Infection by Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-A-associated antigen-positive strains is associated with iron deficiency anemia in a longitudinal birth cohort in Brazil.

Not available.

Vaccine adherence and adverse events of the SARS-COV vaccine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess adherence to and the adverse effects of the SARS-COV vaccine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and clinical data, SARS-COV vaccine data, medications for IBD with use during the vaccination period, and adverse events during the vaccination period were collected. Carried out logistic regressions with robust variance estimation to estimate the odds ratio with the respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) to assess the factors associated with non-serious adverse effects following vaccine doses as outcome variables. RESULTS: 194 patients participated, with vaccine compliance of 78.3% for three doses of any vaccine (n=152). Local symptoms and mild systemic symptoms predominated, regardless of the type of vaccine. The first dose of the SARS-COV vaccine with AstraZeneca had a higher percentage of patients with vaccine symptoms. AstraZeneca vaccine increased the chance of non-serious adverse effects in IBD patients by 2.65 times (95% CI: 1.38-5.08; p=0.003), regardless of age, gender, physical activity, excess weight, use of disease-modifying drugs, immunobiological and corticosteroids. CoronaVac vaccine was associated with asymptomatic patients at the first dose and reduced the chance of adverse effects by 0.28 times (OR: 0.284; 95%CI: 0.13-0.62; p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Local symptoms and mild systemic symptoms predominated, regardless of the type of vaccine. Using CoronaVac in the first dose reduced the chances of adverse effects, while AstraZeneca increased the risk of adverse effects.

Temporal trends and spatial clusters of gastric cancer mortality in Brazil.

Objective: To identify nationwide temporal trends and spatial patterns of gastric cancer-related mortality in Brazil. Methods: An ecological study was performed using death certificates registered from 2000 to 2019 in which gastric cancer was recorded as any cause of death (an underlying or associated cause). Trends over time were assessed using joinpoint regression models. Spatial and spatiotemporal clusters were identified by Kulldorff's space-time scan statistics to identify high-risk areas. Results: In 276 897/22 663 091 (1.22%) death certificates gastric cancer was recorded as any cause of death. Age-adjusted gastric cancer-related mortality increased significantly over time (annual percentage change [APC]: 0.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5 to 0.8). The increase in mortality was more pronounced in the less-developed North and Northeast Regions (North Region, APC: 3.1, 95% CI: 2.7 to 3.5; Northeast Region, APC: 3.1, 95% CI: 2.5 to 3.7). Eight spatiotemporally associated high-risk clusters of gastric cancer-related mortality were identified in the North, South, Northeast and Central-West Regions, as well as a major cluster covering a wide geographical range in the South and Southeast Regions of Brazil during the first years of the study period (2000 to 2009). Conclusions: More recently, during 2010 to 2019, clusters of gastric cancer have been identified in the Northeast Region. The nationwide increase in mortality in this analysis of 20 years of data highlights the persistently high burden of gastric cancer in Brazil, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged regions. The identification of these areas where the population is at high risk for gastric cancer-related mortality emphasizes the need to develop effective and intersectoral control measures.

Gastrointestinal effects of Mentha aquatica L. essential oil.

Found in humid regions and waterways and popularly used to treat gastrointestinal problems among other applications, the present study evaluated the M. aquatica essential oil (OEMa) as a therapeutic alternative to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Produced by steam distillation, chemical composition of OEMa was determined by GC-MS analysis. The ethanol-induced ulcer and the dose-repeated acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)-induced gastrointestinal lesions models in rats evaluated, respectively, the prophylactic and curative effects of EOMa on peptic ulcers. The EOMa's effect on gastric secretion, gastric mucus and gastrointestinal motility were evaluated in in vivo models. The curative effect of EOMa on acute colitis was evaluated using the DSS-induced colitis model in mice. Obtained in 0.17% yield (w/w), with carvone (54.82 ± 1.39 g/100 g oil) as the main constituent, EOMa (at 75 mg/kg) showed potent gastroprotective effect (> 90%) mediated by non-protein sulfhydryl compounds (NPSH) and nitric oxide (NO) modulation alongside reduction in gastric secretion volume and total acidity. EOMa did not affect gastric mucus production and gastrointestinal motility. In dose-repeated ASA-induced gastrointestinal lesions model, EOMa (at 25 mg/kg) promoted the inflammatory process resolution both in gastric and duodenal walls by modulating NPSH, NO and myeloperoxidase levels. Despite delaying in 2 days the clinical symptoms worsening, EOMa (at 25 mg/kg) was not able to protect colon tissues from DSS-induced acute colitis as evidenced by macroscopic, biochemical, and histopathological parameters. This is the first report of Mentha aquatica essential oil as a promising herbal medicine for peptic ulcers treatment together with an adjuvant effect in IBD.

