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Hayakawa S, Marian V. Sound-meaning associations allow listeners to infer the meaning of foreign language words. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 1:30. [PMID: 38152075 PMCID: PMC10751683 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-023-00030-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
An attribute of human language is the seemingly arbitrary association between a word's form and meaning. We provide evidence that the meaning of foreign words can be partially deduced from phonological form. Monolingual English speakers listened to 45 antonym word pairs in nine foreign languages and judged which English words corresponded to these words' respective meanings. Despite no proficiency in the foreign language tested, participants' accuracy was higher than chance in each language. Words that shared meaning across languages were more likely to share phonological form. Accuracy in judging meaning from form was associated with participants' verbal working memory and with how consistently phonological and semantic features of words covaried across unrelated languages. A follow-up study with native Spanish speakers replicated the results. We conclude that sound maps to meaning in natural languages with some regularity, and sensitivity to form-meaning mappings indexes broader cognitive functions.
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2
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Shekari E, Nozari N. A narrative review of the anatomy and function of the white matter tracts in language production and comprehension. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1139292. [PMID: 37051488 PMCID: PMC10083342 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1139292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Much is known about the role of cortical areas in language processing. The shift towards network approaches in recent years has highlighted the importance of uncovering the role of white matter in connecting these areas. However, despite a large body of research, many of these tracts’ functions are not well-understood. We present a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence on the role of eight major tracts that are hypothesized to be involved in language processing (inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, extreme capsule, middle longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, arcuate fasciculus, and frontal aslant tract). For each tract, we hypothesize its role based on the function of the cortical regions it connects. We then evaluate these hypotheses with data from three sources: studies in neurotypical individuals, neuropsychological data, and intraoperative stimulation studies. Finally, we summarize the conclusions supported by the data and highlight the areas needing further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Shekari
- Department of Neuroscience, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nazbanou Nozari
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Nazbanou Nozari
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3
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Li J, Yang Y, Viñas-Guasch N, Yang Y, Bi HY. Differences in brain functional networks for audiovisual integration during reading between children and adults. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1520:127-139. [PMID: 36478220 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Building robust letter-to-sound correspondences is a prerequisite for developing reading capacity. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the development of audiovisual integration for reading are largely unknown. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging in a lexical decision task to investigate functional brain networks that support audiovisual integration during reading in developing child readers (10-12 years old) and skilled adult readers (20-28 years old). The results revealed enhanced connectivity in a prefrontal-superior temporal network (including the right medial frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, and left superior temporal gyrus) in adults relative to children, reflecting the development of attentional modulation of audiovisual integration involved in reading processing. Furthermore, the connectivity strength of this brain network was correlated with reading accuracy. Collectively, this study, for the first time, elucidates the differences in brain networks of audiovisual integration for reading between children and adults, promoting the understanding of the neurodevelopment of multisensory integration in high-level human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yinghui Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,China Welfare Institute Information and Research Center, Soong Ching Ling Children Development Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Yan Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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4
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Weiss Y, Huber E, Ferjan Ramírez N, Corrigan NM, Yarnykh VL, Kuhl PK. Language input in late infancy scaffolds emergent literacy skills and predicts reading related white matter development. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:922552. [PMID: 36457757 PMCID: PMC9705348 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.922552] [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: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal studies provide the unique opportunity to test whether early language provides a scaffolding for the acquisition of the ability to read. This study tests the hypothesis that parental language input during the first 2 years of life predicts emergent literacy skills at 5 years of age, and that white matter development observed early in the 3rd year (at 26 months) may help to account for these effects. We collected naturalistic recordings of parent and child language at 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months using the Language ENvironment Analysis system (LENA) in a group of typically developing infants. We then examined the relationship between language measures during infancy and follow-up measures of reading related skills at age 5 years, in the same group of participants (N = 53). A subset of these children also completed diffusion and quantitative MRI scans at age 2 years (N = 20). Within this subgroup, diffusion tractography was used to identify white matter pathways that are considered critical to language and reading development, namely, the arcuate fasciculus (AF), superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, and inferior occipital-frontal fasciculus. Quantitative macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) mapping was used to characterize myelin density within these separately defined regions of interest. The longitudinal data were then used to test correlations between early language input and output, white matter measures at age 2 years, and pre-literacy skills at age 5 years. Parental language input, child speech output, and parent-child conversational turns correlated with pre-literacy skills, as well as myelin density estimates within the left arcuate and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Mediation analyses indicated that the left AF accounted for longitudinal relationships between infant home language measures and 5-year letter identification and letter-sound knowledge, suggesting that the left AF myelination at 2 years may serve as a mechanism by which early language experience supports emergent literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Huber
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Neva M. Corrigan
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Vasily L. Yarnykh
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Patricia K. Kuhl
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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5
