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Bertoni S, Franceschini S, Mancarella M, Puccio G, Ronconi L, Marsicano G, Gori S, Campana G, Facoetti A. Action video games and posterior parietal cortex neuromodulation enhance both attention and reading in adults with developmental dyslexia. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae152. [PMID: 38610090 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The impact of action video games on reading performance has been already demonstrated in individuals with and without neurodevelopmental disorders. The combination of action video games and posterior parietal cortex neuromodulation by a transcranial random noise stimulation could enhance brain plasticity, improving attentional control and reading skills also in adults with developmental dyslexia. In a double blind randomized controlled trial, 20 young adult nonaction video game players with developmental dyslexia were trained for 15 h with action video games. Half of the participants were stimulated with bilateral transcranial random noise stimulation on the posterior parietal cortex during the action video game training, whereas the others were in the placebo (i.e. sham) condition. Word text reading, pseudowords decoding, and temporal attention (attentional blink), as well as electroencephalographic activity during the attentional blink, were measured before and after the training. The action video game + transcranial random noise stimulation group showed temporal attention, word text reading, and pseudoword decoding enhancements and P300 amplitude brain potential changes. The enhancement in temporal attention performance was related with the efficiency in pseudoword decoding improvement. Our results demonstrate that the combination of action video game training with parietal neuromodulation increases the efficiency of visual attention deployment, probably reshaping goal-directed and stimulus-driven fronto-parietal attentional networks interplay in young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bertoni
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale Sant'Agostino 2, Bergamo 24129, Italy
| | - Sandro Franceschini
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Martina Mancarella
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Giovanna Puccio
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Gianluca Marsicano
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Viale Rasi e Spinelli 176, Cesena 47521, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna 40121, Italy
| | - Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale Sant'Agostino 2, Bergamo 24129, Italy
| | - Gianluca Campana
- PercUp Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
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Liu T, Zhang W, Liu T, Xiao Y, Xue L, Zhang X, Zhao J. Adults at low reading level are sluggish in disengaging spatial attention. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:326-338. [PMID: 37907730 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02809-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
An increasing number of studies show that attentional shifting is a primary contributor during the process of learning to read. However, it remains unclear what is the relationship between attentional shifting and word-reading ability in adult readers whose reading skills have matured. More fundamentally, how attentional shifting affects individuals' reading ability remains poorly understood. To address these issues, we grouped adult readers by the level of Chinese character reading and examined the time course of attentional shifting by setting up multiple stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs) in the Posner cue-target paradigm. Based on the phonological mediation hypothesis, we also measured multiple abilities involving phonological processing (i.e., rapid automatic naming and phonological awareness). Results showed that compared with adults at the high reading level, adults at the low reading level showed a selective impairment of attentional disengagement. Rapid automatic naming of Chinese characters played a partially mediating role in the association between attentional shifting and word reading. These results provided evidence for the phonological mediation hypothesis, and suggest that attentional shifting affects word reading by influencing phonological processing in adult Chinese readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongxin Liu
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Licheng Xue
- School of preschool education, Hangzhou Polytechnic, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxian Zhang
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
