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Daikoku T, Jentschke S, Tsogli V, Bergström K, Lachmann T, Ahissar M, Koelsch S. Neural correlates of statistical learning in developmental dyslexia: An electroencephalography study. Biol Psychol 2023; 181:108592. [PMID: 37268263 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The human brain extracts statistical regularities from the surrounding environment in a process called statistical learning. Behavioural evidence suggests that developmental dyslexia affects statistical learning. However, surprisingly few studies have assessed how developmental dyslexia affects the neural processing underlying this type of learning. We used electroencephalography to explore the neural correlates of an important aspect of statistical learning - sensitivity to transitional probabilities - in individuals with developmental dyslexia. Adults diagnosed with developmental dyslexia (n = 17) and controls (n = 19) were exposed to a continuous stream of sound triplets. Every so often, a triplet ending had a low transitional probability given the triplet's first two sounds ("statistical deviants"). Furthermore, every so often a triplet ending was presented from a deviant location ("acoustic deviants"). We examined mismatch negativity elicited by statistical deviants (sMMN), and MMN elicited by location deviants (i.e., acoustic changes). Acoustic deviants elicited a MMN which was larger in the control group than in the developmental dyslexia group. Statistical deviants elicited a small, yet significant, sMMN in the control group, but not in the developmental dyslexia group. However, the difference between the groups was not significant. Our findings indicate that the neural mechanisms underlying pre-attentive acoustic change detection and implicit statistical auditory learning are both affected in developmental dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Daikoku
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Center for Brain, Mind and KANSEI Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima city, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | | | - Vera Tsogli
- Department for Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kirstin Bergström
- Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Thomas Lachmann
- Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición, Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
| | - Merav Ahissar
- Psychology Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Stefan Koelsch
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department for Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Martinez-Lincoln A, Fotidzis TS, Cutting LE, Price GR, Barquero LA. Examination of common and unique brain regions for atypical reading and math: a meta-analysis. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:6959-6989. [PMID: 36758954 PMCID: PMC10233309 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad013] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify consistencies across functional neuroimaging studies regarding common and unique brain regions/networks for individuals with reading difficulties (RD) and math difficulties (MD) compared to typically developing (TD) individuals. A systematic search of the literature, utilizing multiple databases, yielded 116 functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography studies that met the criteria. Coordinates that directly compared TD with either RD or MD were entered into GingerALE (Brainmap.org). An activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis was conducted to examine common and unique brain regions for RD and MD. Overall, more studies examined RD (n = 96) than MD (n = 20). Across studies, overactivation for reading and math occurred in the right insula and inferior frontal gyrus for atypically developing (AD) > TD comparisons, albeit in slightly different areas of these regions; however, inherent threshold variability across imaging studies could diminish overlying regions. For TD > AD comparisons, there were no similar or overlapping brain regions. Results indicate there were domain-specific differences for RD and MD; however, there were some similarities in the ancillary recruitment of executive functioning skills. Theoretical and practical implications for researchers and educators are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Martinez-Lincoln
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, United States
| | - Tess S Fotidzis
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, United States
| | - Laurie E Cutting
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, 110 Magnolia Circle, Nashville, TN 37203, United States
| | - Gavin R Price
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Building Perry Road Exeter EX44QG, United Kingdom
| | - Laura A Barquero
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, United States
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Turesky TK, Luetje MM, Eden GF. An fMRI study of finger movements in children with and without dyslexia. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1135437. [PMID: 37274202 PMCID: PMC10233035 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1135437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Developmental dyslexia is a language-based reading disability, yet some have reported motor impairments, usually attributed to cerebellar dysfunction. Methods Using fMRI, we compared children with and without dyslexia during irregularly paced, left or right-hand finger tapping. Next, we examined seed-to-voxel intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) using six seed regions of the motor system (left and right anterior lobe of the cerebellum, SM1 and SMA). Results A whole-brain task-evoked analysis revealed relatively less activation in the group with dyslexia in right anterior cerebellum during right hand tapping. For iFC, we found the group with dyslexia to have greater iFC between the right SM1 seed and a medial aspect of right postcentral gyrus for left hand tapping; and greater iFC between the left SM1 seed and left thalamus, as well as weaker local iFC around the left SM1 seed region for right hand tapping. Lastly, extracted activity and connectivity values that had been identified in these between-group comparisons were not correlated with measures of reading. Discussion We conclude that there are some aberrations in motor system function in children with dyslexia, but these are not tied to reading ability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guinevere F. Eden
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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Battisti A, Lazzaro G, Costanzo F, Varuzza C, Rossi S, Vicari S, Menghini D. Effects of a short and intensive transcranial direct current stimulation treatment in children and adolescents with developmental dyslexia: A crossover clinical trial. Front Psychol 2022; 13:986242. [PMID: 36160506 PMCID: PMC9500580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.986242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental Dyslexia (DD) significantly interferes with children’s academic, personal, social, and emotional functioning. Nevertheless, therapeutic options need to be further validated and tested in randomized controlled clinical trials. The use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been gaining ground in recent years as a new intervention option for DD. However, there are still open questions regarding the most suitable tDCS protocol for young people with DD. The current crossover study tested the effectiveness of a short and intensive tDCS protocol, including the long-term effects, as well as the influence of age and neuropsychological processes at baseline on reading improvements. Twenty-four children and adolescents with DD were randomly assigned to receive active tDCS during the first slot and sham tDCS during the second slot or vice versa. Five consecutive daily sessions of left anodal/right cathodal tDCS set at 1 mA for 20 min were administered over the parieto-occipital regions. Reading measures (text, high frequency word, low frequency word, and non-word lists) and neuropsychological measures (visual-spatial and verbal working memory, phoneme blending, and rapid automatized naming tasks) were collected before, immediately after, 1 week and 1 month later the treatment. Our results showed that only the active tDCS condition improved non-word reading speed immediately after and 1 month later the end of the treatment compared with baseline. In addition, the improvement in non-word reading speed was significantly correlated with age and with neuropsychological measures (verbal working memory and phoneme blending) at baseline but only in the active tDCS condition. The current crossover study contributed to enforce previous effects of tDCS, including long-term effects, on non-word reading speed and to understand the effect of age and neuropsychological processes on reading outcomes. Our findings showed that tDCS could be a low-cost and easy-to-implement treatment option with long-term effects for children and adolescents with DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Battisti
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Science, LUMSA University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lazzaro
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Floriana Costanzo
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Varuzza
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Rossi
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Deny Menghini
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Deny Menghini,
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Delattre MH, Hennocq Q, Stricker S, Paternoster G, Khonsari RH. Scaphocephaly and increased intra-cranial pressure in non-operated adults: A controlled anthropological study on 21 skulls. JOURNAL OF STOMATOLOGY, ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY 2022; 123:e212-e218. [PMID: 35131525 DOI: 10.1016/j.jormas.2022.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
AIM AND SCOPE The prevalence of increased intra-cranial pressure (ICP) in patients with scaphocephaly is controversial. Here, based on anthropological material, we aimed to determine whether adults with non-operated sagittal synostosis show indirect signs of increased ICP. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-eight dry skulls (21 skulls with sagittal craniosynostosis and 17 controls) were selected from the collections of the National Museum of Natural History (Paris, France). All skulls registered as 'fused sagittal suture' or 'scaphocephaly' in the registry of the Museum were included. All had total fusion of the sagittal suture. Controls were selected within skulls of similar origin (France), without visible craniofacial anomalies. The 38 skulls were CT-scanned using a standard medical CT-scan with a protocol dedicated to dry bone imaging. Eight radiological signs associated with raised ICP were assessed: (1) calvaria and (2) skull base thinning, (3) dorsum sellae erosion, (4) sella turcica lengthening, (5) copper beaten skull, (6) suture diastasis, (7) persistent metopic suture, and (8) small frontal sinus. Scaphocephaly was assessed based on head circumference, cranial index, intra-cranial volume, fronto-nasal angle, and inter-zygomatic distance. Linear and non-linear logistic models were used to compare groups. RESULTS 19/21 skulls with sagittal synostosis were significantly scaphocephalic. None of the criteria for ICP were significantly different in skulls with scaphocephaly relative to controls. Nevertheless, 5 individual skulls with scaphocephaly had ≥ 3 signs in favor of a history of raised ICP. We do not report the significant prevalence of indirect signs of raised ICP in adults with scaphocephaly. These results do not allow ruling out a history of early raised ICP or of minor prolonged raised ICP. Even though our findings support the fact that scaphocephaly is not significantly associated with prolonged raised ICP, individual cases (5/21) with clear signs in favor of a history of brain compression indicate that scaphocephaly correction should be considered as a functional procedure until the production of clear evidence. Cognitive assessments of non-operated adult patients with scaphocephaly could contribute to tackle this recurring question in craniofacial surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddy-Hélène Delattre
- Service de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale et Chirurgie Plastique, Hôpital Necker - Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris, 149 rue de Sèvres, Paris 75015, France
| | - Quentin Hennocq
- Service de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale et Chirurgie Plastique, Hôpital Necker - Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris, 149 rue de Sèvres, Paris 75015, France
| | - Sarah Stricker
- Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsspial Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna Paternoster
- Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Necker - Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris, Paris, France; Centre de Référence Maladies Rares Craniosténoses et Malformations Craniofaciales CRANIOST, Filière Maladies Rares TeteCou, France
| | - Roman Hossein Khonsari
- Service de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale et Chirurgie Plastique, Hôpital Necker - Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris, 149 rue de Sèvres, Paris 75015, France; Centre de Référence Maladies Rares Craniosténoses et Malformations Craniofaciales CRANIOST, Filière Maladies Rares TeteCou, France.