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Brignoni-Pérez E, Dubner SE, Ben-Shachar M, Berman S, Mezer AA, Feldman HM, Travis KE. White matter properties underlying reading abilities differ in 8-year-old children born full term and preterm: A multi-modal approach. Neuroimage 2022; 256:119240. [PMID: 35490913 PMCID: PMC9213558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) studies document associations between reading skills and fractional anisotropy (FA) within brain white matter, suggesting that efficient transfer of information across the brain contributes to individual differences in reading. Use of complementary imaging methods can determine if these associations relate to myelin content of white matter tracts. Compared to children born at term (FT), children born preterm (PT) are at risk for reading deficits. We used two MRI methods to calculate associations of reading and white matter properties in FT and PT children. Participants (N=79: 36 FT and 43 PT) were administered the Gray's Oral Reading Test at age 8. We segmented three dorsal (left arcuate and bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus) and four ventral (bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus and bilateral uncinate) tracts and quantified (1) FA from dMRI and (2) R1 from quantitative T1 relaxometry. We examined correlations between reading scores and these metrics along the trajectories of the tracts. Reading positively correlated with FA in segments of left arcuate and bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculi in FT children; no FA associations were found in PT children. Reading positively correlated with R1 in segments of the left superior longitudinal, right uncinate, and left inferior longitudinal fasciculi in PT children; no R1 associations were found in FT children. Birth group significantly moderated the associations of reading and white matter metrics. Myelin content of white matter may contribute to individual differences in PT but not FT children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Brignoni-Pérez
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Sarah E Dubner
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shai Berman
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Aviv A Mezer
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Heidi M Feldman
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Katherine E Travis
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
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Romanovska L, Janssen R, Bonte M. Longitudinal changes in cortical responses to letter-speech sound stimuli in 8-11 year-old children. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2022; 7:2. [PMID: 35079026 PMCID: PMC8789908 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-021-00118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
While children are able to name letters fairly quickly, the automatisation of letter-speech sound mappings continues over the first years of reading development. In the current longitudinal fMRI study, we explored developmental changes in cortical responses to letters and speech sounds across 3 yearly measurements in a sample of 18 8-11 year old children. We employed a text-based recalibration paradigm in which combined exposure to text and ambiguous speech sounds shifts participants' later perception of the ambiguous sounds towards the text. Our results showed that activity of the left superior temporal and lateral inferior precentral gyri followed a non-linear developmental pattern across the measurement sessions. This pattern is reminiscent of previously reported inverted-u-shape developmental trajectories in children's visual cortical responses to text. Our findings suggest that the processing of letters and speech sounds involves non-linear changes in the brain's spoken language network possibly related to progressive automatisation of reading skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Romanovska
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Roef Janssen
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Milene Bonte
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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7
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OUP accepted manuscript. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4684-4697. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Romanovska L, Bonte M. How Learning to Read Changes the Listening Brain. Front Psychol 2021; 12:726882. [PMID: 34987442 PMCID: PMC8721231 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.726882] [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: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading acquisition reorganizes existing brain networks for speech and visual processing to form novel audio-visual language representations. This requires substantial cortical plasticity that is reflected in changes in brain activation and functional as well as structural connectivity between brain areas. The extent to which a child's brain can accommodate these changes may underlie the high variability in reading outcome in both typical and dyslexic readers. In this review, we focus on reading-induced functional changes of the dorsal speech network in particular and discuss how its reciprocal interactions with the ventral reading network contributes to reading outcome. We discuss how the dynamic and intertwined development of both reading networks may be best captured by approaching reading from a skill learning perspective, using audio-visual learning paradigms and longitudinal designs to follow neuro-behavioral changes while children's reading skills unfold.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Milene Bonte
- *Correspondence: Linda Romanovska, ; Milene Bonte,
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The Neurological Basis of Developmental Dyslexia and Related Disorders: A Reappraisal of the Temporal Hypothesis, Twenty Years on. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060708. [PMID: 34071786 PMCID: PMC8229928 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In a now-classic article published a couple of decades ago (Brain, 2000; 123: 2373-2399), I proposed an "extended temporal processing deficit hypothesis of dyslexia", suggesting that a deficit in temporal processing could explain not only language-related peculiarities usually noticed in dyslexic children, but also a wider range of symptoms related to impaired processing of time in general. In the present review paper, I will revisit this "historical" hypothesis both in the light of a new clinical perspective, including the central yet poorly explained notion of comorbidity, and also taking a new look at the most recent experimental work, mainly focusing on brain imaging data. First, consistent with daily clinical practice, I propose to distinguish three groups of children who fail to learn to read, of fairly equal occurrence, who share the same initial presentation (difficulty in mastering the rules of grapheme-phoneme correspondence) but with differing associated signs and/or comorbid conditions (language disorders in the first group, attentional deficits in the second one, and motor coordination problems in the last one), thus suggesting, at least in part, potentially different triggering mechanisms. It is then suggested, in the light of brain imaging information available to date, that the three main clinical presentations/associations of cognitive impairments that compromise reading skills acquisition correspond to three distinct patterns of miswiring or "disconnectivity" in specific brain networks which have in common their involvement in the process of learning and their heavy reliance on temporal features of information processing. With reference to the classic temporal processing deficit of dyslexia and to recent evidence of an inability of the dyslexic brain to achieve adequate coupling of oscillatory brain activity to the temporal features of external events, a general model is proposed according to which a common mechanism of temporal uncoupling between various disconnected-and/or mis-wired-processors may account for distinct forms of specific learning disorders, with reading impairment being a more or less constant feature. Finally, the potential therapeutic implications of such a view are considered, with special emphasis on methods seeking to enhance cross-modal connectivity between separate brain systems, including those using rhythmic and musical training in dyslexic patients.
