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Martins B, Baba MY, Dimateo EM, Costa LF, Camara AS, Lukasova K, Nucci MP. Investigating Dyslexia through Diffusion Tensor Imaging across Ages: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2024; 14:349. [PMID: 38672001 PMCID: PMC11047980 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents a deficit in accuracy and/or fluency while reading or spelling that is not expected given the level of cognitive functioning. Research indicates brain structural changes mainly in the left hemisphere, comprising arcuate fasciculus (AF) and corona radiata (CR). The purpose of this systematic review is to better understand the possible methods for analyzing Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data while accounting for the characteristics of dyslexia in the last decade of the literature. Among 124 articles screened from PubMed and Scopus, 49 met inclusion criteria, focusing on dyslexia without neurological or psychiatric comorbidities. Article selection involved paired evaluation, with a third reviewer resolving discrepancies. The selected articles were analyzed using two topics: (1) a demographic and cognitive assessment of the sample and (2) DTI acquisition and analysis. Predominantly, studies centered on English-speaking children with reading difficulties, with preserved non-verbal intelligence, attention, and memory, and deficits in reading tests, rapid automatic naming, and phonological awareness. Structural differences were found mainly in the left AF in all ages and in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus for readers-children and adults. A better understanding of structural brain changes of dyslexia and neuroadaptations can be a guide for future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Martins
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
| | - Mariana Yumi Baba
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
| | - Elisa Monteiro Dimateo
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
| | - Leticia Fruchi Costa
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, Brazil; (L.F.C.); (A.S.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Aila Silveira Camara
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, Brazil; (L.F.C.); (A.S.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Katerina Lukasova
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, Brazil; (L.F.C.); (A.S.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Mariana Penteado Nucci
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica em Neurorradiologia—LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; (B.M.); (M.Y.B.); (E.M.D.)
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Pantaleo MM, Arcuri G, Manfredi M, Proverbio AM. Music literacy improves reading skills via bilateral orthographic development. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3506. [PMID: 38347056 PMCID: PMC10861541 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54204-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that musical education induces structural and functional neuroplasticity in the brain. This study aimed to explore the potential impact of such changes on word-reading proficiency. We investigated whether musical training promotes the development of uncharted orthographic regions in the right hemisphere leading to better reading abilities. A total of 60 healthy, right-handed culturally matched professional musicians and controls took part in this research. They were categorised as normo-typical readers based on their reading speed (syl/sec) and subdivided into two groups of relatively good and poor readers. High density EEG/ERPs were recorded while participants engaged in a note or letter detection task. Musicians were more fluent in word, non-word and text reading tests, and faster in detecting both notes and words. They also exhibited greater N170 and P300 responses, and target-non target differences for words than controls. Similarly, good readers showed larger N170 and P300 responses than poor readers. Increased reading skills were associated to a bilateral activation of the occipito/temporal cortex, during music and word reading. Source reconstruction also showed a reduced activation of the left fusiform gyrus, and of areas devoted to attentional/ocular shifting in poor vs. good readers, and in controls vs. musicians. Data suggest that music literacy acquired early in time can shape reading circuits by promoting the specialization of a right-sided reading area, whose activity was here associated with enhanced reading proficiency. In conclusion, music literacy induces measurable neuroplastic changes in the left and right OT cortex responsible for improved word reading ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Maria Pantaleo
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Arcuri
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20162, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirella Manfredi
- Psychologisches Institut, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alice Mado Proverbio
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20162, Milan, Italy.
- Milan Center for Neuroscience, NeuroMI, Milan, Italy.