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Liu Z, Li J, Bi HY, Xu M, Yang Y. Disruption of Functional Brain Networks Underlies the Handwriting Deficit in Children With Developmental Dyslexia. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:919440. [PMID: 35924227 PMCID: PMC9339653 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.919440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a neurological-based learning disorder that affects 5-17.5% of children. Handwriting difficulty is a prevailing symptom of dyslexia, but its neural mechanisms remain elusive. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), this study examined functional brain networks associated with handwriting in a copying task in Chinese children with DD (n = 17) and age-matched children (n = 36). We found that dyslexics showed reduced network connectivity between the sensory-motor network (SMN) and the visual network (VN), and between the default mode network (DMN) and the ventral attention network (VAN) during handwriting, but not during drawing geometric figures. Moreover, the connectivity strength of the networks showing group differences was correlated with handwriting speed, reading and working memory, suggesting that the handwriting deficit in DD is linked with disruption of a large-scale brain network supporting motoric, linguistic and executive control processes. Taken together, this study demonstrates the alternations of functional brain networks that underly the handwriting deficit in Chinese dyslexia, providing a new clue for the neural basis of DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyan Liu
- 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - Min Xu
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Min Xu,
| | - 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
- Yang Yang,
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Wu CY, Hwang IS. Visual Occlusion Effects On Bipedal Stance Control In Chinese-Speaking Children With Dyslexia. Neurosci Lett 2022; 782:136678. [PMID: 35550402 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Visual processing of complex character configurations is especially challenging for Chinese-speaking children with dyslexia (CSCD). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of visual occlusion on postural control between dyslexic and non-dyslexic Chinese-speaking children by examining their visual-perceptual capacity and movement coordination with scale measures. Sixteen dyslexic children (10 males and, 6 females, 9.46 ± 1.26 yrs) and sixteen non-dyslexic children (10 males and 6 females, 9.91 ± 1.18 yrs) were recruited from the campus in Taiwan. Motor and visual perceptual performance were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition (MABC-2) and the Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills, 4th Edition (TVPS-4). Root mean square (RMS) and sample entropy (SampEn) of center of pressure (COP) were characterized during a bilateral upright stance with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). The results showed significant group differences in six of the seven TVPS-4 subscales (P < .001-.017) and one category of the MABC-2 (P = .006). In the EO condition, the children with dyslexia showed a greater RMS of COP specifically in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction than did the non-dyslexic children (P = .029). However, SampEn of COP in the two directions were not group dependent (P > .05). In the EC condition, RMS and SampEn of COP did not vary with group (P > .05). RMS of COP in the AP direction was negatively correlated with the sub-score of visual figure-ground in the TVPS-4 (r = - .381, P = .031). In summary, postural control of Chinese-speaking children with dyslexia is more affected with eyes open than with eyes closed, and the effect is related to visual disturbance of the foreground and background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Yi Wu
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan; Physical Therapy Room, Jianan Psychiatric Center, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Ing-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan; Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
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Hedenius M, Persson J. Neural correlates of sequence learning in children with developmental dyslexia. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3559-3576. [PMID: 35434881 PMCID: PMC9248315 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25868] [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: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental Dyslexia (DD) is a condition in which reading accuracy and/or fluency falls substantially below what is expected based on the individuals age, general level of cognitive ability, and educational opportunities. The procedural circuit deficit hypothesis (PDH) proposes that DD may be largely explained in terms of alterations of the cortico‐basal ganglia procedural memory system (in particular of the striatum) whereas the (hippocampus‐dependent) declarative memory system is intact, and may serve a compensatory role in the condition. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we examined the functional and structural brain correlates of sequence‐specific procedural learning (SL) on the serial reaction time task, in 17 children with DD and 18 typically developing (TD) children. The study was performed over 2 days with a 24‐h interval between sessions. In line with the PDH, the DD group showed less activation of the striatum during the processing of sequential statistical regularities. These alterations predicted the amount of SL at day 2, which in turn explained variance in children's reading fluency. Additionally, reduced hippocampal activation predicted larger SL gains between day 1 and day 2 in the TD group, but not in the DD group. At the structural level, caudate nucleus volume predicted the amount of acquired SL at day 2 in the TD group, but not in the DD group. The findings encourage further research into factors that promote learning in children with DD, including through compensatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Hedenius
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Speech-Language Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholml, Stockholm County Council, BUP-FOU Centrum, Gävlegatan, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Persson
- Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden.,Center for Lifespan Developmental Research (LEADER), School of Law, Psychology, and Social Work, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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Li H, Yuan Q, Luo YJ, Tao W. A new perspective for understanding the contributions of the cerebellum to reading: The cerebro-cerebellar mapping hypothesis. Neuropsychologia 2022; 170:108231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Bombonato C, Casalini C, Pecini C, Angelucci G, Vicari S, Podda I, Cipriani P, Chilosi AM, Menghini D. Implicit learning in children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 122:104170. [PMID: 35030467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a severe and persistent clinical subtype of Speech Sound Disorder. Given the difficulties in the acquisition, programming and control of the movements underlying speech and the slowdown in a wide range of non-linguistic skills, the difficulty in implicit learning of sequential information could play a role in the disorder, contributing to understand its etiopathological mechanisms and behavioral manifestations. AIMS The present study was aimed at investigating implicit learning in children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Twenty-five children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, aged between 4 and 12 years, were matched for IQ and age to a control group of 25 typically developing children. Implicit learning of participants was assessed by Serial Reaction Time Task. OUTCOME AND RESULTS Children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech did not show implicit learning, as documented by the absence of differences between reaction times in the sequenced block and the random block, usually considered as a measure of implicit learning effect. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our results underline an implicit learning deficit in children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, supporting the concept of a disorder not only confined to the speech domain, but also involving non-linguistic skills, in a composite and complex picture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Bombonato
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), Florence, Italy.