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Carioti D, Stucchi NA, Toneatto C, Masia MF, Del Monte M, Stefanelli S, Travellini S, Marcelli A, Tettamanti M, Vernice M, Guasti MT, Berlingeri M. The ReadFree tool for the identification of poor readers: a validation study based on a machine learning approach in monolingual and minority-language children. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2023; 73:356-392. [PMID: 37548832 PMCID: PMC10522748 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-023-00287-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we validated the "ReadFree tool", a computerised battery of 12 visual and auditory tasks developed to identify poor readers also in minority-language children (MLC). We tested the task-specific discriminant power on 142 Italian-monolingual participants (8-13 years old) divided into monolingual poor readers (N = 37) and good readers (N = 105) according to standardised Italian reading tests. The performances at the discriminant tasks of the "ReadFree tool" were entered into a classification and regression tree (CART) model to identify monolingual poor and good readers. The set of classification rules extracted from the CART model were applied to the MLC's performance and the ensuing classification was compared to the one based on standardised Italian reading tests. According to the CART model, auditory go-no/go (regular), RAN and Entrainment100bpm were the most discriminant tasks. When compared with the clinical classification, the CART model accuracy was 86% for the monolinguals and 76% for the MLC. Executive functions and timing skills turned out to have a relevant role in reading. Results of the CART model on MLC support the idea that ad hoc standardised tasks that go beyond reading are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiré Carioti
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
- Psychology Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Toneatto
- Psychology Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Franca Masia
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Milena Del Monte
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
- Center of Developmental Neuropsychology, AST Pesaro-Urbino, Distretto di Pesaro, Pesaro, Italy
| | - Silvia Stefanelli
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, University of the Republic of San Marino, San Marino, Republic of San Marino
| | - Simona Travellini
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
- Center of Developmental Neuropsychology, AST Pesaro-Urbino, Distretto di Pesaro, Pesaro, Italy
| | - Antonella Marcelli
- Center of Developmental Neuropsychology, AST Pesaro-Urbino, Distretto di Pesaro, Pesaro, Italy
| | - Marco Tettamanti
- Psychology Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirta Vernice
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | | | - Manuela Berlingeri
- DISTUM, Department of Humanities, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
- Center of Developmental Neuropsychology, AST Pesaro-Urbino, Distretto di Pesaro, Pesaro, Italy
- NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
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Cantiani C, Dondena C, Molteni M, Riva V, Lorusso ML. Intergenerational longitudinal associations between parental reading/musical traits, infants' auditory processing, and later phonological awareness skills. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1201997. [PMID: 37539387 PMCID: PMC10394385 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1201997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The intergenerational transmission of language/reading skills has been demonstrated by evidence reporting that parental literacy abilities contribute to the prediction of their offspring's language and reading skills. According to the "Intergenerational Multiple Deficit Model," literacy abilities of both parents are viewed as indicators of offspring's liability for literacy difficulties, since parents provide offspring with genetic and environmental endowment. Recently, studies focusing on the heritability of musical traits reached similar conclusions. The "Musical Abilities, Pleiotropy, Language, and Environment (MAPLE)" framework proposed that language/reading and musical traits share a common genetic architecture, and such shared components have an influence on the heritable neural underpinnings of basic-level skills underlying musical and language traits. Here, we investigate the intergenerational transmission of parental musical and language-related (reading) abilities on their offspring's neural response to a basic auditory stimulation (neural intermediate phenotype) and later phonological awareness skills, including in this complex association pattern the mediating effect of home environment. One-hundred and seventy-six families were involved in this study. Through self-report questionnaires we assessed parental reading abilities and musicality, as well as home literacy and musical environment. Offspring were involved in a longitudinal study: auditory processing was measured at 6 months of age by means of a Rapid Auditory Processing electrophysiological paradigm, and phonological awareness was assessed behaviorally at 5 years of age. Results reveal significant correlations between parents' reading skills and musical traits. Intergenerational associations were investigated through mediation analyses using structural equation modeling. For reading traits, the results revealed that paternal reading was indirectly associated with children's phonological awareness skills via their electrophysiological MisMatch Response at 6 months, while maternal reading was directly associated with children's phonological awareness. For musical traits, we found again that paternal musicality, rather than maternal characteristics, was associated with children's phonological phenotypes: in this case, the association was mediated by musical environment. These results provide some insight about the intergenerational pathways linking parental reading and musical traits, neural underpinnings of infants' auditory processing and later phonological awareness skills. Besides shedding light on possible intergenerational transmission mechanisms, this study may open up new perspectives for early intervention based on environmental enrichment.
