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Sinha N, Nikki Arrington C, Malins JG, Pugh KR, Frijters JC, Morris R. The reading-attention relationship: Variations in working memory network activity during single word decoding in children with and without dyslexia. Neuropsychologia 2024; 195:108821. [PMID: 38340962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108821] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
This study utilized a neuroimaging task to assess working memory (WM) network recruitment during single word reading. Associations between WM and reading comprehension skills are well documented. Several converging models suggest WM may also contribute to foundational reading skills, but few studies have assessed this contribution directly. Two groups of children (77 developmental dyslexia (DD), 22 controls) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task to identify activation of a priori defined regions of the WM network. fMRI trials consisted of familiar word, pseudoword, and false font stimuli within a 1-back oddball task to assess how activation in the WM network differs in response to stimuli that can respectively be processed using word recognition, phonological decoding, or non-word strategies. Results showed children with DD recruited WM regions bilaterally in response to all stimulus types, whereas control children recruited left-lateralized WM regions during the pseudoword condition only. Group-level comparisons revealed activation differences in the defined WM network regions for false font and familiar word, but not pseudoword conditions. This effect was driven by increased activity in participants with DD in right hemisphere frontal, parietal, and motor regions despite poorer task performance. Findings suggest the WM network may contribute to inefficient decoding and word recognition strategies in children with DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Sinha
- Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - C Nikki Arrington
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States; GSU/GT Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30318, United States; Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States
| | - Jeffrey G Malins
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
| | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States; Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States
| | - Jan C Frijters
- Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Robin Morris
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States
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2
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Exploring Genetic and Neural Risk of Specific Reading Disability within a Nuclear Twin Family Case Study: A Translational Clinical Application. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13010156. [PMID: 36675818 PMCID: PMC9862148 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13010156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Imaging and genetic studies have characterized biological risk factors contributing to specific reading disability (SRD). The current study aimed to apply this literature to a family of twins discordant for SRD and an older sibling with reading difficulty. Intraclass correlations were used to understand the similarity of imaging phenotypes between pairs. Reading-related genes and brain region phenotypes, including asymmetry indices representing the relative size of left compared to right hemispheric structures, were descriptively examined. SNPs that corresponded between the SRD siblings and not the typically developing (TD) siblings were in genes ZNF385D, LPHN3, CNTNAP2, FGF18, NOP9, CMIP, MYO18B, and RBFOX2. Imaging phenotypes were similar among all sibling pairs for grey matter volume and surface area, but cortical thickness in reading-related regions of interest (ROIs) was more similar among the siblings with SRD, followed by the twins, and then the TD twin and older siblings, suggesting cortical thickness may differentiate risk for this family. The siblings with SRD had more symmetry of cortical thickness in the transverse temporal and superior temporal gyri, while the TD sibling had greater rightward asymmetry. The TD sibling had a greater leftward asymmetry of grey matter volume and cortical surface area in the fusiform, supramarginal, and transverse temporal gyrus. This exploratory study demonstrated that reading-related risk factors appeared to correspond with SRD within this family, suggesting that early examination of biological factors may benefit early identification. Future studies may benefit from the use of polygenic risk scores or machine learning to better understand SRD risk.
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3
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Hirshorn EA, Harris LN. Culture is not destiny, for reading: highlighting variable routes to literacy within writing systems. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1513:31-47. [PMID: 35313016 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cross-writing system research in psychology and cognitive neuroscience has yielded important findings regarding how a writing system's structure can influence the cognitive challenges of learning to read and the neural underpinnings of literacy. The current paper reviews these differences and extends the findings to demonstrate diversity in how skilled reading is accomplished within a single writing system, English. We argue that broad clusters of behavioral and neural patterns found across writing systems can also be found within subpopulations who display atypical routes to skilled English reading, subpopulations including Chinese-English bilinguals, deaf native signers, compensated readers, and distortion-sensitive readers. The patterns of interest include a tradeoff between the degree of reliance on phonological and morphological processing for skilled reading, a shift in attentional focus from smaller to larger orthographic units, and enhanced bilaterality of neural processing during word reading. Lastly, we consider how understanding atypical routes to reading may apply to other writing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lindsay N Harris
- Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
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Mao J, Liu L, Perkins K, Cao F. Poor reading is characterized by a more connected network with wrong hubs. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 220:104983. [PMID: 34174464 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Using graph theory, we examined topological organization of the language network in Chinese children with poor reading during an auditory rhyming task and a visual spelling task, compared to reading-matched controls and age-matched controls. First, poor readers (PR) showed reduced clustering coefficient in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and higher nodal efficiency in the bilateral superior temporal gyri (STG) during the visual task, indicating a less functionally specialized cluster around the left IFG and stronger functional links between bilateral STGs and other regions. Furthermore, PR adopted additional right-hemispheric hubs in both tasks, which may explain increased global efficiency across both tasks and lower normalized characteristic shortest path length in the visual task for the PR. These results underscore deficits in the left IFG during visual word processing and conform previous findings about compensation in the right hemisphere in children with poor reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Mao
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
| | - Lanfang Liu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
| | - Kyle Perkins
- Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Arts, Sciences and Education, Florida International University, United States
| | - Fan Cao
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, China.