| | - Claudia Casalini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Angelucci
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Science, Bambin Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Science, Bambin Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy; Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Irina Podda
- Parole al Centro Studio di Logopedia e Neuropsicomotricità, Genova, Italy
| | - Paola Cipriani
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Anna M Chilosi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Deny Menghini
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Science, Bambin Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
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Beach SD, Lim SJ, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Eddy MD, Gabrieli JDE, Perrachione TK. Electrophysiological correlates of perceptual prediction error are attenuated in dyslexia. Neuropsychologia 2022; 165:108091. [PMID: 34801517 PMCID: PMC8807066 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A perceptual adaptation deficit often accompanies reading difficulty in dyslexia, manifesting in poor perceptual learning of consistent stimuli and reduced neurophysiological adaptation to stimulus repetition. However, it is not known how adaptation deficits relate to differences in feedforward or feedback processes in the brain. Here we used electroencephalography (EEG) to interrogate the feedforward and feedback contributions to neural adaptation as adults with and without dyslexia viewed pairs of faces and words in a paradigm that manipulated whether there was a high probability of stimulus repetition versus a high probability of stimulus change. We measured three neural dependent variables: expectation (the difference between prestimulus EEG power with and without the expectation of stimulus repetition), feedforward repetition (the difference between event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by an expected change and an unexpected repetition), and feedback-mediated prediction error (the difference between ERPs evoked by an unexpected change and an expected repetition). Expectation significantly modulated prestimulus theta- and alpha-band EEG in both groups. Unexpected repetitions of words, but not faces, also led to significant feedforward repetition effects in the ERPs of both groups. However, neural prediction error when an unexpected change occurred instead of an expected repetition was significantly weaker in dyslexia than the control group for both faces and words. These results suggest that the neural and perceptual adaptation deficits observed in dyslexia reflect the failure to effectively integrate perceptual predictions with feedforward sensory processing. In addition to reducing perceptual efficiency, the attenuation of neural prediction error signals would also be deleterious to the wide range of perceptual and procedural learning abilities that are critical for developing accurate and fluent reading skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara D. Beach
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A.,Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, 260 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 U.S.A
| | - Sung-Joo Lim
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 U.S.A
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A
| | - Marianna D. Eddy
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A
| | - John D. E. Gabrieli
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A
| | - Tyler K. Perrachione
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A.,Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 U.S.A.,Correspondence: Tyler K. Perrachione, Ph.D., Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, Phone: +1.617.358.7410,
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12
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Costanzo F, Zanni G, Fucà E, Di Paola M, Barresi S, Travaglini L, Colafati GS, Gambardella A, Bellacchio E, Bertini E, Menghini D, Vicari S. Cerebellar Agenesis and Bilateral Polimicrogyria Associated with Rare Variants of CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains 1 Gene (CSMD1): A Longitudinal Neuropsychological and Neuroradiological Case Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031224. [PMID: 35162247 PMCID: PMC8835405 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar agenesis is an extremely rare condition characterized by a near complete absence of the cerebellum. The pathogenesis and molecular basis remain mostly unknown. We report the neuroradiological, molecular, neuropsychological and behavioral characterization of a 5-year-old girl, with cerebellar agenesis associated with parietal and peri-Sylvian polymicrogyria, followed-up for 10 years at four time points. Whole exome sequencing identified two rare variants in CSMD1, a gene associated with neurocognitive and psychiatric alterations. Mild intellectual impairment, cerebellar ataxia and deficits in language, memory and executive functions, with relatively preserved adaptive and psychopathological domains, were initially showed. Phonological awareness and verbal memory declined at 11 years of age, and social and anxiety problems emerged. Adaptive and psychopathological characteristics dramatically worsened at 15 years. In summary, the developmental clinical outcome showed impairment in multiple cognitive functions in childhood, with a progressive decline in cognitive and adaptive abilities and the emergence of psychopathological symptoms in adolescence. The observed phenotype could be the result of a complex interplay between cerebellar abnormality, brain malformation and the relations with CSMD1 variants. These findings may provide insights into the developmental clinical outcomes of a co-occurrence between rare brain malformation and rare genetic variants associated to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floriana Costanzo
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, Via Ferdinando Baldelli 41, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (E.F.); (S.V.)
| | - Ginevra Zanni
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale di San Paolo 15, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (G.Z.); (L.T.); (E.B.)
| | - Elisa Fucà
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, Via Ferdinando Baldelli 41, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (E.F.); (S.V.)
| | - Margherita Di Paola
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, I-00179 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Mental Health, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh 12713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabina Barresi
- Pathology Unit, Department of Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale di San Paolo 15, I-00146 Rome, Italy;
| | - Lorena Travaglini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale di San Paolo 15, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (G.Z.); (L.T.); (E.B.)
| | - Giovanna Stefania Colafati
- Oncological Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Imaging, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant’Onofrio 4, I-00100 Rome, Italy;
| | - Antonio Gambardella
- Institute of Neurology, University Magna Græcia, I-88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, I-88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Emanuele Bellacchio
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Viale di San Paolo 15, I-00146 Rome, Italy;
| | - Enrico Bertini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale di San Paolo 15, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (G.Z.); (L.T.); (E.B.)
| | - Deny Menghini
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, Via Ferdinando Baldelli 41, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (E.F.); (S.V.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0668597091
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, Via Ferdinando Baldelli 41, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (E.F.); (S.V.)
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, I-00168 Rome, Italy
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13
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Singh S, Conway CM. Unraveling the Interconnections Between Statistical Learning and Dyslexia: A Review of Recent Empirical Studies. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:734179. [PMID: 34744661 PMCID: PMC8569446 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.734179] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One important aspect of human cognition involves the learning of structured information encountered in our environment, a phenomenon known as statistical learning. A growing body of research suggests that learning to read print is partially guided by learning the statistical contingencies existing between the letters within a word, and also between the letters and sounds to which the letters refer. Research also suggests that impairments to statistical learning ability may at least partially explain the difficulties experienced by individuals diagnosed with dyslexia. However, the findings regarding impaired learning are not consistent, perhaps partly due to the varied use of methodologies across studies - such as differences in the learning paradigms, stimuli used, and the way that learning is assessed - as well as differences in participant samples such as age and extent of the learning disorder. In this review, we attempt to examine the purported link between statistical learning and dyslexia by assessing a set of the most recent and relevant studies in both adults and children. Based on this review, we conclude that although there is some evidence for a statistical learning impairment in adults with dyslexia, the evidence for an impairment in children is much weaker. We discuss several suggestive trends that emerge from our examination of the research, such as issues related to task heterogeneity, possible age effects, the role of publication bias, and other suggestions for future research such as the use of neural measures and a need to better understand how statistical learning changes across typical development. We conclude that no current theoretical framework of dyslexia fully captures the extant research findings on statistical learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Singh
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Christopher M. Conway
- Brain, Learning, and Language Lab, Center for Childhood Deafness, Language, and Learning, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
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14
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Yan X, Jiang K, Li H, Wang Z, Perkins K, Cao F. Convergent and divergent brain structural and functional abnormalities associated with developmental dyslexia. eLife 2021; 10:e69523. [PMID: 34569931 PMCID: PMC8497057 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain abnormalities in the reading network have been repeatedly reported in individuals with developmental dyslexia (DD); however, it is still not totally understood where the structural and functional abnormalities are consistent/inconsistent across languages. In the current multimodal meta-analysis, we found convergent structural and functional alterations in the left superior temporal gyrus across languages, suggesting a neural signature of DD. We found greater reduction in grey matter volume and brain activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus in morpho-syllabic languages (e.g. Chinese) than in alphabetic languages, and greater reduction in brain activation in the left middle temporal gyrus and fusiform gyrus in alphabetic languages than in morpho-syllabic languages. These language differences are explained as consequences of being DD while learning a specific language. In addition, we also found brain regions that showed increased grey matter volume and brain activation, presumably suggesting compensations and brain regions that showed inconsistent alterations in brain structure and function. Our study provides important insights about the etiology of DD from a cross-linguistic perspective with considerations of consistency/inconsistency between structural and functional alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Yan
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Ke Jiang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Preschool Education, Anyang Preschool Education CollegeAnyangChina
| | - Ziyi Wang
- School of Foreign Language, Jining UniversityJiningChina
| | - Kyle Perkins
- Florida International University (Retired Professor)MiamiUnited States
| | - Fan Cao
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
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15
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Implicit and Explicit Memory in Youths with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case-Control Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10184283. [PMID: 34575393 PMCID: PMC8464918 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10184283] [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: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) usually manifest heterogeneous impairments in their higher cognitive functions, including their implicit memory (IM) and explicit memory (EM). However, the findings on IM and EM in youths with ASD remain debated. The aim of this study was to clarify such conflicting results by examining IM and EM using two comparable versions of the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) in the same group of children and adolescents with ASD. Twenty-five youths with high-functioning ASD and 29 age-matched and IQ-matched typically developing youths undertook both tasks. The ability to implicitly learn the temporal sequence of events across the blocks in the SRTT was intact in the youths with ASD. When they were tested for EM, the participants with ASD did not experience a significant reduction in their reaction times during the blocks with the previously learned sequence, suggesting an impairment in EM. Moreover, the participants with ASD were less accurate and made more omissions than the controls in the EM task. The implications of these findings for the establishment of tailored educational programs for children with high-functioning ASD are discussed.
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16
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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.
