NEUROBIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT

Developmental language impairments are long term handicaps that
frequently underlie learning disabilities and dyslexia. The long term
goal of this grant is to increase understanding of the biological
foundations of these impairments. Studies in the first two years are
designed to explore the agents and events hypothesized to contribute to
the expression of a language impairment in children. This aim will be
addressed with two studies that involve measurement of brain MRI scans of
subjects whose verbal and nonverbal skills have been documented through
standardized testing. The first study evaluates the potential role of
androgens by examining brain asymmetries and behavioral skills in females
with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, compared with their normal siblings
and normal controls. The second study evaluates the issue of
heritability by examining the familial aggregation of atypical brain
asymmetries and poor language skills in families that include a
specifically language impaired proband. Studies in subsequent years
retain brain anatomy as an anchor and explore relations between atypical
brain anatomy, specific behavioral skills, and brain physiology in
specific language impairment. These studies will integrate the training
component with the long term goal of the research component of the
C.I.D.A. proposal.