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Gorantla VR, Tedesco S, Chandanathil M, Maity S, Bond V, Lewis C, Millis RM. Associations of Alpha and Beta Interhemispheric EEG Coherences with Indices of Attentional Control and Academic Performance. Behav Neurol 2020; 2020:4672340. [PMID: 32089751 PMCID: PMC7025044 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4672340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Heretofore, research on optimizing academic performance has suffered from an inability to translate what is known about an individual's learning behaviors to how effectively they are able to use the critical nodes and hubs in their cerebral cortex for learning. A previous study from our laboratory suggests that lower theta-beta ratios (TBRs) measured by EEG may be associated with higher academic performance in a medical school curriculum. METHODS In this study, we tested the hypothesis that TBR and academic performance may be correlated with EEG coherence, a measure of brain connectivity. We analyzed the interhemispheric coherences of the subjects involved in our prior study. TBR and coherence measurements were made at 19 scalp electrode recording sites and 171 electrode combinations with eyes open and closed (EO, EC). Control data were acquired during a session of acclimation to the research protocol 3 d before an initial examination in anatomy-physiology (control exam) and were repeated five weeks later, 3 d before a second exam covering different anatomy-physiology topics (comparison exam). RESULTS Between the control and comparison exams, beta coherences increased significantly at the frontal pole, frontal, parietal, midtemporal, posterior temporal, and occipital recording sites under the EO condition and at the inferior frontal, central, midtemporal, and posterior temporal sites under the EC condition. Alpha coherences increased significantly at the same sites and under the same EO/EC conditions as found for the beta coherences. The beta coherences were negatively correlated with the TBR and were positively correlated with the comparison exam score at the midfrontal electrode site (F3-F4) but only under the EO condition. Beta and alpha coherences at the midfrontal, inferior frontal midtemporal, posterior temporal, and occipital sites were also negatively correlated with the average TBR under the EO condition. CONCLUSIONS Lower TBR, an indicator of attentional control, was associated with higher alpha and beta interhemispheric coherences measured with eyes open at sites overlying the frontal, temporal, and occipital cortices. Changes in EEG coherences and TBRs might be useful as neurophysiological measures of neuroplasticity and the efficacy of strategies for preventing academic underachievement and treatments for improving academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasavi R. Gorantla
- Department of Basic Sciences, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Sarah Tedesco
- Department of Basic Sciences, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Merin Chandanathil
- Department of Basic Sciences, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Sabyasachi Maity
- Department of Basic Sciences, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Vernon Bond
- Exercise and Nutritional Sciences Laboratory, Howard University Cancer Center and the Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies, Washington DC 20060, USA
| | - Courtney Lewis
- Department of Clinical Medicine, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Richard M. Millis
- Department of Basic Sciences, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua and Barbuda
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Lytle MN, McNorgan C, Booth JR. A longitudinal neuroimaging dataset on multisensory lexical processing in school-aged children. Sci Data 2019; 6:329. [PMID: 31862878 PMCID: PMC6925263 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-019-0338-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we describe the open access dataset entitled “Longitudinal Brain Correlates of Multisensory Lexical Processing in Children” hosted on OpenNeuro.org. This dataset examines reading development through a longitudinal multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral approach, including diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), task based functional MRI, and a battery of psycho-educational assessments and parental questionnaires. Neuroimaging, psycho-educational testing, and functional task behavioral data were collected from 188 typically developing children when they were approximately 10.5 years old (session T1). Seventy children returned approximately 2.5 years later (session T2), of which all completed longitudinal follow-ups of psycho-educational testing, and 49 completed neuroimaging and functional tasks. At session T1 participants completed auditory, visual, and audio-visual word and pseudo-word rhyming judgment tasks in the scanner. At session T2 participants completed visual word and pseudo-word rhyming judgement tasks in the scanner. Measurement(s) | reading and spelling ability • intelligence • brain • brain physiology trait | Technology Type(s) | psychoeducational test administration • magnetic resonance imaging • functional magnetic resonance imaging • Diffusion Weighted Imaging | Factor Type(s) | age • reading disability • type of task • parental educational level | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Homo sapiens |
Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.11298188
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa N Lytle
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Chris McNorgan
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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12
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Randazzo M, Greenspon EB, Booth JR, McNorgan C. Children With Reading Difficulty Rely on Unimodal Neural Processing for Phonemic Awareness. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:390. [PMID: 31798430 PMCID: PMC6868065 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phonological awareness skills in children with reading difficulty (RD) may reflect impaired automatic integration of orthographic and phonological representations. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms involved in phonological awareness for children with RD. Eighteen children with RD, ages 9–13, participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study designed to assess the relationship of two constructs of phonological awareness, phoneme synthesis, and phoneme analysis, with crossmodal rhyme judgment. Participants completed a rhyme judgment task presented in two modality conditions; unimodal auditory only and crossmodal audiovisual. Measures of phonological awareness were correlated with unimodal, but not crossmodal, lexical processing. Moreover, these relationships were found only in unisensory brain regions, and not in multisensory brain areas. The results of this study suggest that children with RD rely on unimodal representations and unisensory brain areas, and provide insight into the role of phonemic awareness in mapping between auditory and visual modalities during literacy acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Randazzo
