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Zakopoulou V, Vlaikou AM, Darsinou M, Papadopoulou Z, Theodoridou D, Papageorgiou K, Alexiou GA, Bougias H, Siafaka V, Zoccolotti P, Chroussos GP, Syrrou M, Michaelidis TM. Linking Early Life Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning, Brain Asymmetries, and Personality Traits in Dyslexia: An Informative Case Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:327. [PMID: 31632253 PMCID: PMC6779713 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a multi-system disorder, combining influences of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. The causative interaction between specific genetic factors, brain regions, and personality/mental disorders, as well as specific learning disabilities, has been thoroughly investigated with regard to the approach of developing a multifaceted diagnostic procedure with an intervention strategy potential. In an attempt to add new translational evidence to the interconnection of the above factors in the occurrence of DD, we performed a combinatorial analysis of brain asymmetries, personality traits, cognitive and learning skills, and expression profiles of selected genes in an adult, early diagnosed with DD, and in his son of typical development. We focused on the expression of genes, based on the assumption that the regulation of transcription may be affected by genetic and epigenetic factors. The results highlighted a potential chain link between neuroplasticity-related as well as stress-related genes, such as BDNF, Sox4, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and GILZ, leftward asymmetries in the amygdala and selective cerebellum lobules, and tendencies for personality disorders and dyslexia. This correlation may reflect the presence of a specific neuro-epigenetic component of DD, ensuing from the continuous, multifaceted difficulties in the acquisition of cognitive and learning skills, which in turn may act as a fostering mechanism for the onset of long-term disorders. This is in line with recent findings demonstrating a dysfunction in processes supported by rapid neural adaptation in children and adults with dyslexia. Accordingly, the co-evaluation of all the above parameters may indicate a stress-related dyslexia endophenotype that should be carefully considered for a more integrated diagnosis and effective intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Zakopoulou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Angeliki-Maria Vlaikou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Marousa Darsinou
- Department of Biomedical Research, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Zoe Papadopoulou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Daniela Theodoridou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Kyriaki Papageorgiou
- Department of Biomedical Research, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - George A Alexiou
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Haralambos Bougias
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Siafaka
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Pierluigi Zoccolotti
- Neuropsychology Unit, Department of Psychology, IRCCS (National Institute for Research and Treatment) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - George P Chroussos
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Syrrou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Theologos M Michaelidis
- Department of Biomedical Research, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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Tops W, Callens M, Desoete A, Stevens M, Brysbaert M. Metacognition for spelling in higher education students with dyslexia: is there evidence for the dual burden hypothesis? PLoS One 2014; 9:e106550. [PMID: 25192428 PMCID: PMC4156348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined whether academic and professional bachelor students with dyslexia are able to compensate for their spelling deficits with metacognitive experience. Previous research suggested that students with dyslexia may suffer from a dual burden. Not only do they perform worse on spelling but in addition they are not as fully aware of their difficulties as their peers without dyslexia. According to some authors, this is the result of a worse feeling of confidence, which can be considered as a form of metacognition (metacognitive experience). We tried to isolate this metacognitive experience by asking 100 students with dyslexia and 100 matched control students to rate their feeling of confidence in a word spelling task and a proofreading task. Next, we used Signal Detection Analysis to disentangle the effects of proficiency and criterion setting. We found that students with dyslexia showed lower proficiencies but not suboptimal response biases. They were as good at deciding when they could be confident or not as their peers without dyslexia. They just had more cases in which their spelling was wrong. We conclude that the feeling of confidence in our students with dyslexia is as good as in their peers without dyslexia. These findings go against the Dual Burden theory (Krüger & Dunning, 1999), which assumes that people with a skills problem suffer twice as a result of insufficiently developed metacognitive competence. As a result, there is no gain to be expected from extra training of this metacognitive experience in higher education students with dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Tops
- Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Tops W, Verguts E, Callens M, Brysbaert M. Do students with dyslexia have a different personality profile as measured with the big five? PLoS One 2013; 8:e64484. [PMID: 23691229 PMCID: PMC3656862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Few studies are available about the personality profile of higher education students with dyslexia and to which extent this could be any different from their non-dyslexic peers. Aims and Sample(s) To obtain empirical evidence, we compared the personality profile of a group of 100 Dutch-speaking students with dyslexia with that of a control group of 100 students without learning disabilities. Methods The NEO-PI-R based on the Big Five in personality research was used. Results and Conclusions Our study showed no differences in the personality between both groups. This agrees with a recent meta-analysis of English findings (Swanson & Hsieh, 2009), suggesting that students with dyslexia do not perceive themselves differently than their non-dyslexic peers. Practical implications and directions for future research are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Tops
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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