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Kubota E, Grotheer M, Finzi D, Natu VS, Gomez J, Grill-Spector K. White matter connections of high-level visual areas predict cytoarchitecture better than category-selectivity in childhood, but not adulthood. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2485-2506. [PMID: 35671505 PMCID: PMC10016065 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventral temporal cortex (VTC) consists of high-level visual regions that are arranged in consistent anatomical locations across individuals. This consistency has led to several hypotheses about the factors that constrain the functional organization of VTC. A prevailing theory is that white matter connections influence the organization of VTC, however, the nature of this constraint is unclear. Here, we test 2 hypotheses: (1) white matter tracts are specific for each category or (2) white matter tracts are specific to cytoarchitectonic areas of VTC. To test these hypotheses, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to identify white matter tracts and functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify category-selective regions in VTC in children and adults. We find that in childhood, white matter connections are linked to cytoarchitecture rather than category-selectivity. In adulthood, however, white matter connections are linked to both cytoarchitecture and category-selectivity. These results suggest a rethinking of the view that category-selective regions in VTC have category-specific white matter connections early in development. Instead, these findings suggest that the neural hardware underlying the processing of categorical stimuli may be more domain-general than previously thought, particularly in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kubota
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mareike Grotheer
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35039, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Dawn Finzi
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vaidehi S Natu
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jesse Gomez
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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van Atteveldt N, Vandermosten M, Weeda W, Bonte M. How to capture developmental brain dynamics: gaps and solutions. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2021; 6:10. [PMID: 33941785 PMCID: PMC8093270 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-021-00088-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Capturing developmental and learning-induced brain dynamics is extremely challenging as changes occur interactively across multiple levels and emerging functions. Different levels include the (social) environment, cognitive and behavioral levels, structural and functional brain changes, and genetics, while functions include domains such as math, reading, and executive function. Here, we report the insights that emerged from the workshop “Capturing Developmental Brain Dynamics”, organized to bring together multidisciplinary approaches to integrate data on development and learning across different levels, functions, and time points. During the workshop, current main gaps in our knowledge and tools were identified including the need for: (1) common frameworks, (2) longitudinal, large-scale, multisite studies using representative participant samples, (3) understanding interindividual variability, (4) explicit distinction of understanding versus predicting, and (5) reproducible research. After illustrating interactions across levels and functions during development, we discuss the identified gaps and provide solutions to advance the capturing of developmental brain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke van Atteveldt
- Dept. of Clinical Developmental Psychology & Institute Learn!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Dept. of Neuroscience, and Leuven Brain Institute, Experimental ORL, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wouter Weeda
- Dept. of Methodology & Statistics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Milene Bonte
- Dept. of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Partanen M, Kim DHC, Rauscher A, Siegel LS, Giaschi DE. White matter but not grey matter predicts change in reading skills after intervention. DYSLEXIA (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2021; 27:224-244. [PMID: 32959479 DOI: 10.1002/dys.1668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study examined changes in white matter microstructure and grey matter volume, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area before and after reading intervention. Participants included 22 average readers and 13 dyslexic readers (8-9 years old in third grade); the dyslexic readers were enrolled in reading intervention programs at their elementary school. Participants completed scans of diffusion tensor imaging and T1-weighted MRI before and after 3 months of instruction. An a priori region of interest (ROI) analysis was used. Dyslexic readers, compared to average readers, showed higher mean diffusivity in white matter ROIs including bilateral inferior frontal, bilateral insula, left superior temporal, and right supramarginal gyri across time points. Dyslexic readers also had thicker cortex in left fusiform and bilateral supramarginal gyri; whereas, average readers had greater surface area in right fusiform across time. There were no significant changes in white or grey matter following intervention; however, mean diffusivity in the right hemisphere was associated with reading gains over time. White matter organization in the right hemisphere predicts reading changes, and dyslexic readers may have persistent differences in white and grey matter due to ongoing reading deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marita Partanen
- Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Danny H C Kim
- B.C. Children's Hospital MRI Research Facility, B.C. Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexander Rauscher
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linda S Siegel
- Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Deborah E Giaschi
- B.C. Children's Hospital MRI Research Facility, B.C. Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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6
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Chen L, Wassermann D, Abrams DA, Kochalka J, Gallardo-Diez G, Menon V. The visual word form area (VWFA) is part of both language and attention circuitry. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5601. [PMID: 31811149 PMCID: PMC6898452 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13634-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
While predominant models of visual word form area (VWFA) function argue for its specific role in decoding written language, other accounts propose a more general role of VWFA in complex visual processing. However, a comprehensive examination of structural and functional VWFA circuits and their relationship to behavior has been missing. Here, using high-resolution multimodal imaging data from a large Human Connectome Project cohort (N = 313), we demonstrate robust patterns of VWFA connectivity with both canonical language and attentional networks. Brain-behavior relationships revealed a striking pattern of double dissociation: structural connectivity of VWFA with lateral temporal language network predicted language, but not visuo-spatial attention abilities, while VWFA connectivity with dorsal fronto-parietal attention network predicted visuo-spatial attention, but not language abilities. Our findings support a multiplex model of VWFA function characterized by distinct circuits for integrating language and attention, and point to connectivity-constrained cognition as a key principle of human brain organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
| | - Demian Wassermann
- Parietal, Inria Saclay Île-de-France, CEA, Université Paris-Sud, 1 Rue Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Daniel A Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA
| | - John Kochalka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA
| | - Guillermo Gallardo-Diez
- Athena Project Team, INRIA Sophia Antipolis-Méditerranée, 06902, Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94394, USA.
