Abnormal fMRI activation pattern during story listening in individuals with Down syndrome

Elizabeth A. Reynolds Losin, Susan M. Rivera, Elizabeth D. O'Hare, Elizabeth R. Sowell, Joseph D. Pinter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Down syndrome is characterized by disproportionately severe impairments of speech and language, yet little is known about the neural underpinnings of these deficits. We compared fMRI activation patterns during passive story listening in 9 young adults with Down syndrome and 9 approximately age-matched, typically developing controls. The typically developing group exhibited greater activation than did the Down syndrome group in classical receptive language areas (superior and middle temporal gyri) for forward > backward speech; the Down syndrome group exhibited greater activation in cingulate gyrus, superior and inferior parietal lobules, and precuneus for both forward speech > rest and backward speech > rest. The Down syndrome group showed almost no difference in activation patterns between the language (forward speech) and nonlanguage (backward speech) conditions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)369-380
Number of pages12
JournalAmerican Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Volume114
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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