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5
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Lancaster HS, Liu X, Dinu V, Li J. Identifying interactive biological pathways associated with reading disability. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01735. [PMID: 32596987 PMCID: PMC7428467 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Past research has suggested that reading disability is a complex disorder involving genetic and environment contributions, as well as gene-gene and gene-environment interaction, but to date little is known about the underlying mechanisms. METHOD Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we assessed the contributions of genetic, demographic, and environmental variables on case-control status using machine learning. We investigated the functional interactions between genes using pathway and network analysis. RESULTS Our results support a systems approach to studying the etiology of reading disability with many genes (e.g., RAPGEF2, KIAA0319, DLC1) and biological pathways (e.g., neuron migration, positive regulation of dendrite regulation, nervous system development) interacting with each other. We found that single nucleotide variants within genes often had opposite effects and that enriched biological pathways were mediated by neuron migration. We also identified behavioral (i.e., receptive language, nonverbal intelligence, and vocabulary), demographic (i.e., mother's highest education), and environmental (i.e., birthweight) factors that influenced case-control status when accounting for genetic information. DISCUSSION The behavioral and demographic factors were suggested to be protective against reading disability status, while birthweight conveyed risk. We provided supporting evidence that reading disability has a complex biological and environmental etiology and that there may be a shared genetic and neurobiological architecture for reading (dis)ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Sparks Lancaster
- College of Health SolutionsArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
- Department of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems EngineeringSchools of EngineeringArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Department of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems EngineeringSchools of EngineeringArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - Valentin Dinu
- College of Health SolutionsArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - Jing Li
- School of Industrial and Systems EngineeringGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGAUSA
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6
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Fraga González G, Smit DJA, van der Molen MJW, Tijms J, de Geus EJC, van der Molen MW. Probability learning and feedback processing in dyslexia: A performance and heart rate analysis. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13460. [PMID: 31435961 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that individuals with dyslexia may be impaired in probability learning and performance monitoring. These observations are consistent with findings indicating atypical neural activations in frontostriatal circuits in the brain, which are important for associative learning. The current study further examined probability learning and performance monitoring in adult individuals with dyslexia (n = 23) and typical readers (n = 31) using two varieties of a typical probabilistic learning task. In addition to performance measures, we measured heart rate, focusing on cardiac slowing with negative feedback as a manifestation of the automatic performance monitoring system. One task required participants to learn associations between artificial script and speech sounds and the other task required them to learn associations between geometric forms and bird sounds. Corrective feedback (informative or random) was provided in both tasks. Performance results indicated that individuals with dyslexia and typical readers learned the associations equally well in contrast to expectations. We found the typical cardiac response associated with feedback processing consisting of a heart rate slowing with the presentation of the feedback and a return to baseline thereafter. Interestingly, the heart rate slowing associated with feedback was less pronounced and the return to baseline was delayed in individuals with dyslexia relative to typical readers. These findings were interpreted in relation to current theorizing of performance monitoring linking the salience network in the brain to autonomic functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Fraga González
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Rudolf Berlin Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - D J A Smit
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M J W van der Molen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - J Tijms
- Rudolf Berlin Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,IWAL Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M W van der Molen
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Wang HLS, Wang NYH, Yeh FC. Specifying the diffusion MRI connectome in Chinese-speaking children with developmental dyslexia and auditory processing deficits. Pediatr Neonatol 2019; 60:297-304. [PMID: 30181073 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2018.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lexical tone identification has a unique role in the perceptual processes of Chinese readers. Reduced lexical tone awareness, along with poor word-decoding abilities, is frequently observed in Chinese-speaking children with developmental dyslexia. However, whether this deficit is linked to reduced auditory processing and interrupted structural connectivity in the brain requires further investigation. This study therefore explores the white matter pathways associated with Chinese character recognition and auditory processing of pitch variations, with the objective of to identify the most representative neural correlates for Chinese developmental dyslexia. METHODS Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and several behavior measures related to reading attainment and phonological awareness were acquired in twenty-four Chinese-speaking children with developmental dyslexia and twenty-two age-matched controls. We used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging connectometry to explore the relationships between behavior performance and specific white matter tracts. RESULTS The results revealed significant correlations of the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, cerebellar pathways, and thalamopontine tracts with Chinese character recognition (FDR = 0.03235). In addition, the posterior isthmus and anterior splenium of the corpus callosum correlated with auditory processing (FDR = 0.03980). CONCLUSION The study provides evidence that the dysconnectivity on white matter pathways correlated with developmental dyslexia in Chinese-speaking children. Furthermore, the impairments of auditory temporal timing processing presented in poor readers with significant phonological deficits are likely to be a result of impoverished myelinization in sub-cortical tracts. Such findings may assist in the clinical identification of Chinese developmental dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Lan Sharon Wang
- Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University, 162, Heping East Road, Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Natalie Yu-Hsien Wang
