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In this study, MRI and DTI were employed to examine subcortical volume and microstructural properties (FA, MD) of the limbic network, and their relationships with affect discrimination in 13 FL (6 right FL, M = 10.17 years; 7 left FL; M = 10.09) and 13 typically-developing children (TD; M = 10.16). Subcortical volume of the amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus and FA and MD of the fornix and anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) were examined. Results revealed no group differences across emotion-perception tasks or amygdalar volume. However, contrasting neuroanatomical patterns were observed in right versus left FL youth. Right FL participants showed increased left hippocampal and thalamic volume relative to left FL participants; whereas, the latter group showed increased right thalamic volume. DTI findings also indicated right FL children show greater MD of right fornix than other groups, whereas, left FL youth showed greater MD of left fornix. Right FL youth also showed lower FA of right fornix than left FL children, whereby the latter showed greater FA of left fornix and ATR. Differential associations between DTI indices and auditory/visual emotion-perception were observed across FL groups. Findings indicate diverging brain-behavioral relationships for emotion-perception among right and left FL children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between variability in cortical surface area and thickness of the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus and motor-inhibitory performance on a stop-signal task in a longitudinal, typically developing cohort of children and adolescents. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the hypotheses that (1) cortical thinning and (2) a relatively larger cortical surface area of the bilateral pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus would predict better performance on the stop-signal task in a cohort of 110 children and adolescents 4-13 years of age, with one to four observations (totaling 232 observations). Cortical thickness of the bilateral opercular region was not related to inhibitory performance. However, independent of age, gender, and total cortical surface area, relatively larger cortical surface area of the bilateral opercular region of the inferior frontal gyrus was associated with better motor-inhibitory performance. Follow-up analyses showed a significant effect of surface area of the right pars opercularis, but no evidence for an effect of area of left pars opercularis, on motor-inhibitory performance. These findings are consistent with the previous work in adults showing that cortical morphology of the pars opercularis is related to inhibitory functioning. It also expands upon this literature by showing that, in contrast to earlier work highlighting the importance of cortical thickness of this region in adults, relative cortical surface area of the pars opercularis may be related to developing motor-inhibitory functions during childhood and adolescence. Relationships between cortical phenotypes and individual differences in behavioral measures may vary across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]