Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40530241›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in aging2025

Right hemisphere engagement in language abilities in older adults: indication of compensation rather than decline.

Daniel Solomons, Maria Rodriguez-Fernandez, Francisco Mery-Muñoz, Leonardo Arraño-Carrasco, David Toloza-Ramirez, Francisco Sahli-Costabal, Carolina Mendez-Orellana

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Daniel SolomonsInstitute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Maria Rodriguez-FernandezInstitute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Francisco Mery-MuñozDepartment of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Leonardo Arraño-CarrascoDepartment of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
David Toloza-RamirezSchool of Speech Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Francisco Sahli-CostabalInstitute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Carolina Mendez-OrellanaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Structural brain changes during aging have been used as specific markers to distinguish normal aging from dementia. Changes in specific cognitive abilities such as episodic memory, processing speed, and executive functions, are observed in healthy aging. Limited evidence reports changes in linguistic functions alongside structural and functional brain changes. This study investigates correlations between language performance, gray matter volume (GMV), and neural activity in language regions, adjusted for demographic factors, in healthy older adults. Methods: Twenty-seven right-handed participants aged 60-87 were evaluated for overall linguistic performance using the Spanish version of ScreeLing (SCL) test and phonemic fluency and semantic verbal fluency tasks (PF and SF). Participants also underwent an MRI session during which they performed a functional MRI language task. T1-weighted MRI scans were used to measure GMV in specific language-related regions and assess language lateralization. Correlational analyses were conducted between language scores, GMV, years of education, age, sex, and fMRI lateralization. Results: In the right hemisphere (RH), significant positive correlations were found between SCL scores and GMV in the orbital inferior frontal gyrus (r = 0.5402; p = 0.0044) and the superior temporal gyrus (r = 0.516; p = 0.007). Furthermore, SCL and Phonemic fluency positively correlated with years of education, indicating that higher education enhances speech performance. No significant correlations were found in the left hemisphere (LH). Age, sex, and fMRI lateralization did not significantly correlate with specific linguistic scores. Discussion: These results challenge the current view of the role of the right hemisphere in language performance as increased GMV in specific right hemisphere language regions is associated with better language performance, highlighting the role of the right hemisphere in supporting language skills during healthy aging.

Indexed as

aginggray matter volumelanguage lateralizationmagnetic resonance imagingphonologicalsemanticsyntacticverbal fluency

Identifiers

PMID40530241
PMCPMC12171297

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.