Language Development Cohort Studied with MEG

This project has two aims:

• Characterize the frequency profiles of language activation in healthy children
• Determine the frequency bands of language activation highly localized to Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area

We will use the wavelet-based beamformer to localize magnetic sources volumetrically. If successful, the frequency signatures of magnetoencephalography (MEG) data will be new biomarkers for language impairments in childhood epilepsy.

The detection of HFBS, in addition to the conventional low-frequency signals, opens a new window for analyses of language function in normal and abnormal conditions. The frequency profile of language activation lays a foundation for better mapping language areas.

Children with intractable epilepsy who are surgical candidates will benefit from the results of our research. The results may facilitate the development of advanced neuroimaging, which includes temporal, frequency and 3-D spatial information.

Funded by a grant from NIH / NICHD R01- HD38578 (ARRA supplement).