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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
Published on: March 10, 2026
Children with reading difficulties show differences in brain regions associated with orthographic processing during
Amy S Desroches1, Nadia E Cone, Donald J Bolger
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
Brain Research
|August 10, 2010
Summary
Children with reading difficulties may not automatically use visual word knowledge when processing spoken language. This study reveals differences in brain activation during a rhyming task, impacting reading ability.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Reading difficulty is linked to challenges in spoken language processing.
- The interplay between phonological and orthographic processing is crucial for reading acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural underpinnings of spoken language deficits in children with reading difficulties.
- To examine the role of orthographic processing during spoken language tasks.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare brain activation.
- Participants included children with reading difficulties and age-matched typical readers (aged 9-15).
- An auditory rhyming task was employed to assess spoken language processing.
Main Results:
- Both groups activated phonological areas (superior temporal gyri).
- Typically achieving children showed significant activation in the left fusiform cortex (orthographic processing), unlike children with reading difficulties.
- Fusiform activation correlated with behavioral conflict effects and nonword reading ability in typically achieving children.
Conclusions:
- Typical readers automatically integrate orthographic information during spoken language processing.
- Children with reading difficulties may not engage orthographic processing as readily.
- The integration of orthographic and phonological information is vital for reading proficiency.
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