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, United States
| | - Emma B Greenspon
- Department of Psychology, State University at Buffalo, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Monmouth University, New Jersey, NJ, United States
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, TN, United States
| | - Chris McNorgan
- Department of Psychology, State University at Buffalo, New York, NY, United States
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13
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Glezer LS, Jiang X, Luetje MM, Napoliello EM, Kim J, Riesenhuber M, Eden GF. An fMRI-adaptation study of phonological and orthographic selectivity to written words in adults with poor reading skills. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 191:1-8. [PMID: 30721792 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Typical readers rely on two brain pathways for word processing in the left hemisphere: temporo-parietal cortex (TPC) and inferior frontal cortex (IFC), thought to subserve phonological decoding, and occipito-temporal cortex (OTC), including the "visual word form area" (VWFA), thought to subserve orthographic processing. How these regions are affected in developmental dyslexia has been a topic of intense research. We employed fMRI rapid adaptation (fMRI-RA) in adults with low reading skills to examine in independently-defined functional regions of interest (ROIs) phonological selectivity to written words in left TPC and IFC, and to orthographic selectivity to written words in OTC. Consistent with the phonological deficit hypothesis of dyslexia, we found responsivity but not selectivity to phonology, as accessed by written words, in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) of the TPC. On the other hand, we found orthographic selectivity in the VWFA of the OTC. We also found selectivity to orthographic and not phonological processing in the IFG, a finding previously reported for typical readers. Together our results demonstrate that in adults with poor reading skills, selectivity to phonology is compromised in pSTG, while selectivity to orthography in the VWFA remains unaffected at this level of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie S Glezer
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Xiong Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Megan M Luetje
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Eileen M Napoliello
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Judy Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Maximilian Riesenhuber
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Guinevere F Eden
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, 4000 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
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14
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Edwards ES, Burke K, Booth JR, McNorgan C. Dyslexia on a continuum: A complex network approach. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208923. [PMID: 30557304 PMCID: PMC6296514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the efficacy of graph-theoretic metrics of task-related functional brain connectivity in predicting reading difficulty and explored the hypothesis that task conditions emphasizing audiovisual integration would be especially diagnostic of reading difficulty. An fMRI study was conducted in which 24 children (8 to 14 years old) who were previously diagnosed with dyslexia completed a rhyming judgment task under three presentation modality conditions. Regression analyses found that characteristic connectivity metrics of the reading network showed a presentation modality dependent relationship with reading difficulty: Children with more segregated reading networks and those that used fewer of the available connections were those with the least severe reading difficulty. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a lack of coordinated processing between the neural regions involved in phonological and orthographic processing contributes towards reading difficulty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica S. Edwards
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Kali Burke
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - James R. Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Chris McNorgan
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Smith GJ, Booth JR, McNorgan C. Longitudinal Task-Related Functional Connectivity Changes Predict Reading Development. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1754. [PMID: 30283393 PMCID: PMC6156257 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal studies suggest developmentally dependent changes in lexical processing during reading development, implying a change in inter-regional functional connectivity over this period. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore developmental changes in functional connectivity across multiple runs of a rhyming judgment task in young readers (8–14 years) over an average 2.5-year span. Changes in functional segregation are correlated with and predict changes in the skill with which typically developing children learn to apply the alphabetic principle, as measured by pseudoword decoding. This indicates a developmental shift in the proportion of specialized functional clusters is associated with changes in reading skill and suggests a dependency of reading development on changes of particular neural pathways, specifically decreases in transitivity is indicative of greater network integration. This work provides evidence that characteristics of these pathways, quantified using graph-theoretic metrics, can be used to predict individual differences in reading development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Smith
