In previous studies, brain scans of dyslexic children conducted while they were reading have found over-activation of the IFG. As the IFG is an area of the brain not normally associated with reading skills, the authors proposed that its usage may suggest that dyslexic children were using different parts of the brain to compensate for their reading deficits. The article therefore asks whether greater involvement of the IFG in reading predicts future long-term successes in reading for dyslexic children.
The authors found that variation in brain function predicts reading improvement in children with dyslexia. In particular, activation of the right IFG during a reading task predicts improvement. However, taking a single brain region alone does not give as good a prediction as combining information across the whole brain. They also found that brain measures are better than behavioural measures at predicting future gains in reading, which suggests that children with dyslexia can use the right IFG to compensate for their reading difficulties. This is evidence that dyslexics learn to read by using different neural mechanisms than those used by normal readers.
Professor Bishop discusses several limitations and criticisms to the study. She concludes that it is an interesting application of neuroimaging into the hypothesis that the IFG is part of compensatory strategies utilised by dyslexic children to support their reading. She notes that at times the data is so technical that it is difficult to make interpretations, which can hamper reliability and validity. She feels that the study is an important step in the direction of understanding brain mechanisms in dyslexia, but itís far from being conclusive.
Sarah Bennington – January 2011
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. ITS is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.
