Fixel-based white matter atypicalities in relation to language impairment in children with developmental language disorder

Children also completed an extensive language assessment, including overall language performance, vocabulary and word learning. Fixel-based metrics of the informative tracts (> 50 significant fixels in comparisons between groups) were regressed with the different language measures. Results.

Children with DLD showed differences in fiber (density) cross-section in the uncinate, arcuate and superior longitudinal fasciculi, which were associated with overall language and/or vocabulary performance. Further, fixel metrics of the dorsal tracts were related to immediate recall of learned words. Discussion and conclusion.

Our findings suggest that white matter differences in DLD could be associated with morphological differences in fiber bundle diameter or size. Further, atypical structural white matter properties may contribute to the observed language impairments. Our findings suggest that fixel-based analysis is a promising technique to detect fiber-specific differences in children with DLD.