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Chris McNorgan
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
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16
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Del Tufo SN, Frost SJ, Hoeft F, Cutting LE, Molfese PJ, Mason GF, Rothman DL, Fulbright RK, Pugh KR. Neurochemistry Predicts Convergence of Written and Spoken Language: A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study of Cross-Modal Language Integration. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1507. [PMID: 30233445 PMCID: PMC6131664 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have provided evidence of associations between neurochemistry and reading (dis)ability (Pugh et al., 2014). Based on a long history of studies indicating that fluent reading entails the automatic convergence of the written and spoken forms of language and our recently proposed Neural Noise Hypothesis (Hancock et al., 2017), we hypothesized that individual differences in cross-modal integration would mediate, at least partially, the relationship between neurochemical concentrations and reading. Cross-modal integration was measured in 231 children using a two-alternative forced choice cross-modal matching task with three language conditions (letters, words, and pseudowords) and two levels of difficulty within each language condition. Neurometabolite concentrations of Choline (Cho), Glutamate (Glu), gamma-Aminobutyric (GABA), and N- acetyl-aspartate (NAA) were then measured in a subset of this sample (n = 70) with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). A structural equation mediation model revealed that the effect of cross-modal word matching mediated the relationship between increased Glu (which has been proposed to be an index of neural noise) and poorer reading ability. In addition, the effect of cross-modal word matching fully mediated a relationship between increased Cho and poorer reading ability. Multilevel mixed effects models confirmed that lower Cho predicted faster cross-modal matching reaction time, specifically in the hard word condition. These Cho findings are consistent with previous work in both adults and children showing a negative association between Cho and reading ability. We also found two novel neurochemical relationships. Specifically, lower GABA and higher NAA predicted faster cross-modal matching reaction times. We interpret these results within a biochemical framework in which the ability of neurochemistry to predict reading ability may at least partially be explained by cross-modal integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Del Tufo
- Department of Special Education, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Laurie E Cutting
- Department of Special Education, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States.,Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Peter J Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States.,Section on Functional Imaging Methods, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Graeme F Mason
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Douglas L Rothman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Robert K Fulbright
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
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17
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Vanderauwera J, De Vos A, Forkel SJ, Catani M, Wouters J, Vandermosten M, Ghesquière P. Neural organization of ventral white matter tracts parallels the initial steps of reading development: A DTI tractography study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2018; 183:32-40. [PMID: 29783124 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Insight in the developmental trajectory of the neuroanatomical reading correlates is important to understand related cognitive processes and disorders. In adults, a dual pathway model has been suggested encompassing a dorsal phonological and a ventral orthographic white matter system. This dichotomy seems not present in pre-readers, and the specific role of ventral white matter in reading remains unclear. Therefore, the present longitudinal study investigated the relation between ventral white matter and cognitive processes underlying reading in children with a broad range of reading skills (n = 61). Ventral pathways of the reading network were manually traced using diffusion tractography: the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF). Pathways were examined pre-reading (5-6 years) and after two years of reading acquisition (7-8 years). Dimension reduction for the cognitive measures resulted in one component for pre-reading cognitive measures and a separate phonological and orthographic component for the early reading measures. Regression analyses revealed a relation between the pre-reading cognitive component and bilateral IFOF and left ILF. Interestingly, exclusively the left IFOF was related to the orthographic component, whereas none of the pathways was related to the phonological component. Hence, the left IFOF seems to serve as the lexical reading route, already in the earliest reading stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Astrid De Vos
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephanie J Forkel
- Natbrainlab, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, UK; Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, UK
| | - Marco Catani
- Natbrainlab, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, UK; Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, UK
| | - Jan Wouters
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pol Ghesquière
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
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18
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Žarić G, Timmers I, Gerretsen P, Fraga González G, Tijms J, van der Molen MW, Blomert L, Bonte M. Atypical White Matter Connectivity in Dyslexic Readers of a Fairly Transparent Orthography. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1147. [PMID: 30042708 PMCID: PMC6049043 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Atypical structural properties of the brain's white matter bundles have been associated with failing reading acquisition in developmental dyslexia. Because these white matter properties may show dynamic changes with age and orthographic depth, we examined fractional anisotropy (FA) along 16 white matter tracts in 8- to 11-year-old dyslexic (DR) and typically reading (TR) children learning to read in a fairly transparent orthography (Dutch). Our results showed higher FA values in the bilateral anterior thalamic radiations of DRs and FA values of the left thalamic radiation scaled with behavioral reading-related scores. Furthermore, DRs tended to have atypical FA values in the bilateral arcuate fasciculi. Children's age additionally predicted FA values along the tracts. Together, our findings suggest differential contributions of cortical and thalamo-cortical pathways to the developing reading network in dyslexic and typical readers, possibly indicating prolonged letter-by-letter reading or increased attentional and/or working memory demands in dyslexic children during reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gojko Žarić