- Research Center for Information Technology Innovation, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | - Fang-Cheng Yeh
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife A507, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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8
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Neurobiological systems in dyslexia. Trends Neurosci Educ 2019; 14:11-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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9
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Moreau D, Wiebels K, Wilson AJ, Waldie KE. Volumetric and surface characteristics of gray matter in adult dyslexia and dyscalculia. Neuropsychologia 2019; 127:204-210. [PMID: 30738813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Dyslexia, dyscalculia and their comorbid manifestation are prevalent disorders associated with well-documented behavioral manifestations. However, attempts to relate these manifestations to abnormalities in brain structure have yielded mixed results, with no clear consistency across a range of measures. In this study, we used a unique design including adults with dyslexia, dyscalculia, both disorders and controls, to explore differences in gray matter characteristics across groups. Specifically, we examined whether dyslexia, dyscalculia, or their comorbid manifestation could be related to volumetric and surface characteristics of gray matter, using voxel-based and surface-based morphometry. We demonstrate with Bayesian analyses that the present data favor the null model of no differences between groups across the brain, a result that is in line with recent findings in this field of research. Importantly, we provide detailed statistical maps to enable robust assessment of our findings, and to promote cumulative evaluation of the evidence. Together, these findings suggest that gray matter differences associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia might not be as reliable as suggested by previous literature, with important implications for our understanding of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moreau
- School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Kristina Wiebels
- School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anna J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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10
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Cabana JF, Gilbert G, Létourneau-Guillon L, Safi D, Rouleau I, Cossette P, Nguyen DK. Effects of SYN1 Q555X mutation on cortical gray matter microstructure. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:3428-3448. [PMID: 29671924 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
A new Q555X mutation on the SYN1 gene was recently found in several members of a family segregating dyslexia, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder. To describe the effects of this mutation on cortical gray matter microstructure, we performed a surface-based group study using novel diffusion and quantitative multiparametric imaging on 13 SYN1Q555X mutation carriers and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. Specifically, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and neurite orientation and dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) were used to analyze multi-shell diffusion data and obtain parametric maps sensitive to tissue structure, while quantitative metrics sensitive to tissue composition (T1, T2* and relative proton density [PD]) were obtained from a multi-echo variable flip angle FLASH acquisition. Results showed significant microstructural alterations in several regions usually involved in oral and written language as well as dyslexia. The most significant changes in these regions were lowered mean diffusivity and increased fractional anisotropy. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to successfully use diffusion imaging and multiparametric mapping to detect cortical anomalies in a group of subjects with a well-defined genotype linked to language impairments, epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Cabana
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec.,Université de Montréal
| | - Guillaume Gilbert
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec.,Université de Montréal.,Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, Québec
| | - Laurent Létourneau-Guillon
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec.,Centre de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec
| | - Dima Safi
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Trois-Rivières, Québec.,Groupe de recherche CogNAC (UQTR), Trois-Rivières, Québec
| | - Isabelle Rouleau
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec.,Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec
| | - Patrick Cossette
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec.,Université de Montréal.,Centre de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec
| | - Dang Khoa Nguyen
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec.,Université de Montréal.,Centre de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec
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11
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Moreau D, Wilson AJ, McKay NS, Nihill K, Waldie KE. No evidence for systematic white matter correlates of dyslexia and dyscalculia. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:356-366. [PMID: 29487792 PMCID: PMC5814378 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and their comorbid manifestation are prevalent, affecting as much as 15% of the population. Structural neuroimaging studies have indicated that these disorders can be related to differences in white matter integrity, although findings remain disparate. In this study, we used a unique design composed of individuals with dyslexia, dyscalculia, both disorders and controls, to systematically explore differences in fractional anisotropy across groups using diffusion tensor imaging. Specifically, we focused on the corona radiata and the arcuate fasciculus, two tracts associated with reading and mathematics in a number of previous studies. Using Bayesian hypothesis testing, we show that the present data favor the null model of no differences between groups for these particular tracts—a finding that seems to go against the current view but might be representative of the disparities within this field of research. Together, these findings suggest that structural differences associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia might not be as reliable as previously thought, with potential ramifications in terms of remediation. Previous literature indicates important discrepancies in structural differences associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia We explore the relationship between these disorders and fractional anisotropy, a measure of white matter integrity We show support for the null model in the corona radiata and the arcuate fasciculus This suggests that structural differences associated with these disorders are not as reliable as previously thought
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moreau
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Anna J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Nicole S McKay
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kasey Nihill
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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