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Zhao J, Yang Q, Cheng C, Wang Z. Cumulative genetic score of KIAA0319 affects reading ability in Chinese children: moderation by parental education and mediation by rapid automatized naming. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2023; 19:10. [PMID: 37259151 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-023-00212-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
KIAA0319, a well-studied candidate gene, has been shown to be associated with reading ability and developmental dyslexia. In the present study, we investigated whether KIAA0319 affects reading ability by interacting with the parental education level and whether rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness and morphological awareness mediate the relationship between KIAA0319 and reading ability. A total of 2284 Chinese children from primary school grades 3 and 6 participated in this study. Chinese character reading accuracy and word reading fluency were used as measures of reading abilities. The cumulative genetic risk score (CGS) of 13 SNPs in KIAA0319 was calculated. Results revealed interaction effect between CGS of KIAA0319 and parental education level on reading fluency. The interaction effect suggested that individuals with a low CGS of KIAA0319 were better at reading fluency in a positive environment (higher parental educational level) than individuals with a high CGS. Moreover, the interaction effect coincided with the differential susceptibility model. The results of the multiple mediator model revealed that RAN mediates the impact of the genetic cumulative effect of KIAA0319 on reading abilities. These findings provide evidence that KIAA0319 is a risk vulnerability gene that interacts with environmental factor to impact reading abilities and demonstrate the reliability of RAN as an endophenotype between genes and reading associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhao
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University and Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Yanta District, 199 South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, China.
| | - Qing Yang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University and Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Yanta District, 199 South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Chen Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University and Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Yanta District, 199 South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Zhengjun Wang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University and Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Yanta District, 199 South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, China.
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Stein J. Theories about Developmental Dyslexia. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020208. [PMID: 36831750 PMCID: PMC9954267 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite proving its usefulness for over a century, the concept of developmental dyslexia (DD) is currently in severe disarray because of the recent introduction of the phonological theory of its causation. Since mastering the phonological principle is essential for all reading, failure to do so cannot be used to distinguish DD from the many other causes of such failure. To overcome this problem, many new psychological, signal detection, and neurological theories have been introduced recently. All these new theories converge on the idea that DD is fundamentally caused by impaired signalling of the timing of the visual and auditory cues that are essential for reading. These are provided by large 'magnocellular' neurones which respond rapidly to sensory transients. The evidence for this conclusion is overwhelming. Especially convincing are intervention studies that have shown that improving magnocellular function improves dyslexic children's reading, together with cohort studies that have demonstrated that the magnocellular timing deficit is present in infants who later become dyslexic, long before they begin learning to read. The converse of the magnocellular deficit in dyslexics may be that they gain parvocellular abundance. This may often impart the exceptional 'holistic' talents that have been ascribed to them and that society needs to nurture.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Stein
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
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Stein J. The visual basis of reading and reading difficulties. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1004027. [PMID: 36507333 PMCID: PMC9728103 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1004027] [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: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of our knowledge about the neural networks mediating reading has derived from studies of developmental dyslexia (DD). For much of the 20th C. this was diagnosed on the basis of finding a discrepancy between children's unexpectedly low reading and spelling scores compared with their normal or high oral and non-verbal reasoning ability. This discrepancy criterion has now been replaced by the claim that the main feature of dyslexia is a phonological deficit, and it is now argued that we should test for this to identify dyslexia. However, grasping the phonological principle is essential for all learning to read; so every poor reader will show a phonological deficit. The phonological theory does not explain why dyslexic people, in particular, fail; so this phonological criterion makes it impossible to distinguish DD from any of the many other causes of reading failure. Currently therefore, there is no agreement about precisely how we should identify it. Yet, if we understood the specific neural pathways that underlie failure to acquire phonological skills specifically in people with dyslexia, we should be able to develop reliable means of identifying it. An important, though not the only, cause in people with dyslexia is impaired development of the brain's rapid visual temporal processing systems; these are required for sequencing the order of the letters in a word accurately. Such temporal, "transient," processing is carried out primarily by a distinct set of "magnocellular" (M-) neurones in the visual system; and the development of these has been found to be impaired in many people with dyslexia. Likewise, auditory sequencing of the sounds in a word is mediated by the auditory temporal processing system whose development is impaired in many dyslexics. Together these two deficits can therefore explain their problems with acquiring the phonological principle. Assessing poor readers' visual and auditory temporal processing skills should enable dyslexia to be reliably distinguished from other causes of reading failure and this will suggest principled ways of helping these children to learn to read, such as sensory training, yellow or blue filters or omega 3 fatty acid supplements. This will enable us to diagnose DD with confidence, and thus to develop educational plans targeted to exploit each individual child's strengths and compensate for his weaknesses.
