Cerebellar-frontal connections in light of language task performance

[mstnva]

Research questions

Is structural and functional connectivity between right cerebellum and left language areas—particularly left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG)—associated with linguistic performance? Which language tasks are best predicted by these connections, if any?

Description

This research project involves finding fronto-cerebellar language-related connections in a multimodal fashion: with both structural and functional (resting state) imaging data. Using multiple modes of measuring connections will strengthen conclusions (if the networks are similar) and shed light on the validity of combining metrics in this way. After establishing and comparing these networks, the researchers will investigate whether individual differences in performance on reading and language tasks are associated with the relationship between these regions. Soelva et al. (2013) have shown differences in fronto-cerebellar structural connectivity after cerebellar damage and ensuing atypical language (cerebellar mutism); the present study seeks to further characterize and validate these connectivity differences in a larger sample, with a typical range of language function, and with the addition of an investigation into functional connectivity.
The project will use exclusively baseline ABCD data since researchers do not want to investigate longitudinal relationships before connections are definitively found and characterized in the baseline sample.

Imaging modalities to be analyzed:

• RSFC
• DTI

Tasks to be analyzed:

• Picture vocabulary
• Oral reading recognition
• RAVLT

Tools and algorithms to be used

• CONN for connectivity analyses
• TORTOISE for DTI analyses
• R for both behavioral analyses (finding differences between participants) and combining behavioral analyses with connectivity values derived from neuroimaging analyses

Skills we could use help with

Help may be needed with processing DTI images in TORTOISE or other white matter processing software.

Suggested keywords/tags

Cerebellum
Functional connectivity
Tractography
Inferior frontal gyrus
Multimodal imaging
Language

References

Soelva, V., Driever, P. H., Abbushi, A., Rueckriegel, S., Bruhn, H., Eisner, W., & Thomale, U. W. (2013). Fronto-cerebellar fiber tractography in pediatric patients following posterior fossa tumor surgery. Child's nervous system, 29(4), 597-607.

[angielaird]

Hi @mstnva, this looks really interesting! As you work towards an analysis plan with milestones/goals for Project Week, perhaps considering joining forces with @KatherineTrice to see if there are common analytic goals that can be merged: Issue #15 Association Between Structural and Connectivity Characteristics in the Language Networks and the Statistical Learning Networks and Children’s Language Abilities.

[dnkennedy]

Hi @mstnva , interesting project! While new processing (i.e. with CONN) is possible, are there resting state measures in the Annual Release that have already been generated that relate to fronto-cerebellar functionl connectivity?

[mxd2019]

Hi @mstnva
I would like to participate in your project. I am a data analyst at Brown University, and have experience with diffusion imaging and tractography reconstruction using DSI studio, TrackVis, and components of TORTOISE.. Let me know what we can do together
Marie

[amaiacc]

Hi @mstnva,
I'd like to join this project as well. I'm familiar with scripting in bash and R, mostly. Not so familiar with neuroimaging analyses, but willing to learn!
I'm also working with Marissa Marko on #13, and we were thinking there may be common goals we could work on in a coordinated way?
Best,
amaia

[jessicabartley]

Hi @mstnva and team! I'm Checking in to see if you plan to make a Project Plan presentation about this project on Monday March 8th please let me know. Thanks!

[mstnva]

Hi @jessicabartley @mxd2019 @amaiacc @marissa-marko !
Because I am overwhelmed with work for my graduate program, I am unfortunately not going to be able to work on this project during project week as initially planned. I can still participate in project week in some capacity (e.g. working with @marissa-marko and @amaiacc on pipeline development for their project) but not beyond that. I am very, very sorry for the late notice about this. I am happy to collaborate with @mxd2019 @amaiacc @marissa-marko and any other interested parties on this project after project week is over. Again, extremely sorry for the trouble.

I'll keep this GitHub issue open (if that's allowed) to allow for further collaboration on this project after project week. This is a fascinating topic to me and I'd love to pursue it in the future.

[mxd2019]

Hi Masha; no problem....but I would like to keep in touch with this project....I am very interested in the brainstem and cerebellar connections to the frontal lobe. Let's converse in the future. Best Marie

…

On Mon, Mar 8, 2021 at 9:14 AM Masha Stoianova ***@***.***> wrote: Hi @jessicabartley <https://github.com/jessicabartley> @mxd2019 <https://github.com/mxd2019> @amaiacc <https://github.com/amaiacc> @marissa-marko <https://github.com/marissa-marko> ! Because I am overwhelmed with work for my graduate program, I am unfortunately not going to be able to work on this project during project week as initially planned. I can still participate in some capacity (e.g. working with @marissa-marko <https://github.com/marissa-marko> on her pipeline development) but not beyond that. I am very, very sorry for the late notice about this. I am happy to collaborate with @mxd2019 <https://github.com/mxd2019> @amaiacc <https://github.com/amaiacc> @marissa-marko <https://github.com/marissa-marko> and any other interested parties on this project after project week is over. Again, extremely sorry for the trouble. I'll keep this GitHub issue open (if that's allowed) to allow for further collaboration on this project after project week. This is a fascinating topic to me and I'd love to pursue it in the future. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#23 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ALFGYK6G5SK2W6BR2TGE5BTTCTLTHANCNFSM4X5BW4NA> .

-- *Marie Drottar* *Research Support* *COBRE-BNC* *Carney Institute for Brain Science* *cobre_bnc@brown.edu <cobre_bnc@brown.edu>*