How to improve reading skills in dyslexics: the effect of high frequency rTMS

The latest progress in understanding remediation of dyslexia underlines how some changes in brain are a necessary mechanism of improvement. We wanted to determine whether high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (hf-rTMS) over areas that are underactive during reading in dyslexics, would improve reading of dyslexic adults. We applied 5Hz-TMS over both left and right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) prior to word, non-word and text reading aloud. Results show that hf-rTMS stimulation over the left IPL improves non-word reading accuracy and hf-rTMS stimulation over the left STG increases word reading speed and text reading accuracy. Moreover after right IPL stimulation, non-word reading accuracy also improves. These findings indicate that in dyslexics, L-STG and L-IPL have a differential role in word, non-word and text reading. Even if we would normally expect left-lateralized improvements only, the finding of a right IPL involvement suggests that there is additional compensatory recruitment of this region in dyslexics. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence that distinctive facilitation of neural pathways known to be underactive in dyslexics transitorily improves their reading performance. Such ameliorative effect may open new perspectives for the development of long-term specific treatments for dyslexia.