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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
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17
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Yang Y, Zuo Z, Tam F, Graham SJ, Li J, Ji Y, Meng Z, Gu C, Bi HY, Ou J, Xu M. The brain basis of handwriting deficits in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13161. [PMID: 34288292 PMCID: PMC9286553 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abundant behavioral studies have demonstrated high comorbidity of reading and handwriting difficulties in developmental dyslexia (DD), a neurological condition characterized by unexpectedly low reading ability despite adequate nonverbal intelligence and typical schooling. The neural correlates of handwriting deficits remain largely unknown; however, as well as the extent that handwriting deficits share common neural bases with reading deficits in DD. The present work used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity during handwriting and reading tasks in Chinese dyslexic children (n = 18) and age-matched controls (n = 23). Compared to controls, dyslexic children exhibited reduced activation during handwriting tasks in brain regions supporting sensory-motor processing (including supplementary motor area and postcentral gyrus) and visual-orthography processing (including bilateral precuneus and right cuneus). Among these regions, the left supplementary motor area and the right precuneus also showed a trend of reduced activation during reading tasks in dyslexics. Moreover, increased activation was found in the left inferior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex in dyslexics, which may reflect more efforts of executive control to compensate for the impairments of motor and visual-orthographic processing. Finally, dyslexic children exhibited aberrant functional connectivity among brain areas for cognitive control and sensory-motor processes during handwriting tasks. Together, these findings suggest that handwriting deficits in DD are associated with functional abnormalities of multiple brain regions implicated in motor execution, visual-orthographic processing, and cognitive control, providing important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - Zhentao Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fred Tam
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Simon J Graham
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - 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
| | - Yuzhu Ji
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zelong Meng
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Chanyuan Gu
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Faculty of Humanities, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 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
| | - Jian Ou
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Min Xu
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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18
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Zhang M, Riecke L, Bonte M. Neurophysiological tracking of speech-structure learning in typical and dyslexic readers. Neuropsychologia 2021; 158:107889. [PMID: 33991561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Statistical learning, or the ability to extract statistical regularities from the sensory environment, plays a critical role in language acquisition and reading development. Here we employed electroencephalography (EEG) with frequency-tagging measures to track the temporal evolution of speech-structure learning in individuals with reading difficulties due to developmental dyslexia and in typical readers. We measured EEG while participants listened to (a) a structured stream of repeated tri-syllabic pseudowords, (b) a random stream of the same isochronous syllables, and (c) a series of tri-syllabic real Dutch words. Participants' behavioral learning outcome (pseudoword recognition) was measured after training. We found that syllable-rate tracking was comparable between the two groups and stable across both the random and structured streams of syllables. More importantly, we observed a gradual emergence of the tracking of tri-syllabic pseudoword structures in both groups. Compared to the typical readers, however, in the dyslexic readers this implicit speech structure learning seemed to build up at a slower pace. A brain-behavioral correlation analysis showed that slower learners (i.e., participants who were slower in establishing the neural tracking of pseudowords) were less skilled in phonological awareness. Moreover, those who showed stronger neural tracking of real words tended to be less fluent in the visual-verbal conversion of linguistic symbols. Taken together, our study provides an online neurophysiological approach to track the progression of implicit learning processes and gives insights into the learning difficulties associated with dyslexia from a dynamic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manli Zhang
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Lars Riecke
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Milene Bonte
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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19
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van Witteloostuijn M, Boersma P, Wijnen F, Rispens J. The contribution of individual differences in statistical learning to reading and spelling performance in children with and without dyslexia. DYSLEXIA (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2021; 27:168-186. [PMID: 33631835 PMCID: PMC8248086 DOI: 10.1002/dys.1678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Using an individual differences approach in children with and without dyslexia, this study investigated the hypothesized relationship between statistical learning ability and literacy (reading and spelling) skills. We examined the clinical relevance of statistical learning (serial reaction time and visual statistical learning tasks) by controlling for potential confounds at the participant level (e.g., non-verbal reasoning, attention and phonological skills including rapid automatized naming and phonological short-term memory). A 100 Dutch-speaking 8- to 11-year-old children with and without dyslexia participated (50 per group), see also van Witteloostuijn et al. (2019) for a study with the same participants. No evidence of a relationship between statistical learning and literacy skills is found above and beyond participant-level variables. Suggestions from the literature that the link between statistical learning and literacy attainment, and therefore its clinical relevance, might be small and strongly influenced by methodological differences between studies are not contradicted by our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Boersma
- Amsterdam Center for Language and CommunicationUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTSUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Judith Rispens
- Amsterdam Center for Language and CommunicationUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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20
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Zawadka J, Miękisz A, Nowakowska I, Plewko J, Kochańska M, Haman E. Remote learning among students with and without reading difficulties during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2021; 26:6973-6994. [PMID: 33935575 PMCID: PMC8068561 DOI: 10.1007/s10639-021-10559-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This article presents the results of a survey on yet under-researched aspects of remote learning and learning difficulties in higher education during the initial stage (March - June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 2182 students from University of Warsaw in Poland completed a two-part questionnaire regarding academic achievements in the academic year 2019/2020, living conditions and stress related to learning and pandemic, as well as basic demographic information, and Dyslexia Diagnosis Questionnaire (DDQ). The analyses were carried out in three sub-groups of students: who self-reported having a formal diagnosis of dyslexia (CDYS), self-reported reading difficulties, but had no formal diagnosis of dyslexia (SIDYS), and who reported no reading difficulties (CON). The results of the survey revealed that compared with the CON group, more students from CDYS and SIDYS groups did not pass at least one exam in the summer semester. CDYS and SIDYS groups experienced higher stress due to epidemiological restrictions, they had more difficulties than CON with the organisation of learning and obtaining credit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate a need for special consideration of additional support for students experiencing reading difficulties (whether or not they have a formal diagnosis).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Zawadka
- Faculty of Polish Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aneta Miękisz
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Nowakowska
- Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Plewko
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Ewa Haman
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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21
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Nora A, Renvall H, Ronimus M, Kere J, Lyytinen H, Salmelin R. Children at risk for dyslexia show deficient left-hemispheric memory representations for new spoken word forms. Neuroimage 2021; 229:117739. [PMID: 33454404 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning disorder with impairments in reading and spelling acquisition. Apart from literacy problems, dyslexics show inefficient speech encoding and deficient novel word learning, with underlying problems in phonological processing and learning. These problems have been suggested to be related to deficient specialization of the left hemisphere for language processing. To examine this possibility, we tracked with magnetoencephalography (MEG) the activation of the bilateral temporal cortices during formation of neural memory traces for new spoken word forms in 7-8-year-old children with high familial dyslexia risk and in controls. The at-risk children improved equally to their peers in overt repetition of recurring new word forms, but were poorer in explicit recognition of the recurring word forms. Both groups showed reduced activation for the recurring word forms 400-1200 ms after word onset in the right auditory cortex, replicating the results of our previous study on typically developing children (Nora et al., 2017, Children show right-lateralized effects of spoken word-form learning. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0171034). However, only the control group consistently showed a similar reduction of activation for recurring word forms in the left temporal areas. The results highlight the importance of left-hemispheric phonological processing for efficient phonological representations and its disruption in dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Nora
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.
| | - H Renvall
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - M Ronimus
- Niilo Mäki Instituutti, FI-40100 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - J Kere
- Department of Biosciences, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - H Lyytinen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - R Salmelin
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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22
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Manual dexterity predicts phonological decoding speed in typical reading adults. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 85:2882-2891. [PMID: 33404906 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01464-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Manual dexterity and phonological decoding involve the posterior parietal cortex, which controls location coding for visually guided actions, as well as a large fronto-cerebellar network. We studied the relationship between manual dexterity and reading ability in adult typical readers. Two measurements of manual dexterity were collected to index the procedural learning effect. A linear regression model demonstrated that phonological short-term memory, manual dexterity at time 1 and procedural learning of manual dexterity predicted phonological decoding speed. Similar results were found when left-hand dexterity at time 1 and procedural learning dexterity were entered last. The better one's phonological decoding skill was, the less fluent their manual dexterity was, suggesting a recycle from object-location to letter-location coding. However, the greater the procedural learning, the faster phonological decoding was, suggesting that larger plasticity of object-location coding was linked to better letter-location coding. An independent role of the interhemispheric connections or of the right posterior parietal cortex is also suggested.
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23
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Acoustic distortions to the speech signal impair spoken language recognition, but healthy listeners exhibit adaptive plasticity consistent with rapid adjustments in how the distorted speech input maps to speech representations, perhaps through engagement of supervised error-driven learning. This puts adaptive plasticity in speech perception in an interesting position with regard to developmental dyslexia inasmuch as dyslexia impacts speech processing and may involve dysfunction in neurobiological systems hypothesized to be involved in adaptive plasticity. METHOD Here, we examined typical young adult listeners (N = 17), and those with dyslexia (N = 16), as they reported the identity of native-language monosyllabic spoken words to which signal processing had been applied to create a systematic acoustic distortion. During training, all participants experienced incremental signal distortion increases to mildly distorted speech along with orthographic and auditory feedback indicating word identity following response across a brief, 250-trial training block. During pretest and posttest phases, no feedback was provided to participants. RESULTS Word recognition across severely distorted speech was poor at pretest and equivalent across groups. Training led to improved word recognition for the most severely distorted speech at posttest, with evidence that adaptive plasticity generalized to support recognition of new tokens not previously experienced under distortion. However, training-related recognition gains for listeners with dyslexia were significantly less robust than for control listeners. CONCLUSIONS Less efficient adaptive plasticity to speech distortions may impact the ability of individuals with dyslexia to deal with variability arising from sources like acoustic noise and foreign-accented speech.
