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Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age
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Fatty acid deficiency signs predict the severity of reading and related difficulties in dyslexic children

A J Richardson1, C M Calvin, C Clisby

  • 1University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford, UK. alex.richardson@physiol.ox.ac.uk

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids
|September 6, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Developmental dyslexia may be linked to deficiencies in highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). Clinical signs of HUFA deficiency in dyslexic children correlated with poorer reading and general ability, especially in males.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Developmental dyslexia is a complex learning disorder.
  • Potential links between dyslexia and deficiencies in highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) have been proposed.
  • Physical signs of fatty acid deficiency correlate with biochemical measures in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine clinical signs of fatty acid deficiency in dyslexic children.
  • To investigate the relationship between these signs and reading/related skills.
  • To explore potential sex differences in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed 97 dyslexic children for clinical signs of fatty acid deficiency.
  • Correlated deficiency ratings with measures of reading, spelling, general ability, and auditory working memory.
  • Analyzed data separately for males and females.

Main Results:

  • Children with higher fatty acid deficiency ratings exhibited poorer reading and lower general ability.
  • In males, these associations were stronger and also linked to poorer spelling and auditory working memory.
  • No significant associations were found in females.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the hypothesis that fatty acid deficiency may exacerbate dyslexic problems.
  • Sex differences in the association between fatty acid deficiency and dyslexia warrant further investigation.
  • This research highlights potential nutritional factors influencing learning disabilities.

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