetries: Individuals who departed the most from the modal pattern of cortical asymmetry across regions also tended to show the greatest variability in asymmetry across tasks. Hence, individual differences in language laterality tasks may be affected by variation in asymmetry of posterior language structures. Additionally, when typical anatomical asymmetries fail to co-occur, there may be a less strictly regulated distribution of function across hemispheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Chiarello
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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