1
|
Gengeç Benli Ş, İçer S, Demirci E, Karaman ZF, Ak Z, Acer İ, Sağır GR, Aker E, Sertkaya B. Data-driven exploratory method investigation on the effect of dyslexia education at brain connectivity in Turkish children: a preliminary study. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1697-1712. [PMID: 39003410 PMCID: PMC11374831 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02820-5] [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: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and is characterized by reading and/or spelling problems affecting the development of language-related skills. The aim of this study is to reveal functional markers based on dyslexia by examining the functions of brain regions in resting state and reading tasks and to analyze the effects of special education given during the treatment process of dyslexia. A total of 43 children, aged between 7 and 12, whose native language was Turkish, participated in the study in three groups including those diagnosed with dyslexia for the first time, those receiving special education for dyslexia, and healthy children. Independent component analysis method was employed to analyze functional connectivity variations among three groups both at rest and during the continuous reading task. A whole-brain scanning during task fulfillment and resting states revealed that there were significant differences in the regions including lateral visual, default mode, left frontoparietal, ventral attention, orbitofrontal and lateral motor network. Our results revealed the necessity of adding motor coordination exercises to the training of dyslexic participants and showed that training led to functional connectivity in some brain regions similar to the healthy group. Additionally, our findings confirmed that impulsivity is associated with motor coordination and visuality, and that the dyslexic group has weaknesses in brain connectivity related to these conditions. According to our preliminary results, the differences obtained between children with dyslexia, group of dyslexia with special education and healthy children has revealed the effect of education on brain functions as well as enabling a comprehensive examination of dyslexia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Şerife Gengeç Benli
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Semra İçer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Esra Demirci
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Zehra Filiz Karaman
- Department of Pediatric Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Zeynep Ak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - İrem Acer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Gizem Rüveyda Sağır
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Ebru Aker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Büşra Sertkaya
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fu Y, Yan X, Mao J, Su H, Cao F. Abnormal brain activation during speech perception and production in children and adults with reading difficulty. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:53. [PMID: 39181867 PMCID: PMC11344838 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00266-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Reading difficulty (RD) is associated with phonological deficits; however, it remains unknown whether the phonological deficits are different in children and adults with RD as reflected in foreign speech perception and production. In the current study, using functional Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we found less difference between Chinese adults and Chinese children in the RD groups than the control groups in the activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during Spanish speech perception, suggesting slowed development in these regions associated with RD. Furthermore, using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), we found that activation patterns in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), premotor, supplementary motor area (SMA), and IFG could serve as reliable markers of RD. We provide both behavioral and neurological evidence for impaired speech perception and production in RD readers which can serve as markers of RD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Fu
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Lab of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaohui Yan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Lab of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiaqi Mao
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, BCBL, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Haibin Su
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fan Cao
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- State Key Lab of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Beck J, Chyl K, Dębska A, Łuniewska M, van Atteveldt N, Jednoróg K. Letter-speech sound integration in typical reading development during the first years of formal education. Child Dev 2024; 95:e236-e252. [PMID: 38396333 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the neural basis of letter and speech sound (LS) integration in 53 typical readers (35 girls, all White) during the first 2 years of reading education (ages 7-9). Changes in both sensory (multisensory vs unisensory) and linguistic (congruent vs incongruent) aspects of LS integration were examined. The left superior temporal cortex and bilateral inferior frontal cortex showed increasing activation for multisensory over unisensory LS over time, driven by reduced activation to speech sounds. No changes were noted in the congruency effect. However, at age nine, heightened activation to incongruent over congruent LS pairs were observed, correlating with individual differences in reading development. This suggests that the incongruency effect evolves at varying rates depending on reading skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Beck
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Warsaw, Poland
- Bioimaging Research Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland, Kajetany, Mazovia, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Chyl
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Warsaw, Poland
- Educational Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Dębska
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Łuniewska
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Nienke van Atteveldt
- Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology & Institute LEARN!, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Marks RA, Eggleston R, Kovelman I. Brain bases of morphological awareness and longitudinal word reading outcomes. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 238:105802. [PMID: 37924662 PMCID: PMC10918614 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105802] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Children's spoken language skills are essential to the development of the "reading brain," or the neurocognitive systems that underlie successful literacy. Morphological awareness, or sensitivity to the smallest units of meaning, is a language skill that facilitates fluent recognition of meaning in print. Yet despite the growing evidence that morphology is integral to literacy success, associations among morphological awareness, literacy acquisition, and brain development remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, we conducted a longitudinal investigation with 75 elementary school children (5-11 years of age) who completed an auditory morphological awareness neuroimaging task at Time 1 as well as literacy assessments at both Time 1 and Time 2 (1.5 years later). Findings reveal longitudinal brain-behavior associations between morphological processing at Time 1 and reading outcomes at Time 2. First, activation in superior temporal brain regions involved in word segmentation was associated with both future reading skill and steeper reading gains over time. Second, a wider array of brain regions across the language network were associated with polymorphemic word reading as compared with broader word reading skill (reading both simple and complex words). Together, these findings reinforce the importance of word segmentation skills in learning to read and highlight the importance of considering complex word reading skills in building comprehensive neurocognitive models of literacy. This study fills a gap in our knowledge of how processing meaningful units in speech may help to explain differences in children's reading development over time and informs ongoing theoretical questions about the role of morphology in learning to read.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Marks
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang J, Tong F, Joanisse MF, Booth JR. A sculpting effect of reading on later representational quality of phonology revealed by multi-voxel pattern analysis in young children. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 239:105252. [PMID: 36934461 PMCID: PMC10115136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105252] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Using univariate analysis, a previous study by Wang et al. (2020) found a scaffolding effect of earlier phonological representation in superior temporal gyrus (STG) on later reading skill but failed to observe a sculpting effect of earlier reading on later phonological representation. The current study applied multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to examine if both scaffolding and sculpting effects were present in young children. We found that better initial reading skill predicted higher decoding coefficient of brain activity patterns for phonological representations in STG. This sculpting effect was present only for decoding small grain sizes (phonemes) and in younger children (6- to 7.5-year-olds), as we did not find any effects for large grain sizes (rhymes) or older children (7.5- to 9.5-year-olds). Although a scaffolding effect was not observed, the current study provides the first neural evidence of how earlier reading sculpts later phonological awareness in beginning readers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Frank Tong
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Marc F Joanisse
- Department of Psychology & Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gabel LA, Battison A, Truong DT, Lindström ER, Voss K, Yu YC, Roongruengratanakul S, Shyntassov K, Riebesell S, Toumanios N, Nielsen-Pheiffer CM, Paniagua S, Gruen JR. Orthographic Depth May Influence the Degree of Severity of Maze Learning Performance in Children at Risk for Reading Disorder. Dev Neurosci 2022; 44:651-670. [PMID: 36223729 PMCID: PMC9928771 DOI: 10.1159/000527480] [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: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reading disability (RD), which affects between 5 and 17% of the population worldwide, is the most prevalent form of learning disability, and is associated with underactivation of a universal reading network in children. However, recent research suggests there are differences in learning rates on cognitive predictors of reading performance, as well as differences in activation patterns within the reading neural network, based on orthographic depth (i.e., transparent/shallow vs. deep/opaque orthographies) in children with RD. Recently, we showed that native English-speaking children with RD exhibit impaired performance on a maze learning task that taps into the same neural networks that are activated during reading. In addition, we demonstrated that genetic risk for RD strengthens the relationship between reading impairment and maze learning performance. However, it is unclear whether the results from these studies can be broadly applied to children from other language orthographies. In this study, we examined whether low reading skill was associated with poor maze learning performance in native English-speaking and native German-speaking children, and the influence of genetic risk for RD on cognition and behavior. In addition, we investigated the link between genetic risk and performance on this task in an orthographically diverse sample of children attending an English-speaking international school in Germany. The results from our data suggest that children with low reading skill, or with a genetic risk for reading impairment, exhibit impaired performance on the maze learning task, regardless of orthographic depth. However, these data also suggest that orthographic depth influences the degree of impairment on this task. The maze learning task requires the involvement of various cognitive processes and neural networks that underlie reading, but is not influenced by potential differences in reading experience due to lack of text or oral reporting. As a fully automated tool, it does not require specialized training to administer, and current results suggest it may be a practicable screening tool for early identification of reading impairment across orthographies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A. Gabel
- Department of Psychology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
- Program in Neuroscience, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
| | | | | | - Esther R. Lindström
- Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
| | - Kelsey Voss
- Program in Neuroscience, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
| | - Yih-Choung Yu
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Steven Paniagua
