This study investigated the prognostic value of superior temporal sulcus (STS) depth asymmetry in healthy fetuses for later language abilities, language localization, and language-related white matter tracts. Less right lateralization of the fetal STS depth was significantly associated with better verbal abilities, with fetal STS depth asymmetry explaining more than 40% of variance in verbal skills 6–13 years later. Less right fetal STS depth asymmetry correlated with increased left language localization during childhood. The findings suggest fetal STS asymmetry may be a diagnostic biomarker of language development.

Lisa Bartha-Doering, Kathrin Kollndorfer, Ernst Schwartz, Florian Ph.S. Fischmeister, Georg Lang, Michael Weber, Sonja Lackner-Schmelz, Patric Kienast, Marlene Stümpflen, Athena Taymourtash, Sophie Mandl, Johanna Alexopoulos, Daniela Prayer, Rainer Seidl, Gregor Kasprian