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The predictive value of prenatal structural brain development for children’s later language abilities
Poster Session B, Wednesday, September 30, 4:30 - 6:30 pm, Wangari Maathai
This poster is part of the Sandbox Series.
Nina Wyman1, Gaby van Iersel1,2,3, Anika van der Klis1, Sonja de Zwarte1, Caroline Junge1; 1Utrecht University, 2Eindhoven University of Technology, 3University Medical Center Utrecht
Recent studies have demonstrated that prenatal brain measurements can be linked to children’s later language abilities (Bartha-Doering et al., 2023; Werwach et al., 2026). Bartha-Doering et al. (2023) found that the prenatal depth of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) can predict expressive language abilities in school-aged children (6-13 years). Similarly, Werwach et al. (2026) demonstrated that the volume of the STS is related to expressive vocabulary in infants. In this study, we aim to expand on this predictive relationship between prenatal brain markers and later language outcomes in 3 ways: 1) by examining the predictive value of gestational age (20 vs. 30 weeks gestation) 2) by contrasting different brain predictors (i.e., global developmental measures (intracranial and cerebellar volume) vs. language-specific brain measures (Sylvian fissure and corpus callosum length)) and 3) by examining a variety of age-normed language outcomes at different ages (receptive vocabulary for 3-year-olds; core language ability for five-year-olds). All data has been collected, and are currently being analyzed. Our full analyses are preregistered on OSF. The well-powered sample consists of 839 monolingual Dutch children who underwent a 3D prenatal ultrasound scan at 20 (Mage = 21.44; Range: 19-24 weeks) and 30 (Mage = 29.8; Range: 20-32 weeks) weeks gestation. The ultrasound scans were obtained transabdominally by experienced sonographers, using a Voluson E10 (GE Healthcare, Zipf, Austria) ultrasound machine. The receptive vocabulary of these same children was measured using the PPVT-III-NL (Schlichting, 2005) around 3 years (Mage = 3.25). For a subset of these children (N = 343; Mage = 5.52) language profiles were also collected at 3-6 years using the PRE-CELF-2-NL (Wigg et al., 2012). We expect findings in line with Bartha-Doering et al. (2023) and Werwach et al. (2026), showing that prenatal brain development is a relevant source of variation related to children’s later language abilities. Additionally, if our results demonstrate an effect for gestational age, e.g. ultrasound scans at 30 weeks gestation are better predictors of later language, this could indicate continued specialization of brain regions related to language. Furthermore, if our results show that language-specific brain regions are better predictors than global developmental measures, this could indicate that the prenatal development of language-specific brain regions underlies later language abilities, more than general developmental processes. In addition, if this relationship holds across the two outcome-ages considered, this could suggest that the relationship between prenatal brain development and later language emerges early and remains stable across childhood.
Topic Areas: Language Development/Acquisition,