Neurocognitive functions supporting language development start to develop well before first words are spoken during the first years of life. This process coincides with the initial growth spurt of the brain. While the core components of the language network are well characterized in adults and children, the initial neural correlates of language skills are still relatively unknown. We reviewed 10 studies identified via a systematic search that combined magnetic resonance imaging and language‐related measures in healthy infants from birth to 2 years of age. We aimed to describe the current knowledge as well as point out viable future directions for similar studies. Expectedly, the implicated cerebral areas included many established components of the language networks, including frontal and temporal regions. A volumetric leftward asymmetry of the brain was suggested as a determinant of language skills, yet with marked interindividual variation. Overall, temporal and frontal brain volumes associated positively with language skills. Positive associations were described between the maturation of language related white matter tracts and language skills. The language networks showed adult‐like structural similarities already in neonates, with weaker asymmetry compared to adults. In summary, we found some evidence that the language circuit described in older age groups is also associated to language skills during the first 2 years of life. However, across the reviewed studies there were no systematic neural correlates of language skills, which is partly explained by a modest number of studies, scattered representation of ages in measurements and the variance in the used methods.

中文翻译：

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对从出生到 2 岁语言发展的 MRI 研究的系统评价

支持语言发展的神经认知功能在生命最初几年说出第一句话之前就开始发育。这个过程与大脑最初的生长突增相吻合。虽然语言网络的核心组件在成人和儿童中都有很好的特征，但语言技能的初始神经相关性仍然相对未知。我们回顾了通过系统搜索确定的 10 项研究，这些研究将磁共振成像和语言相关测量相结合，对出生至 2 岁的健康婴儿进行了研究。我们旨在描述当前的知识，并为类似的研究指出可行的未来方向。预计，涉及的大脑区域包括语言网络的许多已建立组件，包括额叶和颞叶区域。大脑的体积向左不对称被认为是语言技能的决定因素，但存在显着的个体差异。总体而言，颞叶和额叶脑容量与语言技能呈正相关。描述了语言相关白质束的成熟与语言技能之间的正相关。语言网络在新生儿中已经显示出类似于成人的结构相似性，与成人相比不对称性较弱。总之，我们发现一些证据表明，在老年人群中描述的语言回路也与生命最初 2 年的语言技能有关。然而，在审查的研究中，语言技能没有系统的神经相关性，部分原因是少量的研究，