EXPANSION OF THE ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX IN CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITY OF UNKNOWN AETIOLOGY

Objectives: We sought unifying local structural brain changes in children and adolescents with diverse learning disabilities of unknown aetiology.

Methods: Brain magnetic resonance imaging (1.5T) was performed for a total of Brain magnetic resonance imaging (1.5T) was performed for a total of 165 children and adolescents, of whom 122 children with learning disabilities formed a subgroup in a population-based study: mean age 11.94 years, SD 3.89, 76 boys; and 43 children in mainstream education formed a control group: mean age 12.04 years, SD 3.07, 26 boys. After visual analysis, voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed a correlation between local structural changes and severity of learning disability (LD).

Results: Grey matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) correlated positively (Tmax=5.50, p<0.001) with severity of LD. Similarly, a positive correlation between white matter volume and severity of LD (Tmax=5.34, p<0.001) appeared in the left parietal lobe. A negative correlation between grey matter volume and severity of LD (Tmax=5.26, p<0.001) was evident in the left thalamus and between white matter volume and severity of LD (TmaxR=5.57, p<0.001; TmaxL=5.20, p<0.001) in the posterior internal capsules.

Conclusion: Expansion of the anterior cingulate cortex correlated with severity of learning disability among children and adolescents with LD of unknown aetiology. Moreover, our other findings logically coincide with connections between the ACC and the parietal lobe, thalamus, and internal capsules.