Inhibitory Control of Adjacent Finger Movements while Performing a Modified Version of the Halstead Finger Tapping Test: Effects of Age, Education and Sex.

OBJECTIVE: Selective motor inhibition is known to decline with age. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of failures at inhibitory control of adjacent finger movements while performing a repetitive finger tapping task in young, middle-aged and older adults. Potential education and sex effects were also evaluated. METHODS: Kinematic recordings of adjacent finger movements were obtained on 107 healthy adults (ages 20-80) while they performed a modified version of the Halstead Finger Tapping Test (HTFF). Study participants were instructed to inhibit all finger movements while tapping with the index finger. RESULTS: Inability to inhibit adjacent finger movements while performing the task was infrequent in young adults (2.9% of individuals between 20 and 39 years of age) but increased with age (23.3% between the ages of 40 and 59; 31.0% between ages 60 and 80). Females and males did not differ in their inability to inhibit adjacent finger movements, but individuals with a college education showed a lower frequency of failure to inhibit adjacent finger movements (10.3%) compared to those with a high school education (28.6%). These findings were statistically significant only for the dominant hand. CONCLUSION: Selective motor inhibition failures are most common in the dominant hand and occur primarily in older healthy adults while performing the modified version of the HFTT. Monitoring selective motor inhibition failures may have diagnostic significance.

Knowing the enemy: homoacetogens in hydrogen production reactors.

One of the bottlenecks of the hydrogen production by dark fermentation is the low yields obtained because of the homoacetogenesis persistence, a metabolic pathway where H2 and CO2 are consumed to produce acetate. The central reactions of H2 production and homoacetogenesis are catalyzed by enzyme hydrogenase and the formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase, respectively. In this work, genes encoding for the formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (fthfs) and hydrogenase (hydA) were used to investigate the diversity of homoacetogens as well as their phylogenetic relationships through quantitative PCR (qPCR) and next-generation amplicon sequencing. A total of 70 samples from 19 different H2-producing bioreactors with different configurations and operating conditions were analyzed. Quantification through qPCR showed that the abundance of fthfs and hydA was strongly associated with the type of substrate, organic loading rate, and H2 production performance. In particular, fthfs sequencing revealed that homoacetogens diversity was low with one or two dominant homoacetogens in each sample. Clostridium carboxivorans was detected in the reactors fed with agave hydrolisates; Acetobacterium woodii dominated in systems fed with glucose; Blautia coccoides and unclassified Sporoanaerobacter species were present in reactors fed with cheese whey; finally, Eubacterium limosum and Selenomonas sp. were co-dominant in reactors fed with glycerol. Altogether, quantification and sequencing analysis revealed that the occurrence of homoacetogenesis could take place due to (1) metabolic changes of H2-producing bacteria towards homoacetogenesis or (2) the displacement of H2-producing bacteria by homoacetogens. Overall, it was demonstrated that the fthfs gene was a suitable marker to investigate homoacetogens in H2-producing reactors. KEY POINTS: • qPCR and sequencing analysis revealed two homoacetogenesis phenomena. • fthfs gene was a suitable marker to investigate homoacetogens in H2 reactors.

