Development of the arcuate fasciculus is linked to learning gains in reading

Past studies leveraging cross-sectional data have raised questions surrounding the relationship between diffusion properties of the white matter and academic skills. Some studies have suggested that white matter properties serve as static predictors of academic skills, whereas other studies have observed no such relationship. However, longitudinal studies have suggested that within-individual changes in the white matter are linked to learning gains over time. In the present study, we look to replicate and extend the previous longitudinal results linking longitudinal changes in the white matter properties of the left arcuate fasciculus to individual differences in reading development. To do so, we analyzed diffusion MRI data, along with reading and mathematics scores in a longitudinal sample of 340 students as they progressed from first grade into fourth grade. Longitudinal growth models revealed that year-to-year within-individual changes in reading scores, but not mathematics, were related to the development of the left arcuate fasciculus. These findings provide further evidence linking the dynamics of white matter development and learning in a unique sample and highlight the importance of longitudinal designs.