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Leung TW, Cheong AMY, Chan HHL. Deficits in the Magnocellular Pathway of People with Reading Difficulties. CURRENT DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40474-022-00248-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Pereira CLW, Zhou R, Pitt MA, Myung JI, Rossi PJ, Caverzasi E, Rah E, Allen IE, Mandelli ML, Meyer M, Miller ZA, Gorno Tempini ML. Probabilistic Decision-Making in Children With Dyslexia. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:782306. [PMID: 35769704 PMCID: PMC9235406 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.782306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying developmental dyslexia (dD) remain poorly characterized apart from phonological and/or visual processing deficits. Assuming such deficits, the process of learning complex tasks like reading requires the learner to make decisions (i.e., word pronunciation) based on uncertain information (e.g., aberrant phonological percepts)-a cognitive process known as probabilistic decision making, which has been linked to the striatum. We investigate (1) the relationship between dD and probabilistic decision-making and (2) the association between the volume of striatal structures and probabilistic decision-making in dD and typical readers. Methods Twenty four children diagnosed with dD underwent a comprehensive evaluation and MRI scanning (3T). Children with dD were compared to age-matched typical readers (n = 11) on a probabilistic, risk/reward fishing task that utilized a Bayesian cognitive model with game parameters of risk propensity (γ+) and behavioral consistency (β), as well as an overall adjusted score (average number of casts, excluding forced-fail trials). Volumes of striatal structures (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) were analyzed between groups and associated with game parameters. Results dD was associated with greater risk propensity and decreased behavioral consistency estimates compared to typical readers. Cognitive model parameters associated with timed pseudoword reading across groups. Risk propensity related to caudate volumes, particularly in the dD group. Conclusion Decision-making processes differentiate dD, associate with the caudate, and may impact learning mechanisms. This study suggests the need for further research into domain-general probabilistic decision-making in dD, neurocognitive mechanisms, and targeted interventions in dD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa L. Watson Pereira
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ran Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Mark A. Pitt
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jay I. Myung
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - P. Justin Rossi
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Eduardo Caverzasi
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Esther Rah
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Isabel E. Allen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Mandelli
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marita Meyer
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Zachary A. Miller
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Animal models of developmental dyslexia: Where we are and what we are missing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1180-1197. [PMID: 34699847 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and the most common learning disability among both school-aged children and across languages. Recently, sensory and cognitive mechanisms have been reported to be potential endophenotypes (EPs) for DD, and nine DD-candidate genes have been identified. Animal models have been used to investigate the etiopathological pathways that underlie the development of complex traits, as they enable the effects of genetic and/or environmental manipulations to be evaluated. Animal research designs have also been linked to cutting-edge clinical research questions by capitalizing on the use of EPs. For the present scoping review, we reviewed previous studies of murine models investigating the effects of DD-candidate genes. Moreover, we highlighted the use of animal models as an innovative way to unravel new insights behind the pathophysiology of reading (dis)ability and to assess cutting-edge preclinical models.
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Mascheretti S, Peruzzo D, Andreola C, Villa M, Ciceri T, Trezzi V, Marino C, Arrigoni F. Selecting the Most Relevant Brain Regions to Classify Children with Developmental Dyslexia and Typical Readers by Using Complex Magnocellular Stimuli and Multiple Kernel Learning. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060722. [PMID: 34071649 PMCID: PMC8228080 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence supports the presence of deficits in the visual magnocellular (M) system in developmental dyslexia (DD). The M system is related to the fronto-parietal attentional network. Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed reduced/absent activation within the visual M pathway in DD, but they have failed to characterize the extensive brain network activated by M stimuli. We performed a multivariate pattern analysis on a Region of Interest (ROI) level to differentiate between children with DD and age-matched typical readers (TRs) by combining full-field sinusoidal gratings, controlled for spatial and temporal frequencies and luminance contrast, and a coherent motion (CM) sensitivity task at 6%-CML6, 15%-CML15 and 40%-CML40. ROIs spanning the entire visual dorsal stream and ventral attention network (VAN) had higher discriminative weights and showed higher act1ivation in TRs than in children with DD. Of the two tasks, CM had the greatest weight when classifying TRs and children with DD in most of the ROIs spanning these streams. For the CML6, activation within the right superior parietal cortex positively correlated with reading skills. Our approach highlighted the dorsal stream and the VAN as highly discriminative areas between children with DD and TRs and allowed for a better characterization of the "dorsal stream vulnerability" underlying DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mascheretti
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (C.A.); (M.V.); (V.T.)