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Bogaerts L, Siegelman N, Frost R. Statistical Learning and Language Impairments: Toward More Precise Theoretical Accounts. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 16:319-337. [PMID: 33136519 PMCID: PMC7961654 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620953082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Statistical-learning (SL) theory offers an experience-based account of typical and atypical spoken and written language acquisition. Recent work has provided initial support for this view, tying individual differences in SL abilities to linguistic skills, including language impairments. In the current article, we provide a critical review of studies testing SL abilities in participants with and without developmental dyslexia and specific language impairment and discuss the directions that this field of research has taken so far. We identify substantial vagueness in the demarcation lines between different theoretical constructs (e.g., “statistical learning,” “implicit learning,” and “procedural learning”) as well as in the mappings between experimental tasks and these theoretical constructs. Moreover, we argue that current studies are not designed to contrast different theoretical approaches but rather test singular confirmatory predictions without including control tasks showing normal performance. We end by providing concrete suggestions for how to advance research on SL deficits in language impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa Bogaerts
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University.,Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
| | | | - Ram Frost
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, Connecticut.,Basque Center on Cognition, Brain, and Language (BCBL), San Sebastian, Spain
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25
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Li H, Booth JR, Feng X, Wei N, Zhang M, Zhang J, Zhong H, Lu C, Liu L, Ding G, Meng X. Functional parcellation of the right cerebellar lobule VI in children with normal or impaired reading. Neuropsychologia 2020; 148:107630. [PMID: 32976851 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have reported that the right cerebellar lobule VI is engaged in reading, but its role is unclear. The goal of our study was to identify functionally-dissociable subregions in the right lobule VI and how these subregions contribute to reading in children with normal or impaired reading. In Experiment I, typically developing children performed an orthographic task and a phonological task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We classified the voxels in the right lobule VI into seven zones based on the patterns of functional connectivity with the cerebrum across both tasks. In Experiment II, we compared the brain activation and cerebro-cerebellar connectivities of each subregion between children readers with different reading levels. We did not find significant group differences in cerebellar activation. However, we found that impaired readers had considerably higher functional connectivity between R1 and the right angular gyrus and the right precuneus compared to the control group in the phonological task. These findings show that the right cerebellar lobule VI is functionally parceled and its subregions might be differentially connected with the cerebrum between children with normal reading abilities and those with impaired reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hehui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203-5721, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Na Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Manli Zhang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Hejing Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chunming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Guosheng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Xiangzhi Meng
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; PekingU-PolyU Center for Child Development and Learning, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Ullman MT, Earle FS, Walenski M, Janacsek K. The Neurocognition of Developmental Disorders of Language. Annu Rev Psychol 2020; 71:389-417. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Developmental disorders of language include developmental language disorder, dyslexia, and motor-speech disorders such as articulation disorder and stuttering. These disorders have generally been explained by accounts that focus on their behavioral rather than neural characteristics; their processing rather than learning impairments; and each disorder separately rather than together, despite their commonalities and comorbidities. Here we update and review a unifying neurocognitive account—the Procedural circuit Deficit Hypothesis (PDH). The PDH posits that abnormalities of brain structures underlying procedural memory (learning and memory that rely on the basal ganglia and associated circuitry) can explain numerous brain and behavioral characteristics across learning and processing, in multiple disorders, including both commonalities and differences. We describe procedural memory, examine its role in various aspects of language, and then present the PDH and relevant evidence across language-related disorders. The PDH has substantial explanatory power, and both basic research and translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Ullman
- Brain and Language Lab, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - F. Sayako Earle
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, USA
| | - Matthew Walenski
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE), H-1071 Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory, and Language Lab; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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27
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Auditory gating in adults with dyslexia: An ERP account of diminished rapid neural adaptation. Clin Neurophysiol 2019; 130:2182-2192. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Dyslexia-related impairments in sequence learning predict linguistic abilities. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2019; 199:102903. [PMID: 31470173 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.102903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyslexia is often characterized by disordered word recognition and spelling, though dysfunction on various non-linguistic tasks suggests a more pervasive deficit may underlie reading and spelling abilities. The serial-order learning impairment in dyslexia (SOLID) hypothesis proposes that sequence learning impairments fundamentally disrupt cognitive abilities, including linguistic processes, among individuals with dyslexia; yet only some studies report sequence learning deficits in people with dyslexia relative to controls. Evidence may be mixed because traditional sequence learning tasks often require strong motor demands, working memory processes and/or executive functions, wherein people with dyslexia can show impairments. Thus, observed sequence learning deficits in dyslexia may only appear to the extent that comorbid motor-based processes, memory capacity, or executive processes are involved. The present study measured sequence learning in college-aged students with and without dyslexia using a single task that evaluates sequencing and non-sequencing components but without strong motor, executive, or memory demands. During sequencing, each additional link in a sequence of stimuli leading to a reward is trained step-by-step, until a complete sequence is acquired. People with dyslexia made significantly more sequencing errors than controls, despite equivalent performance on non-sequencing components. Mediation analyses further revealed that sequence learning accounted for a large portion of the variance between dyslexia status and linguistic abilities, particularly pseudo-word reading. These findings extend the SOLID hypothesis by showing difficulties in the ability to acquire sequences that may play an underlying role in literacy acquisition.
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Kavakci M, Dollaghan C. A New Method for Studying Statistical Learning in Young Children. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:2483-2490. [PMID: 31251683 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-18-0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new oculomotor serial reaction time (RT) task revealed statistical sequence learning in young children. Method We used eye tracking to measure typically developing children's oculomotor RTs in response to cartoon-like creatures that appeared successively in quadrants of a monitor during 200 trials: an initial patterned phase (120 trials) in which the creature's location reflected 15 repetitions of an 8-element sequence, a pseudorandom phase (40 trials) in which the location was not predictable, and a final patterned phase (40 trials). In an auditory-visual version of the task, spoken nonwords linked to quadrants preceded the creature's appearance. In Study 1, we administered either the visual or the auditory-visual version to 5- and 6-year-old children; in Study 2, we examined the performance of 4-year-olds on the auditory-visual version. Results In both studies, group mean RT z scores were significantly shorter ( p < .05) during patterned than pseudorandom phases, with large effect sizes (Cohen's dz values = 1.17-1.79). Conclusion The new oculomotor serial RT task detected statistical sequence learning in typically developing children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Kavakci
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas
| | - Christine Dollaghan
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas
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Lum JAG, Lammertink I, Clark GM, Fuelscher I, Hyde C, Enticott PG, Ullman MT. Visuospatial sequence learning on the serial reaction time task modulates the P1 event-related potential. Psychophysiology 2018; 56:e13292. [PMID: 30246295 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether the P1, N1, and P3 ERP components would be sensitive to sequence learning effects on the serial reaction time task. On this task, participants implicitly learn a visuospatial sequence. Participants in this study were 35 healthy adults. Reaction time (RT) data revealed that, at the group level, participants learned the sequence. Specifically, RT became faster following repeated exposure to the visuospatial sequence and then slowed down in a control condition. Analyses of ERP data revealed no evidence for sequence learning effects for the N1 or P3 component. However, sequence learning effects were observed for the P1 component. Mean P1 amplitude mirrored the RT data. The analyses showed that P1 amplitude significantly decreased as participants were exposed to the sequence but then significantly increased in the control condition. This suggests that visuospatial sequence learning can modulate visual attention levels. Specifically, it seems that, as sequence knowledge is acquired, fewer demands are placed on visual attention resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrad A G Lum
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Imme Lammertink
- Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gillian M Clark
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Ian Fuelscher
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Michael T Ullman
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
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31
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Impaired neural mechanism for online novel word acquisition in dyslexic children. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12779. [PMID: 30143722 PMCID: PMC6109122 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31211-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia is characterised as an inability to read fluently. Apart from literacy problems, dyslexics have other language difficulties including inefficient speech encoding and deficient novel word learning. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying these impairments are largely unknown. We tracked online formation of neural memory traces for a novel spoken word-form in dyslexic and normal-reading children by recording the brain’s electrophysiological response dynamics in a passive perceptual exposure session. Crucially, no meaning was assigned to the new word-form nor was there any task related to the stimulus, enabling us to explore the memory-trace formation of a purely phonological form in the absence of any short-term or working memory demands. Similar to previously established neural index of rapid word learning in adults, the control children demonstrated an early brain response enhancement within minutes of exposure to the novel word-form that originated in frontal cortices. Dyslexic children, however, lacked this neural enhancement over the entire course of exposure. Furthermore, the magnitude of the rapid neural enhancement for the novel word-form was positively associated with reading and writing fluency. This suggests that the rapid neural learning mechanism for online acquisition of novel speech material is associated with reading skills. Furthermore, the deficient online learning of novel words in dyslexia, consistent with poor rapid adaptation to familiar stimuli, may underlie the difficulty of learning to read.
