Objective
A voxel based investigation of cerebral blood flow was conducted to identify brain functional differences during resting state
between children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and normal controls.
Method
Using DSM–IV criteria, we selected 21 children with DLD.All children were examined by technetium–99m–HMPAO Brain SPECT. Using
SPM analyses, we compared the SPECT images of children with DLD and those of 17 control subjects on a voxel by voxel basis
using ANCOVA covarying for age.
Results
Reduced cerebral blood flow in the right putamen,the right inferior parietal cortex, and the left globus pallidus were found
in children with DLD versus the controls. However, no area of increased cerebral blood flow was observed in children with
DLD compared to the controls.
Conclusion
Though results should be interpreted cautiously, this study confirms the presence of functional defects in the basal ganglia
and the inferior parietal lobe during the resting state of the brains of children with DLD. It also gives further evidence
for functional deficits in basal ganglia as an important factor in the etiology of DLD.
Key words developmental language disorder - SPECT - statistical parametric mapping