DYSLEXIA RESEARCH AT THE TURN OF THE 21ST CENTURY: BEHAVIOURAL, NEUROIMAGING AND GENETIC FINDINGS
Journal Title: Acta Neuropsychologica - Year 2012, Vol 10, Issue 2
Abstract
Behavioural studies have shown that dyslexics are a heterogeneous population and between-group comparisons are thus inadequate. Some subjects do not develop dyslexia despite having a deficit implicated in this disorder, which points to protective factors. Dyslexia co-occurs with ADHD, DCD, SLI, and SSD, so that future behavioural studies will need to screen and/or statistically control for other disorders. Studies of multiple cases of DPs with other developmental disorders are necessary. Neuroimaging findings show structural and/or functional brain abnormalities in language areas, V5/MT and the cerebellum. Future neuroimaging studies need to investigate the whole reading network and multiple cases. Six dyslexia risk genes have been found, mostly involved in neural migration, which may suggest dyslexia is a deficit of neuronal migration. However, it is not clear how these genes can restrict migration to specific brain areas. As a complex and heterogeneous disorder, dyslexia is likely to be associated with several mutated genes. ADHD and SSD are characterised by genetic risk factors which are partially shared with dyslexia, resulting in comorbidity. Future genetic studies need to focus on identifying other risk genes and pleiotropic genes involved in comorbidities, and linking genotypes implicated in dyslexia with brain structure. Any theory of dyslexia needs to take into account a multitude of risk and protective factors across behavioural, neural and genetic domains.
Authors and Affiliations
Agnieszka Reid
DYSLEXIA RESEARCH AT THE TURN OF THE 21ST CENTURY: BEHAVIOURAL, NEUROIMAGING AND GENETIC FINDINGS
Behavioural studies have shown that dyslexics are a heterogeneous population and between-group comparisons are thus inadequate. Some subjects do not develop dyslexia despite having a deficit implicated in this disorder,...
CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF MICROGENETIC THEORY
This paper is devoted to illustrating how process neuropsychology and neurolinguistics, based on microgenetic theory androoted in process thought, can help to explain the often baffling symptomatology of brain damage. Ou...
LEON KACZMAREK’S THEORY OF SPEECH AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR CONTEMPORARY NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Leon Kaczmarek is the founder of modern logopaedics in Poland. His ideas have proved to be not only innovative but they are in agreement with contemporary outlooks within this branch of research and practice as well as...
REPRESENTATION ACTIVITY OF THE RIGHT AND HEMISPHERES OF THE BRAIN
[b]Background.[/b] The asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres in terms of function has been studied for many years, using a wide variety of methods. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of the predo...
COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AND AUTONOMY OF PATIENTS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
Cognitive problems and a deepening dependence on one’s immediate environment inherently accompany Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The disease is progressive, and the size of the dystrophin gene determines the extraor...