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jeffrey R. Gruen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Beyer M, Liebig J, Sylvester T, Braun M, Heekeren HR, Froehlich E, Jacobs AM, Ziegler JC. Structural gray matter features and behavioral preliterate skills predict future literacy - A machine learning approach. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:920150. [PMID: 36248649 PMCID: PMC9558903 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.920150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When children learn to read, their neural system undergoes major changes to become responsive to print. There seem to be nuanced interindividual differences in the neurostructural anatomy of regions that later become integral parts of the reading network. These differences might affect literacy acquisition and, in some cases, might result in developmental disorders like dyslexia. Consequently, the main objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate those interindividual differences in gray matter morphology that might facilitate or hamper future reading acquisition. We used a machine learning approach to examine to what extent gray matter macrostructural features and cognitive-linguistic skills measured before formal literacy teaching could predict literacy 2 years later. Forty-two native German-speaking children underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and psychometric testing at the end of kindergarten. They were tested again 2 years later to assess their literacy skills. A leave-one-out cross-validated machine-learning regression approach was applied to identify the best predictors of future literacy based on cognitive-linguistic preliterate behavioral skills and cortical measures in a priori selected areas of the future reading network. With surprisingly high accuracy, future literacy was predicted, predominantly based on gray matter volume in the left occipito-temporal cortex and local gyrification in the left insular, inferior frontal, and supramarginal gyri. Furthermore, phonological awareness significantly predicted future literacy. In sum, the results indicate that the brain morphology of the large-scale reading network at a preliterate age can predict how well children learn to read.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moana Beyer
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Liebig
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Teresa Sylvester
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Braun
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Universität Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Hauke R. Heekeren
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva Froehlich
- Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Arthur M. Jacobs
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes C. Ziegler
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Aix-Marseille Université and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Xu J, Zhang J, Li J, Wang H, Chen J, Lyu H, Hu Q. Structural and Functional Trajectories of Middle Temporal Gyrus Sub-Regions During Life Span: A Potential Biomarker of Brain Development and Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:799260. [PMID: 35572140 PMCID: PMC9094684 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.799260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies identified a similar topography pattern of structural and functional delineations in human middle temporal gyrus (MTG) using healthy adults, trajectories of MTG sub-regions across lifespan remain largely unknown. Herein, we examined gray matter volume (GMV) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) using datasets from the Nathan Kline Institute (NKI), and aimed to (1) investigate structural and functional trajectories of MTG sub-regions across the lifespan; and (2) assess whether these features can be used as biomarkers to predict individual’s chronological age. As a result, GMV of all MTG sub-regions followed U-shaped trajectories with extreme age around the sixth decade. The RSFC between MTG sub-regions and many cortical brain regions showed inversed U-shaped trajectories, whereas RSFC between MTG sub-regions and sub-cortical regions/cerebellum showed U-shaped way, with extreme age about 20 years earlier than those of GMV. Moreover, GMV and RSFC of MTG sub-regions could be served as useful features to predict individual age with high estimation accuracy. Together, these results not only provided novel insights into the dynamic process of structural and functional roles of MTG sub-regions across the lifespan, but also served as useful biomarkers to age prediction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinping Xu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinhuan Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaying Li
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianxiang Chen
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hanqing Lyu
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Hanqing Lyu,
| | - Qingmao Hu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Qingmao Hu,
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tang ST, Liu FF, Li ZC, Deng KG, Song RR, Zuo PX. Orthographic Processing of Developmental Dyslexic Children in China: Evidence from an Event-Related Potential Study. Curr Med Sci 2021; 41:1239-1246. [PMID: 34874487 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-021-2468-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the orthographic processing of simplified Chinese characters in developmental dyslexic children in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, and provide a theoretical basis for intervention strategies for developmental dyslexia in Chinese. METHODS Using event-related potential (ERP) measures, 18 developmental dyslexic children and 23 typically developing children performed a character decision task with three types of stimuli: real characters (RCs), pseudocharacters (PCs), and noncharacters (NCs). RESULTS Behavioral results showed that the control children displayed a faster and higher accurate performance than the dyslexic children across PCs and NCs. ERP data revealed that the RCs and PCs elicited a stronger P200 than the NCs. Compared with the RCs and NCs, children in the control group showed more N400 negatives for PCs. It is worth mentioning that dyslexic children did not show any difference on N400, which reflected the insufficient orthographic processing of dyslexic children in China. CONCLUSION These results show that Chinese dyslexic children had orthographic processing defects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ting Tang
- Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China
| | - Fang-Fang Liu
- Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China
| | - Zeng-Chun Li
- Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China
| | - Ke-Gao Deng
- Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China
| | - Ran-Ran Song
- Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China.