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Inge Timmers
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | - Gorka Fraga González
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jurgen Tijms
- IWAL Instituut Voor Leerproblemen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Leo Blomert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Milene Bonte
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, Netherlands
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19
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A Yassine I, M Eldeeb W, A Gad K, A Ashour Y, A Yassine I, O Hosny A. Cognitive functions, electroencephalographic and diffusion tensor imaging changes in children with active idiopathic epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2018; 84:135-141. [PMID: 29800799 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurocognitive impairment represents one of the most common comorbidities occurring in children with idiopathic epilepsy. Diagnosis of the idiopathic form of epilepsy requires the absence of any macrostructural abnormality in the conventional MRI. Though changes can be seen at the microstructural level imaged using advanced techniques such as the Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). AIM OF THE WORK The aim of this work is to study the correlation between the microstructural white matter DTI findings, the electroencephalographic changes and the cognitive dysfunction in children with active idiopathic epilepsy. METHODS A comparative cross-sectional study, included 60 children with epilepsy based on the Stanford-Binet 5th Edition Scores was conducted. Patients were equally assigned to normal cognitive function or cognitive dysfunction groups. The history of the epileptic condition was gathered via personal interviews. All patients underwent brain Electroencephalography (EEG) and DTI, which was analyzed using FSL. RESULTS The Fractional Anisotropy (FA) was significantly higher whereas the Mean Diffusivity (MD) was significantly lower in the normal cognitive function group than in the cognitive dysfunction group. This altered microstructure was related to the degree of the cognitive performance of the studied children with epilepsy. The microstructural alterations of the neural fibers in children with epilepsy and cognitive dysfunction were significantly related to the younger age of onset of epilepsy, the poor control of the clinical seizures, and the use of multiple antiepileptic medications. CONCLUSION Children with epilepsy and normal cognitive functions differ in white matter integrity, measured using DTI, compared with children with cognitive dysfunction. These changes have important cognitive consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imane A Yassine
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
| | - Waleed M Eldeeb
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Khaled A Gad
- Diagnostic Radiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Yossri A Ashour
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Inas A Yassine
- Systems and Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Ahmed O Hosny
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
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20
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White matter integrity in medication-free women with peripartum depression: a tract-based spatial statistics study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1573-1580. [PMID: 29453442 PMCID: PMC5983547 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0023-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in depression show decreased structural connectivity in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule and the genu of the corpus callosum but no such studies exist in peripartum depression (PPD), which affects 1 in 8 women. We analyzed fractional anisotropy (FA) as a measure of white matter integrity of these two tracts using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). We then conducted an exploratory whole-brain analysis to identify additional regions implicated in PPD. Seventy-five pregnant, medication-free women were evaluated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) for DSM-IV-TR in pregnancy and in the postpartum. Structural MRI and DTI sequences were acquired in forty-four women within 2-8 weeks postpartum. TBSS data were analyzed between healthy comparison postpartum women (HCW) and women who developed PPD to determine differences in white matter integrity within the left anterior limb of the internal capsule and the genu of the corpus callosum, then analyzed across participants to explore correlation between FA and the EPDS score. An exploratory whole-brain analysis was also conducted to identify other potential regions showing differences in white matter integrity between groups, as well as correlation between EPDS and FA across groups. All results were corrected for multiple comparisons and analyses conducted using FSL, p < 0.05, K > 10. In comparison to HCW, women with PPD had significantly lower FA in left anterior limb of the internal capsule (p = 0.010). FA was negatively correlated with EPDS scores in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule (p = 0.019). In the whole-brain analysis, FA in the right retrolenticular internal capsule (p = 0.03) and two clusters within the body of the corpus callosum (p = 0.044, p = 0.050) were negatively correlated with EPDS; there were no between-group differences in FA. Reduced FA in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule suggests disruption of fronto-subcortical circuits in PPD. A negative correlation between FA within the body of the corpus callosum and EPDS total score could additionally reflect disrupted interhemispheric structural connectivity in women with depressive symptoms.
