Size of Infant's Amygdala Predicts Language Ability

A child's language ability correlates with the volume of his or her amygdala ― the small, deep brain region that is strongly associated with emotion processing ― according to an unpublished five-year longitudinal study presented Wednesday afternoon at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.Analyzing brain imaging data collected from 24 infants at 6 months of age, researchers at Rutgers University found that the larger the volume of the right amygdala, the lower the babies score on language tests given at 2, 3, and 4 years of age. The researchers found the inverse to be true of the left amygdala, but not to statistical significance.Based on these results and previous studies, the researchers speculate that during early development, neuronal connections are strengthened between the amygdala and known language processing centers in the brain. Because children with autism have impaired social interaction, these connections may be disrupted, the researchers say.Read more at...SFARI, November 2008.