Neuropathy and primary headaches affect different subgroups of inflammatory bowel disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral neuropathies (PN) and primary headaches (PH) are common comorbidities in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We aimed to evaluate whether PN and PH affect the same subgroups of IBD patients. METHODS: Since 2004, we established a cohort study to evaluate neurological diseases in IBD patients. Over 2 years, all consecutive (N = 155) IBD patients (either Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) were evaluated for the presence of PN and PH. PH were also evaluated in dyspeptic patients (N = 84) and IBD relatives (controls, N = 101). After neurological evaluation, symptomatic patients underwent skin wrinkling test to evaluate small fiber function and/or electromyography. RESULTS: Headaches and migraine were more prevalent in IBD than control patients: 52.3 and 34.2% vs. 40.6 and 20.8% (P < 0.05). Migraine was 2.6 times more common in CD patients than controls (CI = 1.34-5.129) and 8.6 times (13.3 times in the CD group) more common in men with IBD (P < 0.05). Headache and migraine were also more common in dyspeptic patients (P < 0.05). Chi-square, univariate, and multivariate regression analysis did not disclose any association between PN, headache, or PH (P > 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis disclosed that headaches were more prevalent in women, co-existing psychiatric disease, IBD, CD, and UC. After age, gender distribution, and prevalence of hypertension and psychiatric diseases were matched among the groups, there were still differences in the prevalence of headaches and migraine among IBD, CD, and UC versus control patients. CONCLUSION: In summary, PH and PN are common in IBD and do not affect the same subgroups of patients.

Impact of literacy on the functional connectivity of vision and language related networks.

Learning to read leads to functional and structural changes in cortical brain areas related to vision and language. Previous evidence suggests that the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA), a region devoted to the recognition of letter strings in literate persons, acts as an interface between both systems. While different studies have performed univariate analyses to study the effects of literacy on brain function, little is known about its impact on whole functional networks, especially when literacy is acquired during adulthood. We investigated functional connectivity in three groups of adults with different literacy status: illiterates, ex-illiterates (i.e., who learned to read during adulthood), and literates (i.e., who learned to read in childhood). We used a data-driven, multivariate whole brain approach (Independent Component Analysis [ICA]) combined with a region of interest (ROI) analysis in order to explore the functional connectivity of the VWFA with four ICA networks related to vision and language functions. ICA allowed for the identification of four networks of interest: left fronto-parietal, auditory, medial visual and lateral visual functional networks, plus a control right fronto-parietal network. We explored the effects literacy on the connectivity between the VWFA and these networks, trying furthermore to disentangle the roles of reading proficiency and age of acquisition (i.e., literacy status) in these changes. Results showed that functional connectivity between the VWFA and the left fronto-parietal and lateral visual networks increased and decreased, respectively, with literacy. Moreover, the functional coupling of the VWFA and the auditory network decreased with literacy. This study provides novel insights in the mechanisms of reading acquisition and brain plasticity, putting to light the emergence of the VWFA as a bridge between language and vision. Further studies are required to characterize the interplay of proficiency and age of reading acquisition, and its relevance to models of brain plasticity across lifespan.

Yellow-colored extract from cashew byproduct - Nonclinical safety assessment.

Natural and synthetic dyes are widely used in foodstuff, medicines and cosmetics industries to enhance and/or restore the color of the final products. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of oral consumption of one carotenoids and anacardic acids-enriched extract (CAE), obtained by green extraction from cashew apple residue fibers, a byproduct of the cashew juice industry. Presenting intense yellow color, CAE could be proposed as a new natural dye. Single and repeated-dose oral toxicity (30 days) were evaluated in female Swiss mice at doses ranging from 50 to 1000 mg/kg, while (anti)mutagenic effects were evaluated in CHO-K1 cells (in vitro Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus assay - CBMN) and in erythrocytes collected from murine bone marrow (in vivo). CAE did not induce toxic or mutagenic effects in female mice even after 30 days of treatment, regardless of the dose used. Considering cyclophosphamide (CPA)-challenged animals treated with CAE, neither antimutagenic effect was observed nor CAE increased CPA-mutagenic effects although in vitro CBMN results indicated that CAE might increase methyl methanesulfonate-induced micronuclei (MN) frequency besides promoting reduction on CPA-induced MN frequency. The obtained results suggest that CAE may be a safe source of carotenoids with potential use as industrial dye.

