The research reveals brain abnormalities in children with language disorders and offers potential new avenues for diagnosis and treatment based on movement-related brain functions.

A careful analysis of multiple studies has concluded that a part of the brain traditionally associated with movement is abnormal in children with language disorders, according to neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center. This discovery could improve both the diagnosis and treatment of language problems.

Detection of brain abnormalities in speech disorders

Researchers have studied brain abnormalities in speech disorders. This condition, which affects the development of various aspects of language, is as common as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, but more common than autism. The scientists found that the abnormalities occurred specifically in the anterior neostriatum in the basal ganglia, which is located deep in the brain. They described their findings in the March 15 journal Nature Human Behavior.

To better understand why language disorders occur, researchers analyzed the results of 22 papers examining the brain structure of people with the disorder and then applied a new computational method to identify common patterns of abnormalities across the studies. They found that the anterior neostriatum was abnormal in 100% of studies examining the structure, while all other parts of the brain were less abnormal.

Potential Impacts and Future Research

“By identifying the neural basis of developmental language difficulties, we hope that we can help increase awareness of a serious but also largely underrecognized disorder,” says the study’s lead author, Michael T. Ullman, PhD, professor of neurology and director of the division of brain. and the Language Laboratory at Georgetown University Medical Center. “But we caution that more research is needed to fully understand how the anterior neostriatum may lead to language difficulties.”

Ullman says the results highlight the potential benefit of drugs known to improve movement disorders due to basal ganglia dysfunction, such as drugs that target dopamine receptors. Interventions that promote compensation of intact brain structures may also be helpful. Additionally, basal ganglia abnormalities may potentially serve as early biomarkers of an increased likelihood of problems with language development. Such early warning signs can trigger further diagnostic procedures and potentially lead to early treatment.

Ullman concludes: “Continued research to better understand the neurobiology of language disorders, particularly the role of the basal ganglia, may help the many children suffering from these problems.”