Maturation of speech and language functional neuroanatomy in pediatric normal controls.

Purpose: This study explores the relationship between age and resting-state regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in regions associated with higher order language skills using a population of normal children, adolescents, and young adults.

Method: rCBF was measured in 33 normal participants between the ages of 7 and 19 years using single photon emission computed tomography. Participants' ages were regressed on rCBF values (normalized to whole-brain CBF) in 2 ways: (a) within anatomically defined, language-related regions of interest (ROIs) including Wernicke's area, Broca's area, angular gyrus, planum temporale, and Heschl's gyrus and (b) within clusters of voxels found to be significantly related to age in voxel-wise analyses.

Factors associated with development of speech production skills in children implanted by age five.

Objective: This study investigated speech production outcomes and the factors influencing the outcomes in children who had 4 to 6 yr of experience with a multichannel cochlear implant. Production variables examined included speech intelligibility, accuracy of consonant and vowel production, percentage of plosives and fricatives produced, duration of sentences, percentage of time involved in communication breakdowns during a communication sample, and responses to a speech usage questionnaire.

Design: 181 children between the ages of 8 and 9 yr who received a multichannel cochlear implant before age 5 yr participated as subjects.