Early dynamics of white matter deficits in children developing dyslexia
Jolijn Vanderauwera1, Jan Wouters2, Maaike Vandermosten1
1Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Group ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
Insights
Children with dyslexia show early white matter anomalies in the arcuate fasciculus (AF). These brain differences predict reading impairment and change dynamically, offering new insights into dyslexia
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Neural anomalies are linked to dyslexia.
- Early white matter differences may cause reading impairments.
- Familial risk is a factor in dyslexia development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the neurodevelopmental trajectory of white matter anomalies in pre-readers with and without familial risk for dyslexia.
- To identify predictive markers for dyslexia development.
- To investigate the dynamic nature of white matter differences.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal diffusion MRI and behavioral data collection from pre-readers until grade 3.
- Analysis of white matter integrity in specific brain tracts, including the arcuate fasciculus (AF) and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF).
- Comparison of individuals who developed dyslexia with those who did not.
Main Results:
- Children with dyslexia exhibit pre-reading white matter anomalies in the left and right AF.
- The left AF segment predicts dyslexia development, surpassing traditional cognitive measures and familial risk.
- Differences in the left AF are dynamic, while left IFOF and right AF differences relate to familial risk and reading ability.
Conclusions:
- Pre-reading white matter anomalies in the AF are associated with dyslexia.
- The left AF shows dynamic changes related to dyslexia development.
- White matter differences contribute to understanding the neural basis of dyslexia and its developmental trajectory.
Abstract:
Neural anomalies have been demonstrated in dyslexia. Recent studies in pre-readers at risk for dyslexia and in pre-readers developing poor reading suggest that these anomalies might be a cause of their reading impairment. Our study goes one step further by exploring the neurodevelopmental trajectory of white matter anomalies in pre-readers with and without a familial risk for dyslexia (n=61) of whom a strictly selected sample develops dyslexia later on (n=15). We collected longitudinal diffusion MRI and behavioural data until grade 3. The results provide evidence that children with dyslexia exhibit pre-reading white matter anomalies in left and right long segment of the arcuate fasciculus (AF), with predictive power of the left segment above traditional cognitive measures and familial risk. Whereas white matter differences in the left AF seem most strongly related to the development of dyslexia, differences in the left IFOF and in the right AF seem driven by both familial risk and later reading ability. Moreover, differences in the left AF appeared to be dynamic. This study supports and expands recent insights into the neural basis of dyslexia, pointing towards pre-reading anomalies related to dyslexia, as well as underpinning the dynamic character of white matter.
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