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7
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Moulton E, Bouhali F, Monzalvo K, Poupon C, Zhang H, Dehaene S, Dehaene-Lambertz G, Dubois J. Connectivity between the visual word form area and the parietal lobe improves after the first year of reading instruction: a longitudinal MRI study in children. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1519-1536. [PMID: 30840149 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01855-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Shortly after reading instruction, a region in the ventral occipital temporal cortex (vOTC) of the left hemisphere, the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA), becomes specialized for written words. Its reproducible location across scripts suggests important anatomical constraints, such as specific patterns of connectivity, notably to spoken language areas. Here, we explored the structural connectivity of the emerging VWFA in terms of its specificity relative to other ventral visual regions and its stability throughout the process of reading instruction in ten children studied longitudinally over 2 years. Category-specific regions for words, houses, faces, and tools were identified in the left vOTC of each subject with functional MRI. With diffusion MRI and tractography, we reconstructed the connections of these regions at two time points (mean age ± standard deviation: 6.2 ± 0.3, 7.2 ± 0.4 years). We first showed that the regions for each visual category harbor their own specific connectivity, all of which precede reading instruction and remain stable throughout development. The most specific connections of the VWFA were to the dorsal posterior parietal cortex. We then showed that microstructural changes in these connections correlated with improvements in reading scores over the first year of instruction but not 1 year later in a subsample of eight children (age: 8.4 ± 0.3 years). These results suggest that the VWFA location depends on its connectivity to distant regions, in particular, the left inferior parietal region which may play a crucial role in visual field maps and eye movement dynamics in addition to attentional control in letter-by-letter reading and disambiguation of mirror-letters during the first stages of learning to read.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Moulton
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit U992, INSERM, CEA DRF/Institut-Joliot/NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, 91191, Gif/Yvette, France. .,Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Florence Bouhali
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Karla Monzalvo
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit U992, INSERM, CEA DRF/Institut-Joliot/NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, 91191, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Cyril Poupon
- CEA DRF/Institut-Joliot/NeuroSpin, UNIRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, 91191, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Stanislas Dehaene
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit U992, INSERM, CEA DRF/Institut-Joliot/NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, 91191, Gif/Yvette, France.,Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit U992, INSERM, CEA DRF/Institut-Joliot/NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, 91191, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Jessica Dubois
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit U992, INSERM, CEA DRF/Institut-Joliot/NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, 91191, Gif/Yvette, France
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8
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Black JM, Xia Z, Hoeft F. Neurobiological Bases of Reading Disorder Part II: The Importance of Developmental Considerations in Typical and Atypical Reading. LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS COMPASS 2017; 11:e12252. [PMID: 29276529 PMCID: PMC5736136 DOI: 10.1111/lnc3.12252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Decoding-based reading disorder (RD; aka developmental dyslexia) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting approximately 5-10% of school-aged children across languages. Even though neuroimaging studies suggest an impairment of the left reading network in RD, the onset of this deficit and its developmental course, which may include constancy and change, is largely unknown. There is now growing evidence that the recruitment of brain networks underlying perceptual, cognitive and linguistic processes relevant to reading acquisition varies with age. These age-dependent changes may in turn impact the neurocognitive characteristics of RD observed at specific developmental stages. Here we synthesize findings from functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies to increase our understanding of the developmental time course of the neural bases underlying (a)typical