Correction to: Differences in factors influencing the use of eRehabilitation after stroke; a cross-sectional comparison between Brazilian and Dutch healthcare professionals.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Differences in factors influencing the use of eRehabilitation after stroke; a cross-sectional comparison between Brazilian and Dutch healthcare professionals.

BACKGROUND: To improve the use of eRehabilitation after stroke, the identification of barriers and facilitators influencing this use in different healthcare contexts around the world is needed. Therefore, this study aims to investigate differences and similarities in factors influencing the use of eRehabilitation after stroke among Brazilian Healthcare Professionals (BHP) and Dutch Healthcare Professionals (DHP). METHOD: A cross-sectional survey study including 88 statements about factors related to the use of eRehabilitation (4-point Likert scale; 1-4; unimportant-important/disagree-agree). The survey was conducted among BHP and DHP (physical therapists, rehabilitating physicians and psychologists). Descriptive statistics were used to analyse differences and similarities in factors influencing the use of eRehabilitation. RESULTS: ninety-nine (response rate 30%) BHP and 105 (response rate 37%) DHP participated. Differences were found in the top-10 most influencing statements between BHP and DHP BHP rated the following factors as most important: sufficient support from the organisation (e.g. the rehabilitation centre) concerning resources and time, and potential benefits of the use of eRehabilitation for the patient. DHP rated the feasibility of the use of eRehabilitation for the patient (e.g. a helpdesk and good instructions) as most important for effective uptake. Top-10 least important statements were mostly similar; both BHP and DHP rated problems caused by stroke (e.g. aphasia or cognitive problems) or problems with resources (e.g. hardware and software) as least important for the uptake of eRehabilitation. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the use of eRehabilitation after stroke by BHP and DHP is influenced by different factors. A tailored implementation strategy for both countries needs to be developed.

oipA "on" status of Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastric cancer in North-Eastern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Although, outer membrane protein OipA of Helicobacter pylori has been associated with gastric mucosal damage and gastroduodenal diseases, studies evaluating gastric cancer patients are scarce. We investigated whether the functional oipA "on" status was associated with gastric cancer in the North-eastern Brazil, region with high prevalence of gastric cancer. METHODS: We included samples from 95 H. pylori positive subjects (23 patients with gastritis, 24 with gastric cancer, 32 first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients and 16 children). oipA was assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. cagA and vacA status were evaluated by PCR. RESULTS: Overall 81.1% of the H. pylori strains had functional oipA. In adults, the oipA "on" status (OR = 9.20; 95%CI = 1.45-58.48, P = 0.02) and increasing age (OR = 1.08; 95%CI = 1.03-1.14; P = 0.003) were independently associated with gastric cancer in a logistic model. The oipA "on" status (OR = 14.75; 95%CI: 2.53-86.13, P = 0.003) was also associated with first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients when compared with gastritis. The frequency of oipA "on" status did not differ between children and adults (P = 0.87). The oipA "on" status was significantly correlated with the presence of cagA and vacA s1 m1. CONCLUSION: oipA "on" status was independently associated with gastric cancer and first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients in North-eastern Brazil.

Unequal burden of mortality from gastric cancer in Brazil and its regions, 2000-2015.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, population-based data on GC mortality dynamics in low and middle income countries are scarce. METHODS: We analyzed GC mortality in Brazil based on all GC-related deaths registered 2000-2015. RESULTS: A total of 17,374,134 deaths were recorded, with GC identified in 214,808 (1.24%) cases-203,941 (94.9%) as underlying cause, and 10,867 (5.1%) as associated cause of death. Adjusted rates for age and sex was 6.85 deaths/100,000 inhabitants [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.73-6.97]. The highest mortality rates were found in males [10.00; rate ratio (RR) 1.85; 95% CI 1.78-1.91; p < 0.0001] and patients ≥ 45 years of age (24.98; RR 3.79; 95% CI 3.55-4.05; p < 0.0001). The South (7.56; RR 1.62; 95% CI 1.50-1.76; p < 0.0001) and Southeast (7.36; RR 1.59; 95% CI 1.48-1.71; p < 0.0001) regions had the highest regional rates. Spatial and spatiotemporal high-risk mortality areas in 2004-2007 were located mainly in the South, Southeast, and Central-West regions. After 2008, the Northeast region became a high-risk area, especially Ceará State. CONCLUSION: GC remains a significant public health problem with high mortality burden and unequal distribution in Brazilian states. The new patterns in poorer regions and the high risk in some specific populations show a clear process of epidemiological transition over time. There is a need to strengthen nationwide epidemiological monitoring, surveillance, prevention, and control for GC in the country.

