Utilizing functional neuroimaging to study early language development

Halie A. Olson; Trevor K.M. Day; Kelly J. Hiersche; Brittany L. Manning; Holly Bradley; Soujin Choi; Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova; Sarah A. McCormick; Amy L. Conrad; Dustin Scheinost; Kelly A. Vaughn

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101641

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Utilizing functional neuroimaging to study early language development

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Utilizing functional neuroimaging to study early language development

Halie A. Olson, Trevor K.M. Day, Kelly J. Hiersche, Brittany L. Manning, Holly Bradley, Soujin Choi, Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova, Sarah A. McCormick, Amy L. Conrad, Dustin Scheinost, …

Developmental cognitive neuroscience, Vol.76, 101641

12/2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101641

PMCID: PMC12663524

PMID: 41237635

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Abstract

Language develops rapidly over the infant and toddler period and has been a key area of research within the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience. Understanding the neural basis of early language development may help us predict delays or disorders, recommend early interventions, and provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of how the brain supports language learning. While the ontogeny of many cognitive functions can be studied in animal models, language development can only be studied in human children. Thus, functional neuroimaging is critical for uncovering the neural basis of language in early development. The purpose of this review is to take stock of some examples of what we have learned so far, and to explore some of the biggest open questions for the next phase of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging research of language development.

Language

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Infant

Toddler

Details

Title: Subtitle: Utilizing functional neuroimaging to study early language development
Creators: Halie A. Olson - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Trevor K.M. Day - Georgetown University
Kelly J. Hiersche - The Ohio State University
Brittany L. Manning - Northwestern University
Holly Bradley
Soujin Choi
Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova - University of Maryland, College Park
Sarah A. McCormick - Northeastern University
Amy L. Conrad - University of Iowa
Dustin Scheinost - Yale University
Kelly A. Vaughn - The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Developmental cognitive neuroscience, Vol.76, 101641
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101641
PMID: 41237635
PMCID: PMC12663524
NLM abbreviation: Dev Cogn Neurosci
ISSN: 1878-9293
eISSN: 1878-9307
Publisher: Elsevier
Grant note: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health: F32HD117580, R21HD109725 National Institutes of Health: T32DC019481, T32MH126368 National Science Foundation: DGE-1343012
We thank FIT'NG 2024 Think Tank discussion group that inspired the ideas presented here. Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (award number F32HD117580 to HAO; award number R21HD109725 to KAV) , National Institutes of Health (award number T32DC019481 to TKMD; award number T32MH126368 to BLM) , and National Science Foundation (Graduate Research Fellowship Program DGE-1343012 to KJH) .
Language: English
Date published: 12/2025
Academic Unit: Pediatric Psychology; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center
Record Identifier: 9985026360702771

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