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (F.A.)
| | - Denis Peruzzo
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (T.C.)
| | - Chiara Andreola
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (C.A.); (M.V.); (V.T.)
- Laboratoire de Psychologie de Développement et de l’Éducation de l’Enfant (LaPsyDÉ), Université de Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Martina Villa
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (C.A.); (M.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Tommaso Ciceri
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (T.C.)
| | - Vittoria Trezzi
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (C.A.); (M.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Cecilia Marino
- The Division of Child and Youth Psychiatry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada;
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Filippo Arrigoni
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (D.P.); (T.C.)
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (F.A.)
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Bertoni S, Franceschini S, Puccio G, Mancarella M, Gori S, Facoetti A. Action Video Games Enhance Attentional Control and Phonological Decoding in Children with Developmental Dyslexia. Brain Sci 2021; 11:171. [PMID: 33572998 PMCID: PMC7911052 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading acquisition is extremely difficult for about 5% of children because they are affected by a heritable neurobiological disorder called developmental dyslexia (DD). Intervention studies can be used to investigate the causal role of neurocognitive deficits in DD. Recently, it has been proposed that action video games (AVGs)-enhancing attentional control-could improve perception and working memory as well as reading skills. In a partial crossover intervention study, we investigated the effect of AVG and non-AVG training on attentional control using a conjunction visual search task in children with DD. We also measured the non-alphanumeric rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological decoding and word reading before and after AVG and non-AVG training. After both video game training sessions no effect was found in non-alphanumeric RAN and in word reading performance. However, after only 12 h of AVG training the attentional control was improved (i.e., the set-size slopes were flatter in visual search) and phonological decoding speed was accelerated. Crucially, attentional control and phonological decoding speed were increased only in DD children whose video game score was highly efficient after the AVG training. We demonstrated that only an efficient AVG training induces a plasticity of the fronto-parietal attentional control linked to a selective phonological decoding improvement in children with DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bertoni
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy;
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy; (S.F.); (G.P.); (M.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Sandro Franceschini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy; (S.F.); (G.P.); (M.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Giovanna Puccio
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy; (S.F.); (G.P.); (M.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Martina Mancarella
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy; (S.F.); (G.P.); (M.M.); (A.F.)
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy;
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy; (S.F.); (G.P.); (M.M.); (A.F.)
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13
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Investigating the role of temporal processing in developmental dyslexia: Evidence for a specific deficit in rapid visual segmentation. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 27:724-734. [PMID: 32495210 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-020-01752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigates the role of temporal processing in the visual domain in participants with developmental dyslexia (DD), the most common neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by severe and specific difficulties in learning to read despite normal intelligence and adequate education. Specifically, our aim was to test whether DD is associated with a general impairment of temporal sensory processing or a specific deficit in temporal integration (which ensures stability of object identity and location) or segregation (which ensures sensitivity to changes in visual input). Participants with DD performed a task that measured both temporal integration and segregation using an identical sequence of two displays separated by a varying interstimulus interval (ISI) under two different task instructions. Results showed that participants with DD performed worse in the segregation task, with a shallower slope of the psychometric curve of percentage correct as a function of the ISI between the two target displays. Moreover, we found also a relationship between temporal segregation performance and text, words, and pseudowords reading speeds at the individual level. In contrast, no significant association between reading (dis)ability and temporal integration emerged. The current findings provide evidence for a difference in the fine temporal resolution of visual processing in DD and, considering the growing evidence about a link between visual temporal segregation and neural oscillations at specific frequencies, they support the idea that DD is characterized by an altered oscillatory sampling within the visual system.
