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Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Microstate and Omega Complexity Analyses of the Resting-state Electroencephalography
Published on: June 15, 2018
Preliteracy signatures of poor-reading abilities in resting-state EEG
Giuseppina Schiavone1, Klaus Linkenkaer-Hansen2, Natasha M Maurits3
1Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Body Area Network, imec/Holst Centre Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Insights
Early resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) in 3-year-olds can predict future reading difficulties. Non-fluent readers showed distinct delta-1 and alpha-1 brainwave patterns, offering insights into dyslexia
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Dyslexia has a hereditary component, suggesting early neural differences.
- Identifying preliterate markers for dyslexia is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early neurophysiological correlates of future reading difficulties in preliterate children.
- To determine if resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) at age 3 can predict reading fluency by third grade.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study recruiting children at birth, with family history of reading difficulties used for risk stratification.
- Resting-state eyes-open EEG recorded at age 3.
- Children assessed for reading fluency, phonological and orthographic skills, and rapid automatized naming in third grade.
Main Results:
- Children at risk were divided into fluent and non-fluent readers by third grade.
- Non-fluent readers exhibited lower delta-1 (0.5-2 Hz) and higher alpha-1 (6-8 Hz) spectral amplitudes in EEG compared to controls.
- EEG biomarkers correlated significantly with third-grade behavioral reading and naming task performance.
Conclusions:
- Resting-state EEG at age 3 shows potential as a biomarker for predicting reading disabilities.
- Early neurophysiological differences, particularly in delta-1 and alpha-1 bands, are associated with later reading impairments.
- Combining family risk, EEG, and behavioral data in longitudinal studies can illuminate mechanisms underlying dyslexia.
Abstract:
The hereditary character of dyslexia suggests the presence of putative underlying neural anomalies already in preliterate age. Here, we investigated whether early neurophysiological correlates of future reading difficulties-a hallmark of dyslexia-could be identified in the resting-state EEG of preliterate children. The children in this study were recruited at birth and classified on the basis of parents' performance on reading tests to be at-risk of becoming poor readers (n = 48) or not (n = 14). Eyes-open rest EEG was measured at the age of 3 years, and the at-risk children were divided into fluent readers (n = 24) and non-fluent readers (n = 24) after reading assessment at their third grade of school. We found that fluent readers and non-fluent readers differed in normalized spectral amplitude. Non-fluent readers were characterized by lower amplitude in the delta-1 frequency band (0.5-2 Hz) and higher amplitude in the alpha-1 band (6-8 Hz) in multiple scalp regions compared to control and at-risk fluent readers. Interestingly, across groups these EEG biomarkers correlated with several behavioral test scores measured in the third grade. Specifically, the performance on reading fluency, phonological and orthographic tasks and rapid automatized naming task correlated positively with delta-1 and negatively with alpha-1. Together, our results suggest that combining family-risk status, neurophysiological testing and behavioral test scores in a longitudinal setting may help uncover physiological mechanisms implicated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as the predisposition to reading disabilities.
