Functional connectivity alterations associated with literacy difficulties in early readers.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Literacy difficulties are linked to brain alterations.
• Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) studies intrinsic functional connectivity (iFc) in dyslexia.
• Previous research often focused on older children and specific brain regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze iFc in early childhood using multivariate pattern analysis.
• To identify abnormal functional connectivity patterns at a whole-brain level in children with literacy difficulties.
• To investigate early brain connectivity differences in children at risk for reading challenges.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 34 children with literacy difficulties (LD) and 30 typically developing (TD) children (ages 7.1-7.4 years).
• Measured functional brain connectivity using rs-fMRI.
• Employed multivariate pattern analysis for hypothesis-free, whole-brain analysis of iFc.

Main Results:

• The LD group exhibited higher iFc between the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG) and default mode network (DMN) regions.
• The LD group showed lower iFc between the rMFG and bilateral insular cortex/supramarginal gyrus.
• In LD children, the posterior cingulate cortex had lower iFc with middle temporal poles and fusiform gyrus, suggesting impaired reading-related information integration.

Conclusions:

• Children with literacy difficulties display altered functional connectivity in reading and attentional networks early in literacy acquisition.
• These findings suggest a potential malfunction in the task control network regulating DMN activity.
• The observed alterations may serve as early indicators for the risk of developing dyslexia.