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32
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Daikoku T. Neurophysiological Markers of Statistical Learning in Music and Language: Hierarchy, Entropy, and Uncertainty. Brain Sci 2018; 8:E114. [PMID: 29921829 PMCID: PMC6025354 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8060114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Statistical learning (SL) is a method of learning based on the transitional probabilities embedded in sequential phenomena such as music and language. It has been considered an implicit and domain-general mechanism that is innate in the human brain and that functions independently of intention to learn and awareness of what has been learned. SL is an interdisciplinary notion that incorporates information technology, artificial intelligence, musicology, and linguistics, as well as psychology and neuroscience. A body of recent study has suggested that SL can be reflected in neurophysiological responses based on the framework of information theory. This paper reviews a range of work on SL in adults and children that suggests overlapping and independent neural correlations in music and language, and that indicates disability of SL. Furthermore, this article discusses the relationships between the order of transitional probabilities (TPs) (i.e., hierarchy of local statistics) and entropy (i.e., global statistics) regarding SL strategies in human's brains; claims importance of information-theoretical approaches to understand domain-general, higher-order, and global SL covering both real-world music and language; and proposes promising approaches for the application of therapy and pedagogy from various perspectives of psychology, neuroscience, computational studies, musicology, and linguistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Daikoku
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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33
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Current perspectives on the cerebellum and reading development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:55-66. [PMID: 29730484 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The dominant neural models of typical and atypical reading focus on the cerebral cortex. However, Nicolson et al. (2001) proposed a model, the cerebellar deficit hypothesis, in which the cerebellum plays an important role in reading. To evaluate the evidence in support of this model, we qualitatively review the current literature and employ meta-analytic tools examining patterns of functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the cerebral reading network. We find evidence for a phonological circuit with connectivity between the cerebellum and a dorsal fronto-parietal pathway, and a semantic circuit with cerebellar connectivity to a ventral fronto-temporal pathway. Furthermore, both cerebral pathways have functional connections with the mid-fusiform gyrus, a region implicated in orthographic processing. Consideration of these circuits within the context of the current literature suggests the cerebellum is positioned to influence both phonological and word-based decoding procedures for recognizing unfamiliar printed words. Overall, multiple lines of research provide support for the cerebellar deficit hypothesis, while also highlighting the need for further research to test mechanistic hypotheses.
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34
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Sawi OM, Rueckl JG. Reading and the Neurocognitive Bases of Statistical Learning 1. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2018; 23:8-23. [PMID: 31105421 PMCID: PMC6521969 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2018.1457681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The processes underlying word reading are shaped by statistical properties of the writing system. According to some theoretical perspectives (e.g. Harm & Seidenberg, 2004) reading acquisition should be understood as an exercise in statistical learning. Statistical learning (SL) involves the extraction of organizing principles from a set of inputs. Several lines of research provide convergent evidence supporting the connection between SL and reading acquisition (e.g., Arciuli & Simpson, 2012; Frost et al., 2014; Bogaerts et al., 2015). An obstacle to fully appreciating the theoretical and educational implications of these findings is that SL is itself not well understood. In this paper, we review the current literature on SL with a particular focus on organizing this literature by grounding it in theories of learning and memory more generally. This approach can clarify the nature of SL and provide a framework for understanding its role in reading, reading acquisition, and reading disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay G Rueckl
- University of Connecticut & Haskins Laboratories
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35
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Inácio F, Faísca L, Forkstam C, Araújo S, Bramão I, Reis A, Petersson KM. Implicit sequence learning is preserved in dyslexic children. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2018; 68:1-14. [PMID: 29616459 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-018-0158-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the implicit sequence learning abilities of dyslexic children using an artificial grammar learning task with an extended exposure period. Twenty children with developmental dyslexia participated in the study and were matched with two control groups-one matched for age and other for reading skills. During 3 days, all participants performed an acquisition task, where they were exposed to colored geometrical forms sequences with an underlying grammatical structure. On the last day, after the acquisition task, participants were tested in a grammaticality classification task. Implicit sequence learning was present in dyslexic children, as well as in both control groups, and no differences between groups were observed. These results suggest that implicit learning deficits per se cannot explain the characteristic reading difficulties of the dyslexics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Inácio
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Luís Faísca
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Christian Forkstam
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Susana Araújo
- Faculdade de Psicologia and Center for Psychological Research, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Bramão
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Reis
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Karl Magnus Petersson
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Hung YH, Frost SJ, Molfese P, Malins JG, Landi N, Mencl WE, Rueckl JG, Bogaerts L, Pugh KR. Common neural basis of motor sequence learning and word recognition and its relation with individual differences in reading skill. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2018; 23:89-100. [PMID: 31105422 PMCID: PMC6521955 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2018.1451533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the neural basis of a common statistical learning mechanism involved in motor sequence learning and decoding, we recorded same participants' brain activation in a serial reaction time (SRT) and word reading task using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In the SRT, a manual response was made depending on the location of a visual cue, and the order of the locations was either fixed or random. In the word reading task, visual words were passively presented. Compared to less skilled readers, more skilled readers showed greater differences in activation in the inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis (IFGpTr) and the insula between the ordered and random condition in the SRT task and greater activation in those regions in the word reading task. It suggests that extraction of statistically predictable patterns in the IFGpTr and insula contributes to both motor sequence learning and orthographic learning, and therefore predicts individual differences in decoding skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hui Hung
- Haskins Laboratories
- Yale University
- National Yang-Ming University
| | | | - Peter Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories
- National Institutes of Mental Health
| | | | - Nicole Landi
- Haskins Laboratories
- Yale University
- University of Connecticut
| | | | | | | | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories
- Yale University
- University of Connecticut
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Vicari S, Piccini G, Mercuri E, Battini R, Chieffo D, Bulgheroni S, Pecini C, Lucibello S, Lenzi S, Moriconi F, Pane M, D’Amico A, Astrea G, Baranello G, Riva D, Cioni G, Alfieri P. Implicit learning deficit in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Evidence for a cerebellar cognitive impairment? PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191164. [PMID: 29338029 PMCID: PMC5770044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed at comparing implicit sequence learning in individuals affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy without intellectual disability and age-matched typically developing children. A modified version of the Serial Reaction Time task was administered to 32 Duchenne children and 37 controls of comparable chronological age. The Duchenne group showed a reduced rate of implicit learning even if in the absence of global intellectual disability. This finding provides further evidence of the involvement of specific aspects of cognitive function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and on its possible neurobiological substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Vicari
- Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Piccini
- Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Mercuri
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University and Nemo Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Battini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniela Chieffo
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University and Nemo Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Bulgheroni
- Developmental Neurology Division, IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | - Simona Lucibello
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University and Nemo Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Lenzi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | - Federica Moriconi
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University and Nemo Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Marika Pane
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University and Nemo Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Adele D’Amico
- Department of Neurosciences, Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Guja Astrea
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | - Giovanni Baranello
- Developmental Neurology Division, IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Daria Riva
- Developmental Neurology Division, IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Alfieri
- Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Danelli L, Berlingeri M, Bottini G, Borghese NA, Lucchese M, Sberna M, Price CJ, Paulesu E. How many deficits in the same dyslexic brains? A behavioural and fMRI assessment of comorbidity in adult dyslexics. Cortex 2017; 97:125-142. [PMID: 29107746 PMCID: PMC5722195 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Dyslexia can have different manifestations: this has motivated different theories on its nature, on its underlying brain bases and enduring controversies on how to best treat it. The relative weight of the different manifestations has never been evaluated using both behavioural and fMRI measures, a challenge taken here to assess the major systems called into play in dyslexia by different theories. We found that adult well-compensated dyslexics were systematically impaired only in reading and in visuo-phonological tasks, while deficits for other systems (e.g., motor/cerebellar, visual magnocellular/motion perception) were only very occasional. In line with these findings, fMRI showed a reliable hypoactivation only for the task of reading, in the left occipito-temporal cortex (l-OTC). The l-OTC, normally a crossroad between the reading system and other systems, did not show the same level of intersection in dyslexics; yet, it was not totally silent because it responded, in segregated parts, during auditory phonological and visual motion perception tasks. This minimal behavioural and functional anatomical comorbidity demonstrates that a specific deficit of reading is the best description for developmental dyslexia, at least for adult well-compensated cases, with clear implications for rehabilitation strategies. The reduced intersection of multiple systems in the l-OTC suggests that dyslexics suffer from a coarser connectivity, leading to disconnection between the multiple domains that normally interact during reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Danelli