Gastroduodenal Symptoms in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are Correlated with Gastric Emptying and Serum Levels of Active Ghrelin.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with delay in gastric emptying, increase in ghrelin, and decrease in leptin. The aim was to investigate the correlation between gastroduodenal (GD) symptoms, gastric emptying, and serum levels of active ghrelin and leptin in IBD. Twenty-seven IBD patients and 26 healthy volunteers were asked to complete the Porto Alegre Dyspeptic Symptoms Questionnaire. A gastric emptying test for solids was performed using a C13 octanoic acid breath test. During this test, serum samples were collected for measuring active ghrelin and leptin concentrations by radioimmunoassay. SUMMARY: Patients with IBD demonstrated delayed gastric emptying compared with healthy volunteers. In patients with GD symptoms, the delay in gastric emptying was more pronounced, and there were significant correlations of satiety and vomiting with gastric emptying. Basal leptin, but not active ghrelin, increased in patients with GD symptoms compared with patients without these symptoms. There were negative correlations between basal active ghrelin with total Porto Alegre score and epigastric pain in IBD patients with GD symptoms. Key Messages: In IBD, satiety and vomiting were associated with delay in gastric emptying. Conversely, epigastric pain had a negative correlation with active ghrelin. Our results suggest that different pathophysiological mechanisms contribute to GD symptoms in IBD.

Spilanthol, the Principal Alkylamide from Acmella oleracea, Attenuates 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Intestinal Mucositis in Mice.

Mucositis is one of the commonest side effects in cancer patients undergoing treatment with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, and it currently lacks appropriate and effective treatment. Acmella oleracea, a species of flowering herb from South America, contains spilanthol, an alkylamide that has several pharmacological properties, including anesthetic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of spilanthol in intestinal mucositis in Swiss mice induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an antineoplastic agent administered systemically for the treatment of many different cancers. The repeated administration of 5-FU resulted in intestinal mucositis and consequent decreased food intake, together with weight loss, in all the animals. Daily administration of spilanthol significantly lowered the severity of intestinal mucositis, reducing histopathological changes and increasing the villus height in the animals treated with spilanthol at a dosage of 30 mg/kg (p < 0.0044) compared to a group exposed only to 5-FU. A decrease of myeloperoxidase activity was also observed in the animals treated with 30 mg/kg of spilanthol (p < 0.05), although several pro-inflammatory cytokines were not quantifiable in any group. In conclusion, the data demonstrated that spilanthol effectively reduced inflammation in a mouse model of intestinal mucositis induced by 5-FU, and that the compound might be a promising therapeutic candidate for the prevention and treatment of this condition.

