Abstract #0740
The development of functional and effective connectivity for narrative processing in children investigated via functional MRI and Multivariate Autoregressive Modeling
Schmithorst V, Holland S
Children's Hospital Medical Center
A functional MRI (fMRI) study involving narrative comprehension was conducted on a cohort of normal children ages 5-18. Activation was seen in Wernickes area and the middle frontal gyrus bilaterally, and Brocas area in the left hemisphere. The functional connectivity between Wernickes areas in both hemispheres, and between Wernickes and Brocas area, increased with age. In addition, using Multivariate Autoregressive Modeling (MAR), feedback networks were found involving effective connectivity from Brocas area and the middle frontal gyrus to Wernickes area, and the effective connectivity from Brocas area to Wernickes area in the left hemisphere increased with age.
