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Related Experiment Video

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Scanning Dos and Don'ts: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Children Aged 3 to 5 Years to Assess Brain Structure and Function

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Developmental dyslexia: gray matter abnormalities in the occipitotemporal cortex.

Martin Kronbichler¹, Heinz Wimmer, Wolfgang Staffen

¹Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Clinic and Center for Neurocognitive Research, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. martin.kronbichler@sbg.ac.at

Human Brain Mapping

|July 20, 2007

Summary

Developmental dyslexia is associated with reduced gray matter volume in key brain regions, including the fusiform gyrus and cerebellum. These structural differences in reading-related areas may explain the persistence of dyslexia.

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Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age

Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age

Published on: May 1, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Functional neuroimaging reveals reduced left occipitotemporal cortex activation in dyslexic readers.
This region is crucial for skilled reading, with damage causing severe deficits.
Previous structural studies of the occipitotemporal cortex in dyslexia yielded inconsistent findings.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate gray matter volume differences in adolescents with and without dyslexia.
To identify specific structural brain abnormalities associated with developmental dyslexia.

Main Methods:

Utilized optimized Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis.
Analyzed T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.
Compared gray matter volume in 13 dyslexic and 15 nonimpaired reading adolescents (aged 14-16).

Main Results:

Dyslexic readers showed significantly less gray matter volume in the bilateral fusiform gyrus.
Reduced gray matter volume was also observed in the bilateral anterior cerebellum and right supramarginal gyrus.
Findings highlight structural differences in the occipitotemporal cortex and cerebellum in dyslexia.

Conclusions:

Decreased gray matter volume in the fusiform gyrus underscores its importance in developmental dyslexia.
Structural abnormalities in the occipitotemporal cortex may impede the development of a critical reading area.
Cerebellar structural differences are strongly associated with dyslexia and require further research.