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Structural Brain Alterations Following Speed-Reading Training in Sinhala-Speaking Adults: A Voxel-Based Morphometry
Niluka Dilhani1, Thishuli Walpola1, Ngoc Thanh Hoang2
1Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 7-2-10 Higashi-Ogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Brain and Language
|May 11, 2026
Summary
Speed-reading training improved reading speed and was associated with structural brain changes in Sinhala readers. These neuroplastic effects occurred in grey and white matter regions crucial for reading, even in a non-alphabetic writing system.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Neuroplasticity research has explored structural brain changes after reading training.
- However, these effects are less understood in non-alphabetic writing systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate structural brain changes in native Sinhala readers after speed-reading training.
- To correlate these changes with improvements in reading speed.
Main Methods:
- Employed Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) to assess grey matter changes.
- Utilized diffusion MRI and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to analyze white matter microstructural alterations (FA, MD, RD).
- Correlated structural changes with reading speed improvements using statistical analysis with FDR correction.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in reading speed were observed post-training.
- VBM identified correlations between reading speed and grey matter in the left inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, cerebellum, and bilateral thalamus.
- TBSS revealed positive correlations between reading speed and white matter tracts including the superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and others.
Conclusions:
- Speed-reading training is associated with structural variations in brain regions and white matter pathways involved in reading.
- These findings extend the understanding of neuroplasticity to linguistically diverse populations and writing systems.
