Presentation

Meaghan Perdue¹, Marilena DeMayo¹, Ashley Harris¹, Catherine Lebel¹; ¹University of Calgary

Growing evidence shows that brain metabolite levels are related to reading ability1–3 and reading-related skills2,4–6. Specifically, elevated choline, a metabolite involved in membrane synthesis and repair7, has been linked to poorer reading1 and may reflect higher levels of myelin turnover in poorer readers1. The association between choline and reading skills across development is unclear: some studies have shown effects limited to specific age groups2 or participant sex8. Choline levels decline across infancy9 and into childhood10, so accounting for the dynamic fluctuation of choline levels across early childhood may clarify links to reading. We will investigate relationships between choline levels across early childhood and reading ability in beginning readers. Data will be drawn from a longitudinal study of early childhood brain development11. We expect to include approximately 192 datasets from 46 participants ranging in age from 2.5-7.9 years. Choline levels were measured in the left temporo-parietal region (LTP), a key hub of the reading network, using short echo Point RESolved Spectroscopy (PRESS, TE = 30 ms, TR = 2000 ms, 128 averages, 15 x 20 x 15 mm voxels) acquired on a 3T GE MR750w MR system. T1-weighted anatomical images (210 axial slices; 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9mm resolution, TR = 8.23 ms, TE = 3.76 ms, flip angle = 12º, matrix size = 512 x 512, inversion time = 540 ms) were acquired and used for placement of MRS voxels and tissue quantification. MRS data has been preprocessed using the FID-A toolbox12 and metabolites have been quantified using LCModel v. 6.313 and corrected for CSF14,15. Word reading and pseudoword decoding were assessed using the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test III16. Sub-test scores at grade 2 will be averaged for a composite reading score. Relationships between choline and reading ability will be tested using latent change score models17. We will address the following questions: (1) Are choline levels related to concurrent reading ability in beginning readers? (2) Does choline measured at the pre-reading stage predict reading outcomes at the beginning reading stage (grade 2)? (3) Are longitudinal changes in choline from pre-reading to beginning reading stages (linear slope) associated with reading ability in beginning readers? We predict that (1) lower choline levels at grade 2 will be associated with higher concurrent reading abilities; (2) lower initial choline levels (at the preschool stage) will be associated with higher reading abilities at grade 2; (3) a more rapid decline in choline across early childhood will be associated with better reading at grade 2. References 1. Pugh. J Neurosci. 2014 2. Kossowski. Sci Rep. 2019 3. Cecil. Brain Res. 2021 4. Lebel. Brain Behav. 2016 5. Bruno. Neuroimage. 2013 6. Del Tufo. Front Psychol. 2018 7. Rae. Neurochem Res. 2014 8. Horowitz-Kraus. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018 9. Blüml. Cereb Cortex. 2013 10. Perdue. OHBM. 2022. (poster) 11. Reynolds. Data Br. 2020 12. Simpson. Magn Reson Med. 2017 13. Provencher. Magn Reson Med. 1993 14. Near. NMR Biomed. 2020 15. Gasparovic. Magn Reson Med. 2006 16. Woodcock. 2011. 17. Kievit. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2018

Topic Areas: Reading, Development