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21
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Le Floch A, Ropars G. Left-right asymmetry of the Maxwell spot centroids in adults without and with dyslexia. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171380. [PMID: 29046375 PMCID: PMC5666095 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In human vision, the brain has to select one view of the world from our two eyes. However, the existence of a clear anatomical asymmetry providing an initial imbalance for normal neural development is still not understood. Using a so-called foveascope, we found that for a cohort of 30 normal adults, the two blue cone-free areas at the centre of the foveas are asymmetrical. The noise-stimulated afterimage dominant eye introduced here corresponds to the circular blue cone-free area, while the non-dominant eye corresponds to the diffuse and irregular elliptical outline. By contrast, we found that this asymmetry is absent or frustrated in a similar cohort of 30 adults with normal ocular status, but with dyslexia, i.e. with visual and phonological deficits. In this case, our results show that the two Maxwell centroid outlines are both circular but lead to an undetermined afterimage dominance with a coexistence of primary and mirror images. The interplay between the lack of asymmetry and the development in the neural maturation of the brain pathways suggests new implications in both fundamental and biomedical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Le Floch
- Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, UFR SPM, Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes, France
- Laboratoire d'Electronique Quantique et Chiralités, 20 Square Marcel Bouget, 35700 Rennes, France
- Université Bretagne Loire, 35044 Rennes, France
| | - Guy Ropars
- Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, UFR SPM, Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes, France
- Université Bretagne Loire, 35044 Rennes, France
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22
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Vandermosten M, Cuynen L, Vanderauwera J, Wouters J, Ghesquière P. White matter pathways mediate parental effects on children's reading precursors. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 173:10-19. [PMID: 28558269 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the link between parental and offspring's reading is mediated by the cognitive system of the offspring, yet information about the mediating role of the neurobiological system is missing. This family study includes cognitive and diffusion MRI (dMRI) data collected in 71 pre-readers as well as parental reading and environmental data. Using sequential path analyses, which take into account the interrelationships between the different components, we observed mediating effects of the neurobiological system. More specifically, fathers' reading skills predicted reading of the child by operating through a child's left ventral white matter pathway. For mothers no clear mediating role of the neural system was observed. Given that our study involves children who have not yet learned to read and that environmental measures were taken into account, the paternal effect on a child's white matter pathway is unlikely to be only driven by environmental factors. Future intergenerational studies focusing on the genetic, neurobiological and cognitive level of parents and offspring will provide more insight in the relative contribution of parental environment and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike Vandermosten
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Lieselore Cuynen
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Wouters
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pol Ghesquière
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
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23
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Audiovisual speech integration in the superior temporal region is dysfunctional in dyslexia. Neuroscience 2017; 356:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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24
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Francisco AA, Groen MA, Jesse A, McQueen JM. Beyond the usual cognitive suspects: The importance of speechreading and audiovisual temporal sensitivity in reading ability. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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25
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White matter properties differ in 6-year old Readers and Pre-readers. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 222:1685-1703. [PMID: 27631434 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1302-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Reading, an essential life skill in modern society, is typically learned during childhood. Adults who can read show white matter differences compared to adults who never learned to read. Studies have not established whether children who can read show similar white matter differences compared to children who cannot read. We compared 6-year old children who could decode written English words and pseudowords (n = 31; Readers) and 6-year old children who could not decode pseudowords and had a standard score <100 on a task for reading single words (n = 11; Pre-readers). We employed diffusion MRI and tractography to extract fractional anisotropy (FA) along the trajectory of six bilateral intra-hemispheric tracts and two posterior subdivisions of the corpus callosum. Readers demonstrated significantly increased FA within the left anterior segment of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (aSLF-L) and the right uncinate fasciculus (UF-R) compared to Pre-readers. FA in the aSLF-L was significantly correlated with phonological awareness; FA in the UF-R was significantly correlated with language. Correlations in the UF-R but not the aSLF-L remained significant after controlling for reading ability, revealing that UF-R group differences were related to both children's language and reading abilities. Taken together, these findings demonstrate new evidence showing that individual differences in white matter structure relate to whether children have begun to read.