- Psychology Department and Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Berlingeri
- DISTUM, Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Gabriella Bottini
- Centre of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy; Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nunzio A Borghese
- AIS-Lab and Department of Computer Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirko Lucchese
- AIS-Lab and Department of Computer Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Sberna
- Neuroradiology Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, London UK
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Psychology Department and Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; fMRI Unit-IRCCS Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
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Freedman EG, Molholm S, Gray MJ, Belyusar D, Foxe JJ. Saccade adaptation deficits in developmental dyslexia suggest disruption of cerebellar-dependent learning. J Neurodev Disord 2017; 9:36. [PMID: 29121855 PMCID: PMC5679349 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-017-9218-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimates of the prevalence of developmental dyslexia in the general population range from 5% to as many as 10%. Symptoms include reading, writing, and language deficits, but the severity and mix of symptoms can vary widely across individuals. In at least some people with dyslexia, the structure and function of the cerebellum may be disordered. Saccadic adaptation requires proper function of the cerebellum and brainstem circuitry and might provide a simple, noninvasive assay for early identification and sub-phenotyping in populations of children who may have dyslexia. METHODS Children between the ages of 7 and 15 served as participants in this experiment. Fifteen had been diagnosed with developmental dyslexia and an additional 15 were typically developing children. Five of the participants diagnosed with dyslexia were also diagnosed with an attention deficit hyperactivity disroder and were excluded from further analyses. Participants performed in a saccadic adaptation task in which visual errors were introduced at the end of saccadic eye movements. The amplitudes of primary saccades were measured and plotted as a function of the order in which they occurred. Lines of best fit were calculated. Significant changes in the amplitude of primary saccades were identified. RESULTS 12/15 typically developing children had significant adaptation of saccade amplitude in this experiment. 1/10 participants with dyslexia appropriately altered saccade amplitudes to reduce the visual error introduced in the saccade adaptation paradigm. CONCLUSIONS Proper cerebellar function is required for saccadic adaptation, but in at least some children with dyslexia, cerebellar structure and function may be disordered. Consistent with this hypothesis, the data presented in this report clearly illustrate a difference in the ability of children with dyslexia to adapt saccade amplitudes in response to imposed visual errors. Saccadic adaptation might provide a noninvasive assay for early identification of dyslexia. Future work will determine whether reduced saccadic adaptation is pervasive in dyslexia or whether this identifies a sub-phenotype within the larger population of people identified with reading and language deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward G Freedman
- The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.,The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,The Dominic P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Michael J Gray
- The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Daniel Belyusar
- The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,The Dominic P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.,The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,The Dominic P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
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He X, Tong SX. Quantity Matters: Children With Dyslexia Are Impaired in a Small, but Not Large, Number of Exposures During Implicit Repeated Sequence Learning. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2017; 26:1080-1091. [PMID: 28796861 DOI: 10.1044/2017_ajslp-15-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study investigated the onset of statistical learning and examined whether the number of exposures to a repeated sequence influences the learning performance of children with dyslexia on a serial reaction time task. METHOD Three groups of children (29 with dyslexia, 29 age-matched controls, and 30 reading level-matched controls) were administered a serial reaction time task, and their statistical learning performances after a small and a large number of exposures (40 vs. 180 exposures) were recorded and compared. RESULTS Children with dyslexia showed impaired statistical learning after a small number of exposures to a sequence, but intact statistical learning after a large number of exposures. In contrast, the age-matched and reading level-matched control groups showed intact statistical learning after both small and large numbers of exposures. Children with dyslexia also exhibited a slower learning rate than either control group. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the amount of exposure to statistical patterns influences statistical learning performance in children with dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjie He
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam
| | - Shelley Xiuli Tong
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam
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Schiff R, Sasson A, Star G, Kahta S. The role of feedback in implicit and explicit artificial grammar learning: a comparison between dyslexic and non-dyslexic adults. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2017; 67:333-355. [PMID: 29134484 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-017-0147-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The importance of feedback for learning has been firmly established over the past few decades. The question of whether feedback plays a significant role in the statistical learning abilities of adults with dyslexia, however, is currently unresolved. Here, we examined the role of feedback in grammaticality judgment, type of structural knowledge, and confidence rating in both typically developed and dyslexic adults. We implemented two artificial grammar learning experiments: implicit and explicit. The second experiment was directly analogous to the first experiment in all respects except training format: the standard memorization instruction was replaced with an explicit rule-search instruction. Each experiment was conducted with and without performance feedback. While both groups showed significantly improved learning in the feedback-based explicit artificial grammar learning task, only the typically developed adults demonstrated higher levels of conscious structural knowledge. The present study demonstrates that the basis for the grammaticality judgment of adults with dyslexia differs from that of typically developed adults, regardless of increase in the level of explicitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Schiff
- Learning Disabilities Studies, School of Education, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
- Haddad Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
| | - Ayelet Sasson
- Haddad Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Galit Star
- Learning Disabilities Studies, School of Education, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Shani Kahta
- Learning Disabilities Studies, School of Education, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Perrachione TK, Del Tufo SN, Winter R, Murtagh J, Cyr A, Chang P, Halverson K, Ghosh SS, Christodoulou JA, Gabrieli JDE. Dysfunction of Rapid Neural Adaptation in Dyslexia. Neuron 2017; 92:1383-1397. [PMID: 28009278 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Identification of specific neurophysiological dysfunctions resulting in selective reading difficulty (dyslexia) has remained elusive. In addition to impaired reading development, individuals with dyslexia frequently exhibit behavioral deficits in perceptual adaptation. Here, we assessed neurophysiological adaptation to stimulus repetition in adults and children with dyslexia for a wide variety of stimuli, spoken words, written words, visual objects, and faces. For every stimulus type, individuals with dyslexia exhibited significantly diminished neural adaptation compared to controls in stimulus-specific cortical areas. Better reading skills in adults and children with dyslexia were associated with greater repetition-induced neural adaptation. These results highlight a dysfunction of rapid neural adaptation as a core neurophysiological difference in dyslexia that may underlie impaired reading development. Reduced neurophysiological adaptation may relate to prior reports of reduced behavioral adaptation in dyslexia and may reveal a difference in brain functions that ultimately results in a specific reading impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler K Perrachione
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Stephanie N Del Tufo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rebecca Winter
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jack Murtagh
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Abigail Cyr
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Patricia Chang
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kelly Halverson
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Satrajit S Ghosh
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joanna A Christodoulou
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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Katan P, Kahta S, Sasson A, Schiff R. Performance of children with developmental dyslexia on high and low topological entropy artificial grammar learning task. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2017; 67:163-179. [PMID: 27761876 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-016-0135-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Graph complexity as measured by topological entropy has been previously shown to affect performance on artificial grammar learning tasks among typically developing children. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of graph complexity on implicit sequential learning among children with developmental dyslexia. Our goal was to determine whether children's performance depends on the complexity level of the grammar system learned. We conducted two artificial grammar learning experiments that compared performance of children with developmental dyslexia with that of age- and reading level-matched controls. Experiment 1 was a high topological entropy artificial grammar learning task that aimed to establish implicit learning phenomena in children with developmental dyslexia using previously published experimental conditions. Experiment 2 is a lower topological entropy variant of that task. Results indicated that given a high topological entropy grammar system, children with developmental dyslexia who were similar to the reading age-matched control group had substantial difficulty in performing the task as compared to typically developing children, who exhibited intact implicit learning of the grammar. On the other hand, when tested on a lower topological entropy grammar system, all groups performed above chance level, indicating that children with developmental dyslexia were able to identify rules from a given grammar system. The results reinforced the significance of graph complexity when experimenting with artificial grammar learning tasks, particularly with dyslexic participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pesia Katan
- Learning Disabilities Studies, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Shani Kahta
- Learning Disabilities Studies, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ayelet Sasson
- Haddad Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities, Bar Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Rachel Schiff
- Learning Disabilities Studies, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
- Haddad Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities, Bar Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
