Children with language disorder show abnormal brain structure, finds study

According to a study by neuroscientists at the Georgetown University Medical Center, a part of the brain traditionally associated with movement is abnormal in children with developmental language impairments.

The study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour found that abnormalities occurred specifically in the anterior neostriatum within the basal ganglia, a structure found deep in the brain.

To understand why language impairments occur, the researchers analyzed the results of 22 articles examining brain structures in people with the disorder, and then employed a computational method to identify common patterns of abnormalities across the studies. They determined that the anterior neostriatum was abnormal in 100% of the studies that examined the structure, with fewer abnormalities in all other parts of the brain.

The findings underscored the potential utility of drugs that are known to improve movement impairments due to basal ganglia dysfunction, such as those that act on dopamine receptors. Interventions that encourage compensation by intact brain structures may also be useful. Additionally, basal ganglia abnormalities could potentially serve as early biomarkers of an increased likelihood of developmental language problems. Such early warning signs could trigger further diagnostic procedures, potentially leading to early therapy.

“We hope that by identifying the neural bases of developmental language difficulties we may help increase awareness of a major, but also rather unrecognized, disorder. We caution, however, that further research is necessary to understand exactly how the anterior neostriatum might lead to the language difficulties.”said the study’s lead author Michael T. Ullman, PhD, professor of neuroscience and director of the Brain and Language Laboratory at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Reference:Michael T. Ullman, Gillian M. Clark, Mariel Y. Pullman, Jarrett T. Lovelett, Elizabeth I. Pierpont, Xiong Jiang & Peter E. Turkeltaub; The neuroanatomy of developmental language disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis; Journal: Nature Human Behaviour; DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01843-6