Biology subjects

Aguilera Gonzalez, V. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Aguilera Gonzalez, V. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Preliterate symbolic language processing sets the neural stage for learning to read

Formal writing is evolutionarily recent, yet the brains of literate adults contain regions - the OTS-words subregions - that respond more strongly to written text than other stimuli. We tested a novel solution to this multi-disciplinary paradox: Does symbolic language processing, which emerged early in human history, lay the neural foundation for reading? In a longitudinal fMRI study, we followed 17 children through their first year of literacy training and related neural responses to text, symbolic language processing, and emerging reading skills over time. We found that middle OTS-words is engaged in symbolic language processing before children learn to read, and that this early engagement predicts later text selectivity and reading ability. These findings suggest that literacy builds on a pre-existing neural scaffold linking vision and language.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

A fast and child-friendly localizer for the identification of ITG-math based on its preference for mathematical processing

The visual number form areas (here referred to as ITG-math) have gained recent attention as a neural substrate of mathematical cognition. Yet, the function of these regions remains debated with some research suggesting selectivity for digits and others suggesting a visual stimulus-independent role in mathematical processing. Here we addressed this debate by exploring the impact of different tasks and stimuli on neural responses in ITG-math. Participants were presented with digits and UFOs, while performing a 1-back task either on stimulus numerosity or on stimulus color. We collected two sessions of this experiment from 17 healthy adults and could identify voxels with higher responses in the numerosity than the color task in 92% of the participants, whereas contrasting digits with UFOs lead to selective responses in only 35% of the participants. Accordingly, in independent data, ITG-math showed a task preference, but no stimulus preference. Multivariate analyses further revealed task encoding, and a combination of task and stimulus encoding, in the left and right ITG-math, respectively. Our work hence supports the notion that the role of ITG-math in mathematical cognition goes beyond the encoding of digits.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Human white matter myelination rate slows down at birth

The formation of myelin, the fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers, is critical for healthy brain function. A fundamental open question is what is the impact of being born on myelin growth. To address this question, we evaluated a large (n=300) cross-sectional sample of newborns from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP). First, we developed new software for the automated identification of 20 white matter bundles in individuals that is well-suited for large samples. Next, we fit linear models that quantify T1w/T2w, a myelin-sensitive imaging contrast, increases along bundles. We found faster growth of T1w/T2w along the lengths of all bundles before birth than right after birth. Further, in a separate longitudinal sample of preterm infants (N=34), we found lower T1w/T2w at term-equivalent age than in full-term peers. By applying the linear models fit on the cross-section sample to the longitudinal sample of preterm infants, we find that their delay in T1w/T2w growth is well explained by the amount of time preterm infants spend developing in utero and ex utero. These results suggest that being born slows the rate of myelin growths. This reduction in the rate of myelin growth at birth, in turn, explains lower myelin content in individuals born preterm, and could account for long-term cognitive, neurological, and developmental consequences of preterm birth. We hypothesize that closely matching the environment of infants born preterm to what they would have experienced in the womb may reduce delays in myelin growth and hence improve developmental outcomes.

neuroscience↗