reading. We first provide an overview of the brain bases of typical and atypical (impaired) reading. Next we describe how the understanding of RD can be deepened through scientific attention to age effects, for example, by integrating findings from cross-sectional studies of RD at various ages. Finally, we accent findings from extant longitudinal studies that directly examine developmental reading trajectories beginning in the preliterate stage at both group and individual levels. Although science is at the very early stage of understanding developmental aspects of neural deficits in RD, evidence to date characterizes RD by atypical brain maturation. We know that reading impairment may adversely impact multiple life domains such as academic achievement and social relationships, and unfortunately, that these negative outcomes can persist and compound into adulthood. We contend that exploring the developmental trajectories of RD will contribute to a greater understanding of how neural systems support reading acquisition. Further, we propose and cite evidence that the etiology of RD can be better investigated by distinguishing primary deficits from secondary impairments unfolding along development. These exciting and modern investigatory efforts can also indirectly contribute to a centered practice of early and accurate identification and optimal intervention to support the development of foundational pre-literacy skills and fluent reading. In sum, integrating a developmental understanding into the science and practice of reading acquisition and intervention is both possible and necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhichao Xia
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences,
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), USA
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning
& IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University,
China
- Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning
Sciences, Beijing Normal University, China
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences,
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), USA
- Precision Learning Center (PrecL), UC, USA
- Dyslexia Center, UCSF, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, USA
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine,
Japan
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Privileged Functional Connectivity between the Visual Word Form Area and the Language System. J Neurosci 2017; 37:5288-5297. [PMID: 28450544 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0138-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The visual word form area (VWFA) is a region in the left occipitotemporal sulcus of literate individuals that is purportedly specialized for visual word recognition. However, there is considerable controversy about its functional specificity and connectivity, with some arguing that it serves as a domain-general, rather than word-specific, visual processor. The VWFA is a critical region for testing hypotheses about the nature of cortical organization, because it is known to develop only through experience (i.e., reading acquisition), and widespread literacy is too recent to have influenced genetic determinants of brain organization. Using a combination of advanced fMRI analysis techniques, including individual functional localization, multivoxel pattern analysis, and high-resolution resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses, with data from 33 healthy adult human participants, we demonstrate that (1) the VWFA can discriminate words from nonword letter strings (pseudowords); (2) the VWFA has preferential RSFC with Wernicke's area and other core regions of the language system; and (3) the strength of the RSFC between the VWFA and Wernicke's area predicts performance on a semantic classification task with words but not other categories of visual stimuli. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the VWFA is specialized for lexical processing of real words because of its functional connectivity with Wernicke's area.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The visual word form area (VWFA) is critical for determining the nature of category-related organization of the ventral visual system. However, its functional specificity and connectivity are fiercely debated. Recent work concluded that the VWFA is a domain-general, rather than word-specific, visual processor with no preferential functional connectivity with the language system. Using more advanced techniques, our results stand in stark contrast to these earlier findings. We demonstrate that the VWFA is highly specialized for lexical processing of real words, and that a fundamental factor driving this specialization is its preferential intrinsic functional connectivity with core regions of the language system. Our results support the hypothesis that intrinsic functional connectivity contributes to category-related specialization within the human ventral visual system.
