Publications from 2001

Booth JR, Burman DD, Van Santen FW, Harasaki Y, Gitelman DR, Parrish TB & Mesulam MM (2001). The development of specialized brain systems for reading and oral-language. Child Neuropsychology, 7, 119-141. [pdf]

Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to examine differences between 5 male children (aged 9-12 yrs) and 4 male adults (aged 21-31 yrs) in the distribution of brain activation during word processing. Orthographic, phonologic, semantic and syntactic tasks were used in both the auditory and visual modalities. The 2 principal results were consistent with the hypothesis that development is characterized by increasing specialization. The 1st analysis compared activation in children versus adults separately for each modality. Adults show more activation in the unimodal visual areas of middle temporal gyrus and fusiform gyrus for processing written word forms and in the unimodal auditory areas of superior temporal gyrus for processing spoken word forms. Children show more activation for written word forms in posterior heteromodal regions. The 2nd analysis compared activation in the visual versus auditory modality separately for children and adults. Children show overlap of activation in brain regions for the visual and auditory tasks. Adults show selective activation in the unimodal auditory areas of superior temporal gyrus when processing spoken word forms and selective activation in the unimodal visual areas of middle temporal gyrus and fusiform gyrus when processing written word forms.

Booth, JR & Burman, DD (2001). Development and disorders of neuro-cognitive systems for oral-language and reading. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 24, 205-215. [pdf]

There are four goals of this article. First, a tentative neurocognitive model of oral language and reading is outlined. Second, our recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (fMRI) on the development of oral language and reading are briefly reviewed with reference to this neurocognitive model. Third, brain-imaging research on dyslexia is discussed in light of the neurocognitive model. Fourth, research on the plasticity of neural systems and the implication of this plasticity for studying normative development and disorders is presented.