Early Neurodevelopmental Trajectories of Typical and Atypical Language Acquisition

项目摘要/摘要 发育性语言障碍在普通人群中很常见，大约十分之一的人会受到影响 孩子们。尽管这种情况普遍存在，但人们对在条件下观察到的语言困难的病因知之甚少 如自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)。对语言障碍的早期治疗干预有 总是与更好的语言和社交结果联系在一起，这使得培养更好的语言和社交能力变得重要 在生命的第一年，对支持成功语言习得的神经装置的理解。 这个项目将通过纵向研究神经如何发展来提高我们对语言发展的理解 婴儿一岁生日前的语言处理和语言网络连接与较晚的轨迹有关 善于接受和表达的语言技能。 这项提议将利用NIH资助的两项正在进行的纵向研究的数据来检查神经 母语与非母语的处理(目标1)，语言网络内的功能连接(目标2)， 以及支持语言中枢之间相互对话的白质束结构(目标3)。语言延迟 都与语言相关的异常神经活动和网络连接有关 和非典型的发展中人口。然而，尽管新生儿已经能够区分他们的母语和 在其他语言中，还没有研究纵向检查早期母语学习的神经特征 婴儿期。重要的是，婴儿影像研究很少采用足够的样本量和重复。 严格评估大脑连通性的神经发育变化所需的观察 语言网络。在这里，作为加州大学洛杉矶分校的一部分，使用刺激诱发语言范式收集的功能磁共振数据 ACE(NICHD P50 HD055784)将用于绘制与母语学习相关的神经反应图 在生命的第一年期间，ASD的高风险和低风险婴儿。纵向静息功能磁共振成像与扩散 来自Baby Connectome项目(1U01MH110274)的张量成像(DTI)数据将用于彻底 分别描述跨大脑区域的功能和结构连接的早期发展 牵涉到语言处理。最后，在所有目标中，大脑活动和连接性的差异 婴儿期将与后来的语言轨迹相关联，以确定非典型语言发展的早期预测因素。 候选人劳伦·瓦格纳将以加州大学洛杉矶分校神经科学研究生的身份进行这些研究 米雷拉·达普雷托博士和卢西娜·乌丁博士的指导，他们在神经发育方面拥有丰富的专业知识， 儿科成像、语言发展、高级神经成像方法和自闭症。加州大学洛杉矶分校的基础设施， 协作环境和研究培训资源为应聘者提供了理想的培训环境 用什么来实现这些目标。这项F31 NRSA奖学金将为申请人提供全面的培训 在磁共振成像中，统计建模、教学和结果传播将共同奠定基础 成功的学术研究生涯，专注于影响语言习得的神经发育障碍。

Project Summary/Abstract Developmental language impairments are common in the general population, affecting approximately 1 in 10 children. Despite this prevalence, little is known about the etiology of language difficulties observed in conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Earlier therapeutic interventions for language impairments have consistently been associated with better language and social outcomes, making it important to develop a better understanding of the neural apparatus supporting successful language acquisition during the first year of life. This project will improve our understanding of language development by longitudinally examining how neural language processing and language network connectivity before an infant’s first birthday relate to later trajectories of receptive and expressive language skills. This proposal will leverage data from two ongoing NIH-funded longitudinal studies to examine the neural processing of native vs. non-native language (Aim 1), functional connectivity within language networks (Aim 2), and the structure of white matter tracts supporting cross-talk between language hubs (Aim 3). Language delays have been associated with aberrant language-related neural activity and network connectivity in both typically and atypically developing populations. Yet although newborns can already distinguish their native language from other languages, no study has longitudinally examined the neural signatures of native language learning in early infancy. Importantly, infant imaging studies have seldom employed adequate sample sizes and repeated observations necessary for rigorous assessment of neurodevelopmental changes in brain connectivity within language networks. Here, fMRI data collected with a stimulus-evoked language paradigm as part of the UCLA ACE (NICHD P50 HD055784) will be used to chart neural responses associated with native language learning during the first year of life in infants at high and low risk for ASD. Longitudinal resting-state fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data from the Baby Connectome Project (1U01MH110274) will be used to thoroughly characterize the early development of functional and structural connectivity, respectively, across brain regions implicated in language processing. Finally, across all aims, differences in brain activity and connectivity during infancy will be related to later language trajectories to identify early predictors of atypical language development. The candidate, Lauren Wagner, will carry out these studies as a Neuroscience graduate student at UCLA under the tutelage of Drs. Mirella Dapretto and Lucina Uddin who, together, have vast expertise in neurodevelopment, pediatric imaging, language development, advanced neuroimaging methods, and ASD. UCLA’s infrastructure, collaborative environment, and research training resources offer the candidate an ideal training environment in which to carry out these aims. This F31 NRSA Fellowship will provide the applicant with comprehensive training in MRI, statistical modeling, teaching, and dissemination of results that, altogether, will lay the foundation for a successful academic research career focusing on neurodevelopmental disorders affecting language acquisition.