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14
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Mascheretti S, Riva V, Feng B, Trezzi V, Andreola C, Giorda R, Villa M, Dionne G, Gori S, Marino C, Facoetti A. The Mediation Role of Dynamic Multisensory Processing Using Molecular Genetic Data in Dyslexia. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10120993. [PMID: 33339203 PMCID: PMC7765588 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although substantial heritability has been reported and candidate genes have been identified, we are far from understanding the etiopathogenetic pathways underlying developmental dyslexia (DD). Reading-related endophenotypes (EPs) have been established. Until now it was unknown whether they mediated the pathway from gene to reading (dis)ability. Thus, in a sample of 223 siblings from nuclear families with DD and 79 unrelated typical readers, we tested four EPs (i.e., rapid auditory processing, rapid automatized naming, multisensory nonspatial attention and visual motion processing) and 20 markers spanning five DD-candidate genes (i.e., DYX1C1, DCDC2, KIAA0319, ROBO1 and GRIN2B) using a multiple-predictor/multiple-mediator framework. Our results show that rapid auditory and visual motion processing are mediators in the pathway from ROBO1-rs9853895 to reading. Specifically, the T/T genotype group predicts impairments in rapid auditory and visual motion processing which, in turn, predict poorer reading skills. Our results suggest that ROBO1 is related to reading via multisensory temporal processing. These findings support the use of EPs as an effective approach to disentangling the complex pathways between candidate genes and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mascheretti
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (S.M.); (V.R.); (V.T.); (C.A.)
| | - Valentina Riva
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (S.M.); (V.R.); (V.T.); (C.A.)
| | - Bei Feng
- École de Psychologie, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (B.F.); (G.D.)
| | - Vittoria Trezzi
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (S.M.); (V.R.); (V.T.); (C.A.)
| | - Chiara Andreola
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (S.M.); (V.R.); (V.T.); (C.A.)
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l’Éducation de l’Enfant (LaPsyDÉ), Universitè de Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Roberto Giorda
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (R.G.); (M.V.)
| | - Marco Villa
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (R.G.); (M.V.)
| | - Ginette Dionne
- École de Psychologie, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (B.F.); (G.D.)
| | - Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24100 Bergamo, Italy;
| | - Cecilia Marino
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy; (S.M.); (V.R.); (V.T.); (C.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- The Division of Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Correspondence: (C.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.M.); (A.F.)
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15
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Laasonen M, Lahti-Nuuttila P, Leppämäki S, Tani P, Wikgren J, Harno H, Oksanen-Hennah H, Pothos E, Cleeremans A, Dye MWG, Cousineau D, Hokkanen L. Project DyAdd: Non-linguistic Theories of Dyslexia Predict Intelligence. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:316. [PMID: 32922276 PMCID: PMC7456923 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Two themes have puzzled the research on developmental and learning disorders for decades. First, some of the risk and protective factors behind developmental challenges are suggested to be shared and some are suggested to be specific for a given condition. Second, language-based learning difficulties like dyslexia are suggested to result from or correlate with non-linguistic aspects of information processing as well. In the current study, we investigated how adults with developmental dyslexia or ADHD as well as healthy controls cluster across various dimensions designed to tap the prominent non-linguistic theories of dyslexia. Participants were 18–55-year-old adults with dyslexia (n = 36), ADHD (n = 22), and controls (n = 35). Non-linguistic theories investigated with experimental designs included temporal processing impairment, abnormal cerebellar functioning, procedural learning difficulties, as well as visual processing and attention deficits. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to investigate the emerging groups and patterns of results across these experimental designs. LPA suggested three groups: (1) a large group with average performance in the experimental designs, (2) participants predominantly from the clinical groups but with enhanced conditioning learning, and (3) participants predominantly from the dyslexia group with temporal processing as well as visual processing and attention deficits. Despite the presence of these distinct patterns, participants did not cluster very well based on their original status, nor did the LPA groups differ in their dyslexia or ADHD-related neuropsychological profiles. Remarkably, the LPA groups did differ in their intelligence. These results highlight the continuous and overlapping nature of the observed difficulties and support the multiple deficit model of developmental disorders, which suggests shared risk factors for developmental challenges. It also appears that some of the risk factors suggested by the prominent non-linguistic theories of dyslexia relate to the general level of functioning in tests of intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marja Laasonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Phoniatrics - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Lahti-Nuuttila
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Phoniatrics - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sami Leppämäki
- Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Tani
- Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jan Wikgren