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26
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Fraga González G, Žarić G, Tijms J, Bonte M, Blomert L, van der Molen MW. A Randomized Controlled Trial on The Beneficial Effects of Training Letter-Speech Sound Integration on Reading Fluency in Children with Dyslexia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143914. [PMID: 26629707 PMCID: PMC4667884 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED A recent account of dyslexia assumes that a failure to develop automated letter-speech sound integration might be responsible for the observed lack of reading fluency. This study uses a pre-test-training-post-test design to evaluate the effects of a training program based on letter-speech sound associations with a special focus on gains in reading fluency. A sample of 44 children with dyslexia and 23 typical readers, aged 8 to 9, was recruited. Children with dyslexia were randomly allocated to either the training program group (n = 23) or a waiting-list control group (n = 21). The training intensively focused on letter-speech sound mapping and consisted of 34 individual sessions of 45 minutes over a five month period. The children with dyslexia showed substantial reading gains for the main word reading and spelling measures after training, improving at a faster rate than typical readers and waiting-list controls. The results are interpreted within the conceptual framework assuming a multisensory integration deficit as the most proximal cause of dysfluent reading in dyslexia. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN register ISRCTN12783279.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gorka Fraga González
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Rudolf Berlin Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Gojko Žarić
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jurgen Tijms
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Rudolf Berlin Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- IWAL Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Milene Bonte
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leo Blomert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Maurits W. van der Molen
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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27
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Vanderauwera J, Vandermosten M, Dell'Acqua F, Wouters J, Ghesquière P. Disentangling the relation between left temporoparietal white matter and reading: A spherical deconvolution tractography study. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:3273-87. [PMID: 26037303 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have shown that left temporoparietal white matter is related to phonological aspects of reading. However, DTI lacks the sensitivity to disentangle whether phonological processing is sustained by intrahemispheric connections, interhemispheric connections, or projection tracts. Spherical deconvolution (SD) is a nontensor model which enables a more accurate estimation of multiple fiber directions in crossing fiber regions. Hence, this study is the first to investigate whether the observed relation with reading aspects in left temporoparietal white matter is sustained by a particular pathway by applying a nontensor model. Second, measures of degree of diffusion anisotropy, which indirectly informs about white matter organization, were compared between DTI and SD tractography. In this study, 71 children (5-6 years old) participated. Intrahemispheric, interhemispheric, and projection pathways were delineated using DTI and SD tractography. Anisotropy indices were extracted, that is, fractional anisotropy (FA) in DTI and quantitative hindrance modulated orientational anisotropy (HMOA) in SD. DTI results show that diffusion anisotropy in both the intrahemispheric and projection tracts was positively correlated to phonological awareness; however, the effect was confounded by subjects' motion. In SD, the relation was restricted to the left intrahemispheric connections. A model comparison suggested that FA was, relatively to HMOA, more confounded by fiber crossings; however, anisotropy indices were highly related. In sum, this study shows the potential of SD to quantify white matter microstructure in regions containing crossing fibers. More specifically, SD analyses show that phonological awareness is sustained by left intrahemispheric connections and not interhemispheric or projection tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Flavio Dell'Acqua
- NATBRAINLAB, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Wouters
- Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pol Ghesquière
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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The direct segment of the arcuate fasciculus is predictive of longitudinal reading change. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 13:68-74. [PMID: 26011750 PMCID: PMC4480913 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We related arcuate subtract coherence to longitudinal reading outcomes in children. FA along the direct segment was uniquely predictive of reading growth. This effect was consistent in both younger and older children. Specifically the direct segment's structure may support reading across development.
Structural coherence across the arcuate fasciculus has previously been related to reading skill, but the arcuate may be divisible into distinct subtracts which support different functions. Here, we examine longitudinal data from 30 children between the ages of 8 and 14 to determine whether initial coherence in any of the arcuate's subsections is predictive of changes in reading across a longitudinal interval of approximately three years. The arcuate was divided using probabilistic tractography; mean fractional anisotropy across each subtract was extracted for each participant. Time 1 to Time 2 change in reading skill (identification, fluency score average) was significantly and uniquely predicted by only direct fronto-temporal arcuate segment coherence. Participants with lower direct segment FA demonstrated decreases in reading scores, potentially reflecting lessened improvements due to continued inefficient processing. These results were consistent in the older and younger halves of the sample. As such, we demonstrate that it is specifically the direct segment of the arcuate that may support and be predictive of reading skill both initially and longitudinally across development.
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