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The BDNF Val/Met Polymorphism Is Linked With Children's Reading And Language
Skills And Neural Activation Patterns In The Brain's Reading Network
Kaja Jasińska1, Peter Molfese1, W. Einar Mencl1, Kenneth Pugh123, Elena Grigorenko3 & Nicole Landi123
1Haskins
Laboratories, 2University of Connecticut, 3Yale University, Child Study Center
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
BEHAVIORAL RESULTS
Does common genetic variation influence reading and
language skills and the underlying developing brain’s
network for reading and language?
DISCUSSION
Val/Val
120
Val/Met*
Standard Score
100
The BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) Gene
is important to context-dependent brain plasticity and is
associated with learning, memory and higher cognition
80
60
Children with Val/Val and Val/Met*
polymorphisms show both structural and
functional brain differences:
40
20
A common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in
BDNF resulting in a Val-to-Met substitution (located at
rs6265) is associated with changes in activity-dependent
BDNF release and associated functional neural changes
BDNF is variably expressed over early life – during
periods critical for linguistic and cognitive development
*Significant predictors reported controlled for effects of age, gender and parent report of child hyperactivity
0
Passage
Comprehension
LH
RH
(uncorrected)
FUNCTIONAL BRAIN RESULTS
DNA
Oragene kits (DNA Genotek) were used to collect saliva
After extraction of DNA from samples we used
the Applied Biosystems Inc. (ABI) Taqman protocol for
SNP genotyping
SNP by Group
Interaction
Val/Val >
Val/Met*
SNP: Val/Val &
Val/Met*
Group: Skilled &
Less-Skilled
Structure: Children who have the Val/Val
combination show greater cortical
thickness than children who have the Val/
Met or Met/Met combination in regions
associated with language and reading
function (e.g. bilateral IFG, posterior STG).
Function: Children who have the Val/Val
combination, but not the Val/Met or Met/
Met combination, show reading skill
modulated patterns of neural activation in
regions associated with language and
reading function (including LIFG, STG, IPL)
Val/Met*
Implications
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes
involved in brain maturation (BDNF) impact
both the structure and function of the
developing brain in ways that may
modulate children’s language and reading
abilities.
Participants
86 children ages 6-10 years of age (mean = 8y)
Skilled >
Less-Skilled
Genotype groups (Val/Val and Val/
Met) and reading groups (skilled and
less-skilled—based on median split)
were compared on indicators of
behavioral performance across
printed non-matching pseudowords
Planned contrasts within an ANCOVA
(using IQ and gender as covariates)
were used to compare groups for the
main effect of print processing
(pseudowords) at each voxel
separately
*Val/Met = Val/Met &Met/Met
p < .05
Cortical thickness
differences were observed
between
Val/Val and Val/Met* groups
Val/Val
Behavioral Assessments
Word and non-word reading, phonological processing,
short-term memory, reading speed and comprehension,
spelling, verbal and performance IQ
Verbal IQ
Val/Val > Val/Met*
METHODS
fMRI task
Phonological
Memory
STRUCTURAL BRAIN RESULTS
HYPOTHESIS
The BDNF Val/Met SNP is important for structural and
functional development of the brain’s hippocampal
network, which may downstream impact developing
language circuits including left-hemisphere frontal,
temporoparietal and occipitotemporal regions involved in
reading) as thus also the development of reading and
language abilities
The BDNF gene is associated with reading
and reading related linguistic skills,
specifically, reading comprehension and
phonological memory.
CONTACT
Kaja Jasinska, PhD
[email protected]
www.haskins.yale.edu
www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/jasinska
This work was supported by NIH grant:
R01 HD 048830 (K. Pugh, PI)
PO1 HD052120, (R.Wagner, PI)
P01 HD 01994 (C. Fowler, PI)
R03HD053409 (N. Landi, PI)
LANGUAGE PLASTICITY:
GENES, BRAIN, COGNITION,
COMPUTATION
I G E RT
p <.01
FWE
p <.01
FWE
p <.05
min 300 clusters
FWE
INTEGRATIVE GRADUATE
EDUCATION & RESEARCH
TRAINEESHIP