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hanna Harno
- Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henna Oksanen-Hennah
- Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Unit, Department of Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emmanuel Pothos
- Department of Psychology, City University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthew W G Dye
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Denis Cousineau
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Laura Hokkanen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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16
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Vidyasagar TR. Visual attention and neural oscillations in reading and dyslexia: Are they possible targets for remediation? Neuropsychologia 2019; 130:59-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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17
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Contemori G, Battaglini L, Barollo M, Ciavarelli A, Casco C. Developmental dyslexia: A deficit in magnocellular-parvocellular co-activation, not simply in pure magnocellular activation. Vision Res 2019; 159:61-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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18
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Efficacy of dynamic visuo-attentional interventions for reading in dyslexic and neurotypical children: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 100:58-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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19
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Mascheretti S, Andreola C, Scaini S, Sulpizio S. Beyond genes: A systematic review of environmental risk factors in specific reading disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2018; 82:147-152. [PMID: 29566979 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While an understanding of the genetic contributions to specific reading disorder (RD) is emerging, there is no agreement about which putative hazard factors are clearly involved in the aetiology of this disorder. AIMS A literature review looking at the impact of environmental risk variables implicated in RD either per se or when interacting with the genes. METHODS AND PROCEDURES We performed a systematic literature review using the following keywords: dyslexia OR reading disability AND environmental risk factors OR environmental hazard factors, in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO, without any time restrictions. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Gestational weeks and birth weight are among the pre- and peri-natal risk factors shown to reliably predict reading readiness and the odds of having RD. Inconclusive findings have been reported for maternal cigarette smoking, family history of psychiatric and medical diseases, and risk of miscarriage. A broad definition of familial socio-economic status and home literacy environment have been identified as good life-long risk predictors of reading skills. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We highlighted the need to consider environmental hazards, their interactions and interactions with RD-candidate genes in the study of the aetiology of RD in order to provide much-needed insight into how these variables influence reading skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mascheretti
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Chiara Andreola
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
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20
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Dresler T, Bugden S, Gouet C, Lallier M, Oliveira DG, Pinheiro-Chagas P, Pires AC, Wang Y, Zugarramurdi C, Weissheimer J. A Translational Framework of Educational Neuroscience in Learning Disorders. Front Integr Neurosci 2018; 12:25. [PMID: 30022931 PMCID: PMC6039789 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging has undergone enormous progress during the last two and a half decades. The combination of neuroscientific methods and educational practice has become a focus of interdisciplinary research in order to answer more applied questions. In this realm, conditions that hamper learning success and have deleterious effects in the population - such as learning disorders (LD) - could especially profit from neuroimaging findings. At the moment, however, there is an ongoing debate about how far neuroscientific research can go to inform the practical work in educational settings. Here, we put forward a theoretical translational framework as a method of conducting neuroimaging and bridging it to education, with a main focus on dyscalculia and dyslexia. Our work seeks to represent a theoretical but mainly empirical guide on the benefits of neuroimaging, which can help people working with different aspects of LD, who need to act collaboratively to reach the full potential of neuroimaging. We provide possible ideas regarding how neuroimaging can inform LD at different levels within our multidirectional framework, i.e., mechanisms, diagnosis/prognosis, training/intervention, and community/education. In addition, we discuss methodological, conceptual, and structural limitations that need to be addressed by future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dresler
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Bugden
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- The Numerical Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Camilo Gouet
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marie Lallier
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Darlene G. Oliveira
- Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Pinheiro-Chagas
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ana C. Pires
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Yunqi Wang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Camila Zugarramurdi
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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