Clinical characteristics of distal gastric cancer in young adults from Northeastern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that distal gastric carcinoma (GC) in younger patients has a more aggressive outcome than in older patients, however this is a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to compare clinicopathological features between younger and older patients with GC in Northeastern Brazil. METHODS: A total of 207 patients with distal GC (41 patients ≤45 years, considered younger group, and 166 > 45 years, considered older group) were evaluated prospectively during a 6 year period. RESULTS: The mean patient age in the young group was 37.41 years old and 64.43 years in the older group. No significant difference was found regarding gender, area of residence, history of alcohol consumption, chronic tobacco smoking. Prevalence of first-degree GC history was 12.5% (7.3% in younger group vs. 13.9% in older; p <  0.46). The most frequent symptom was gastric pain and weight loss. Diffuse infiltrative cancer was more frequently seen in younger patients (70.70% vs. 33.70%, respectively; p <  0.01), as was histologically less differentiated tumors (63.40% vs. 33.10%; p <  0.01) and stage IV of GC (48.80% vs. 30.70%; p <  0.015). Five-year survival, evaluated in 82 patients, was lower in younger patients (p = 0.045); however, after adjusting for stage of GC in the multivariate analysis, this association did not remain significant. Family history of GC and gender had no impact on survival. CONCLUSIONS: Younger patients showed higher prevalence of diffuse type of Lauren and lower survival that was attributed to higher rate of advanced stage of GC. Gastric cancer screening strategies should also be considered in younger individuals, especially in areas of high prevalence. Further studies are warranted to determine risk factors associated with gastric cancer in young adults.

Timing the impact of literacy on visual processing.

Learning to read requires the acquisition of an efficient visual procedure for quickly recognizing fine print. Thus, reading practice could induce a perceptual learning effect in early vision. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in literate and illiterate adults, we previously demonstrated an impact of reading acquisition on both high- and low-level occipitotemporal visual areas, but could not resolve the time course of these effects. To clarify whether literacy affects early vs. late stages of visual processing, we measured event-related potentials to various categories of visual stimuli in healthy adults with variable levels of literacy, including completely illiterate subjects, early-schooled literate subjects, and subjects who learned to read in adulthood (ex-illiterates). The stimuli included written letter strings forming pseudowords, on which literacy is expected to have a major impact, as well as faces, houses, tools, checkerboards, and false fonts. To evaluate the precision with which these stimuli were encoded, we studied repetition effects by presenting the stimuli in pairs composed of repeated, mirrored, or unrelated pictures from the same category. The results indicate that reading ability is correlated with a broad enhancement of early visual processing, including increased repetition suppression, suggesting better exemplar discrimination, and increased mirror discrimination, as early as ∼ 100-150 ms in the left occipitotemporal region. These effects were found with letter strings and false fonts, but also were partially generalized to other visual categories. Thus, learning to read affects the magnitude, precision, and invariance of early visual processing.

Service provision for children and young people with acquired brain injury: Practice recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Providing appropriate rehabilitation services for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) in childhood presents a number of challenges for caregivers, health and education professionals and the young person as they develop. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To record the challenges and possible creative solutions generated by an international group of professionals to address the needs of children with ABI. Review of information: Recommendations were generated from children's special interest group meetings of the International Brain Injury Association (Turin, Italy, 2001; Stockholm, Sweden, 2003; Melbourne, Australia, 2005; Lisbon, Portugal, 2008) and through meetings of the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society (IPBIS), formed in 2009. Delegates participating in the workshops were representative of nations from around the world and included The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Finland, Germany, South Africa, the US, Canada, Sweden, Brazil and Italy. OUTCOMES: The information presented is based on a retrospective review of those meetings and the summaries of the topics considered.

Learning to read improves the structure of the arcuate fasciculus.

The acquisition of literacy results from an effortful learning process that leads to functional changes in several cortical regions. We explored whether learning to read also leads to anatomical changes within the left intrahemispheric white matter pathways that interconnect these regions. Using diffusion tensor imaging tractography, we compared illiterates with ex-illiterates who learned to read during adulthood and literates who learned to read during their childhood. Literacy related to an increase in fractional anisotropy and a decrease in perpendicular diffusivity in the temporo-parietal portion of the left arcuate fasciculus. The microstructure within this pathway correlated with the reading performance and the degree of functional activation within 2 dominant brain regions involved in reading: The Visual Word Form Area in response to letter strings, and the posterior superior temporal cortex in response to spoken language. Thus, the acquisition of literacy is associated with a reinforcement of left temporo-parietal connections whose microstructure predicts overall reading performance and the functional specialization of the Visual Word Form Area. This anatomical magnetic resonance imaging marker may be useful to predict developmental reading disorders.