The dynamics of bimanual coordination in developmental dyslexia

The temporal organization of symmetric and asymmetric bimanual coordination tasks was compared between dyslexic adults and normally reading controls by means of a dynamical systems research strategy. Both groups demonstrated the influence of the intrinsic dynamics of rhythmic motor behavior on the performance of asymmetric bimanual tasks. In normal readers, manual asymmetries of motor control had a significant effect on the relative phasing of finger movements; no such effects were observed in dyslexic subjects. Group differences are discussed in terms of the interaction between neurological constraints and dynamic principles of spontaneous pattern formation.