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10
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Bailey S, Hoeft F, Aboud K, Cutting L. Anomalous gray matter patterns in specific reading comprehension deficit are independent of dyslexia. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2016; 66:256-274. [PMID: 27324343 PMCID: PMC5061587 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-015-0114-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Specific reading comprehension deficit (SRCD) affects up to 10 % of all children. SRCD is distinct from dyslexia (DYS) in that individuals with SRCD show poor comprehension despite adequate decoding skills. Despite its prevalence and considerable behavioral research, there is not yet a unified cognitive profile of SRCD. While its neuroanatomical basis is unknown, SRCD could be anomalous in regions subserving their commonly reported cognitive weaknesses in semantic processing or executive function. Here we investigated, for the first time, patterns of gray matter volume difference in SRCD as compared to DYS and typical developing (TD) adolescent readers (N = 41). A linear support vector machine algorithm was applied to whole brain gray matter volumes generated through voxel-based morphometry. As expected, DYS differed significantly from TD in a pattern that included features from left fusiform and supramarginal gyri (DYS vs. TD: 80.0 %, p < 0.01). SRCD was well differentiated not only from TD (92.5 %, p < 0.001) but also from DYS (88.0 %, p < 0.001). Of particular interest were findings of reduced gray matter volume in right frontal areas that were also supported by univariate analysis. These areas are thought to subserve executive processes relevant for reading, such as monitoring and manipulating mental representations. Thus, preliminary analyses suggest that SRCD readers possess a distinct neural profile compared to both TD and DYS readers and that these differences might be linked to domain-general abilities. This work provides a foundation for further investigation into variants of reading disability beyond DYS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Bailey
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, 416C One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California in San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave, Box 0984-F, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Katherine Aboud
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, 416C One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Laurie Cutting
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, 416C One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 416C One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, 416C One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, 416C One Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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11
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Aboud KS, Bailey SK, Petrill SA, Cutting LE. Comprehending text versus reading words in young readers with varying reading ability: distinct patterns of functional connectivity from common processing hubs. Dev Sci 2016; 19:632-56. [PMID: 27147257 PMCID: PMC4945471 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Skilled reading depends on recognizing words efficiently in isolation (word-level processing; WL) and extracting meaning from text (discourse-level processing; DL); deficiencies in either result in poor reading. FMRI has revealed consistent overlapping networks in word and passage reading, as well as unique regions for DL processing; however, less is known about how WL and DL processes interact. Here we examined functional connectivity from seed regions derived from where BOLD signal overlapped during word and passage reading in 38 adolescents ranging in reading ability, hypothesizing that even though certain regions support word- and higher-level language, connectivity patterns from overlapping regions would be task modulated. Results indeed revealed that the left-lateralized semantic and working memory (WM) seed regions showed task-dependent functional connectivity patterns: during DL processes, semantic and WM nodes all correlated with the left angular gyrus, a region implicated in semantic memory/coherence building. In contrast, during WL, these nodes coordinated with a traditional WL area (left occipitotemporal region). In addition, these WL and DL findings were modulated by decoding and comprehension abilities, respectively, with poorer abilities correlating with decreased connectivity. Findings indicate that key regions may uniquely contribute to multiple levels of reading; we speculate that these connectivity patterns may be especially salient for reading outcomes and intervention response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen K. Bailey
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Laurie E. Cutting
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Achal S, Hoeft F, Bray S. Individual Differences in Adult Reading Are Associated with Left Temporo-parietal to Dorsal Striatal Functional Connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:4069-4081. [PMID: 26400921 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading skills vary widely in both children and adults, with a number of factors contributing to this variability. The most prominent factor may be related to efficiency of storage, representation, or retrieval of speech sounds. This phonological hypothesis is supported by findings of reduced activation in poor readers in left hemisphere ventro-lateral prefrontal and temporo-parietal phonological processing regions. Less well explained by phonological theories are reported hyperactivation in prefrontal, striatal, and insular regions. This study investigated functional connectivity of a core phonological processing region, the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), in relation to reading skill in an adult community sample. We hypothesized that connectivity between TPJ and regions implicated in meta-analyses of reading disorder would correlate with individual differences in reading. Forty-four adults aged 30-54, ranging in reading ability, underwent resting fMRI scans. Data-driven connectivity clustering was used to identify TPJ subregions for seed-based connectivity analyses. Correlations were assessed between TPJ connectivity and timed-pseudoword reading (decoding) ability. We found a significant correlation wherein greater left supramarginal gyrus to anterior caudate connectivity was associated with weaker decoding. This suggests that hyperactivation of the dorsal striatum, reported in poor readers during reading tasks, may reflect compensatory or inefficient overintegration into attention networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Achal
- Department of Neuroscience.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Haskins Laboratories, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1.,Department of Paediatrics.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute.,Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, AB, Canada T3B 6A8
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