- School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Peng-Xiang Zuo
- Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dębska A, Łuniewska M, Zubek J, Chyl K, Dynak A, Dzięgiel-Fivet G, Plewko J, Jednoróg K, Grabowska A. The cognitive basis of dyslexia in school-aged children: A multiple case study in a transparent orthography. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13173. [PMID: 34448328 PMCID: PMC9285470 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13173] [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: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study focuses on the role of numerous cognitive skills such as phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatized naming (RAN), visual and selective attention, auditory skills, and implicit learning in developmental dyslexia. We examined the (co)existence of cognitive deficits in dyslexia and assessed cognitive skills’ predictive value for reading. First, we compared school‐aged children with severe reading impairment (n = 51) to typical readers (n = 71) to explore the individual patterns of deficits in dyslexia. Children with dyslexia, as a group, presented low PA and RAN scores, as well as limited implicit learning skills. However, we found no differences in the other domains. We found a phonological deficit in 51% and a RAN deficit in 26% of children with dyslexia. These deficits coexisted in 14% of the children. Deficits in other cognitive domains were uncommon and most often coexisted with phonological or RAN deficits. Despite having a severe reading impairment, 26% of children with dyslexia did not present any of the tested deficits. Second, in a group of children presenting a wide range of reading abilities (N = 211), we analysed the relationship between cognitive skills and reading level. PA and RAN were independently related to reading abilities. Other skills did not explain any additional variance. The impact of PA and RAN on reading skills differed. While RAN was a consistent predictor of reading, PA predicted reading abilities particularly well in average and good readers with a smaller impact in poorer readers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Dębska
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Łuniewska
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Julian Zubek
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Chyl
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Dynak
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gabriela Dzięgiel-Fivet
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Plewko
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Grabowska
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Chyl K, Fraga-González G, Brem S, Jednoróg K. Brain dynamics of (a)typical reading development-a review of longitudinal studies. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2021; 6:4. [PMID: 33526791 PMCID: PMC7851393 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-020-00081-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Literacy development is a process rather than a single event and thus should be studied at multiple time points. A longitudinal design employing neuroimaging methods offers the possibility to identify neural changes associated with reading development, and to reveal early markers of dyslexia. The core of this review is a summary of findings from longitudinal neuroimaging studies on typical and atypical reading development. Studies focused on the prediction of reading gains with a single neuroimaging time point complement this review. Evidence from structural studies suggests that reading development results in increased structural integrity and functional specialization of left-hemispheric language areas. Compromised integrity of some of these tracts in children at risk for dyslexia might be compensated by higher anatomical connectivity in the homologous right hemisphere tracts. Regarding function, activation in phonological and audiovisual integration areas and growing sensitivity to print in the ventral occipito-temporal cortex (vOT) seem to be relevant neurodevelopmental markers of successful reading acquisition. Atypical vOT responses at the beginning of reading training and infant auditory brain potentials have been proposed as neuroimaging predictors of dyslexia that can complement behavioral measures. Besides these insights, longitudinal neuroimaging studies on reading and dyslexia are still relatively scarce and small sample sizes raise legitimate concerns about the reliability of the results. This review discusses the challenges of these studies and provides recommendations to improve this research area. Future longitudinal research with larger sample sizes are needed to improve our knowledge of typical and atypical reading neurodevelopment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Chyl
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Gorka Fraga-González
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Brem
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- MR-Center of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cilibrasi L, Tsimpli I. Categorical and Dimensional Diagnoses of Dyslexia: Are They Compatible? Front Psychol 2020; 11:2171. [PMID: 32982884 PMCID: PMC7489143 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyslexia is often assessed using categorical diagnoses, and subtypes of dyslexia are also recognized in a categorical fashion. Children may meet the criteria for dyslexia, and they may more specifically meet the criteria for a subtype of it, and thus get a diagnosis. This approach to diagnosis clashes with the actual distribution of reading performance in children (which is normal and continuous), and it has received criticism. This article offers a conceptual framework for conciliating these two positions. In short, the proposal is to use a set of multicomponent continuous assessments of reading, rather than thresholds. The proposal is explained using original data obtained from a sample of 30 children (age 7 to 11), tested in the United Kingdom. Using an assessment based on categorical-thresholds, only five children in our sample qualify for extra assistance, and only one may get a diagnosis of dyslexia, while with the mixed system proposed, a few additional children in the gray area would receive attention. This approach would not discard previous categorical approaches such as those distinguishing between surface and phonological dyslexia, but it would rather see these subtypes of dyslexia as the instance of a lower score on the continuum obtained on a single component of the multicomponent assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Cilibrasi
- Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ianthi Tsimpli
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|