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Schmalz X, Altoè G, Mulatti C. Statistical learning and dyslexia: a systematic review. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2017; 67:147-162. [PMID: 27766563 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-016-0136-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The existing literature on developmental dyslexia (hereafter: dyslexia) often focuses on isolating cognitive skills which differ across dyslexic and control participants. Among potential correlates, previous research has studied group differences between dyslexic and control participants in performance on statistical learning tasks. A statistical learning deficit has been proposed to be a potential cause and/or a marker effect for early detection of dyslexia. It is therefore of practical importance to evaluate the evidence for a group difference. From a theoretical perspective, such a group difference would provide information about the causal chain from statistical learning to reading acquisition. We provide a systematic review of the literature on such a group difference. We conclude that there is insufficient high-quality data to draw conclusions about the presence or absence of an effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xenia Schmalz
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| | - Gianmarco Altoè
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Claudio Mulatti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131, Padova, Italy
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Marchand-Krynski MÈ, Morin-Moncet O, Bélanger AM, Beauchamp MH, Leonard G. Shared and differentiated motor skill impairments in children with dyslexia and/or attention deficit disorder: From simple to complex sequential coordination. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177490. [PMID: 28542319 PMCID: PMC5438138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Dyslexia and Attention deficit disorder (AD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions in children and adolescents. They have high comorbidity rates and have both been associated with motor difficulties. Little is known, however, about what is shared or differentiated in dyslexia and AD in terms of motor abilities. Even when motor skill problems are identified, few studies have used the same measurement tools, resulting in inconstant findings. The present study assessed increasingly complex gross motor skills in children and adolescents with dyslexia, AD, and with both Dyslexia and AD. Our results suggest normal performance on simple motor-speed tests, whereas all three groups share a common impairment on unimanual and bimanual sequential motor tasks. Children in these groups generally improve with practice to the same level as normal subjects, though they make more errors. In addition, children with AD are the most impaired on complex bimanual out-of-phase movements and with manual dexterity. These latter findings are examined in light of the Multiple Deficit Model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Ève Marchand-Krynski
- Research center in neuropsychology and cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Ste-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Olivier Morin-Moncet
- Research center in neuropsychology and cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Miriam H. Beauchamp
- Research center in neuropsychology and cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Ste-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gabriel Leonard
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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The Role of the Cerebellum in Unconscious and Conscious Processing of Emotions: A Review. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/app7050521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Sigurdardottir HM, Danielsdottir HB, Gudmundsdottir M, Hjartarson KH, Thorarinsdottir EA, Kristjánsson Á. Problems with visual statistical learning in developmental dyslexia. Sci Rep 2017; 7:606. [PMID: 28377626 PMCID: PMC5428689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00554-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research shows that dyslexic readers are impaired in their recognition of faces and other complex objects, and show hypoactivation in ventral visual stream regions that support word and object recognition. Responses of these brain regions are shaped by visual statistical learning. If such learning is compromised, people should be less sensitive to statistically likely feature combinations in words and other objects, and impaired visual word and object recognition should be expected. We therefore tested whether people with dyslexia showed diminished capability for visual statistical learning. Matched dyslexic and typical readers participated in tests of visual statistical learning of pairs of novel shapes that frequently appeared together. Dyslexic readers on average recognized fewer pairs than typical readers, indicating some problems with visual statistical learning. These group differences were not accounted for by differences in intelligence, ability to remember individual shapes, or spatial attention paid to the stimuli, but other attentional problems could play a mediating role. Deficiencies in visual statistical learning may in some cases prevent appropriate experience-driven shaping of neuronal responses in the ventral visual stream, hampering visual word and object recognition.
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Aldridge K, Collett BR, Wallace ER, Birgfeld C, Austin JR, Yeh R, Feil M, Kapp-Simon KA, Aylward EH, Cunningham ML, Speltz ML. Structural brain differences in school-age children with and without single-suture craniosynostosis. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2017; 19:479-489. [PMID: 28156213 PMCID: PMC5642047 DOI: 10.3171/2016.9.peds16107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC), the premature fusion of a cranial suture, is characterized by dysmorphology of the craniofacial skeleton. Evidence to suggest that children with SSC are at an elevated risk of mild to moderate developmental delays and neurocognitive deficits is mounting, but the associations among premature suture fusion, neuroanatomy, and neurocognition are unexplained. The goals of this study were to determine 1) whether differences in the brain are present in young children with the 2 most common forms of SSC (sagittal and metopic) several years following surgical correction, and 2) whether the pattern of differences varies by affected suture (sagittal or metopic). Examination of differences in the brains of children with SSC several years after surgery may illuminate the growth trajectory of the brain after the potential constraint of the dysmorphic cranium has been relieved. METHODS The authors compared quantitative measures of the brain acquired from MR images obtained from children with sagittal or metopic craniosynostosis (n = 36) at 7 years of age to those obtained from a group of unaffected controls (n = 27) at the same age. The authors measured the volumes of the whole brain, cerebral cortex, cerebral white matter, cerebral cortex by lobe, and ventricles. Additionally, they measured the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum and its segments and of the cerebellar vermis and its component lobules. Measurements obtained from children with SSC and controls were compared using linear regression models. RESULTS No volume measures of the cerebrum or of the whole brain differed significantly between patients with SSC and controls (p > 0.05). However, ventricle volume was significantly increased in patients with SSC (p = 0.001), particularly in those with sagittal craniosynostosis (p < 0.001). In contrast, the area of the corpus callosum was significantly reduced in patients with metopic synostosis (p = 0.04), particularly in the posterior segments (p = 0.004). Similarly, the area of lobules VI-VII of the cerebellar vermis was reduced in patients with SSC (p = 0.03), with those with metopic craniosynostosis showing the greatest reduction (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The lack of differences in overall brain size or regional differences in the size of the lobes of the cerebrum in children with metopic and sagittal synostosis suggests that the elevated risk of neurodevelopmental deficits is not likely to be associated with differences in the cerebral cortex. Instead, this study showed localized differences between sagittal and metopic craniosynostosis cases as compared with controls in the ventricles and in the midsagittal structures of the corpus callosum and the cerebellum. It remains to be tested whether these structural differences are associated with the increased risk for developmental delay and neurocognitive deficits in children with SSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Aldridge
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Brent R. Collett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington,Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Erin R. Wallace
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Craig Birgfeld
- Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jordan R. Austin
- Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Regina Yeh
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Madison Feil
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kathleen A. Kapp-Simon
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois,Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Elizabeth H. Aylward
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington,Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael L. Cunningham
- Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Matthew L. Speltz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington,Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
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West G, Vadillo MA, Shanks DR, Hulme C. The procedural learning deficit hypothesis of language learning disorders: we see some problems. Dev Sci 2017; 21. [PMID: 28256101 PMCID: PMC5888158 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Impaired procedural learning has been suggested as a possible cause of developmental dyslexia (DD) and specific language impairment (SLI). This study examined the relationship between measures of verbal and non-verbal implicit and explicit learning and measures of language, literacy and arithmetic attainment in a large sample of 7 to 8-year-old children. Measures of verbal explicit learning were correlated with measures of attainment. In contrast, no relationships between measures of implicit learning and attainment were found. Critically, the reliability of the implicit learning tasks was poor. Our results show that measures of procedural learning, as currently used, are typically unreliable and insensitive to individual differences. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvV-BvNWSo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian West
- Department of Language and Cognition, University College London, UK
| | - Miguel A Vadillo
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, UK
| | - David R Shanks
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, UK
| | - Charles Hulme
- Department of Language and Cognition, University College London, UK
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Henderson LM, Warmington M. A sequence learning impairment in dyslexia? It depends on the task. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2017; 60:198-210. [PMID: 27856107 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Language acquisition is argued to be dependent upon an individuals' sensitivity to serial-order regularities in the environment (sequential learning), and impairments in reading and spelling in dyslexia have recently been attributed to a deficit in sequential learning. The present study examined the learning and consolidation of sequential knowledge in 30 adults with dyslexia and 29 typical adults matched on age and nonverbal ability using two tasks previously reported to be sensitive to a sequence learning deficit. Both groups showed evidence of sequential learning and consolidation on a serial response time (SRT) task (i.e., faster and more accurate responses to sequenced spatial locations than randomly ordered spatial locations during training that persisted one week later). Whilst typical adults showed evidence of sequential learning on a Hebb repetition task (i.e., more accurate serial recall of repetitive sequences of nonwords versus randomly ordered sequences), adults with dyslexia showed initial advantages for repetitive versus randomly ordered sequences in the first half of training trials, but this effect disappeared in the second half of trials. This Hebb repetition effect was positively correlated with spelling in the dyslexic group; however, there was no correlation between sequential learning on the two tasks, placing doubt over whether sequential learning in different modalities represents a single capacity. These data suggest that sequential learning difficulties in adults with dyslexia are not ubiquitous, and when present may be a consequence of task demands rather than sequence learning per se.
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