Vera Blau|Joel Reithler|Nienke van Atteveldt|Jochen Seitz|Philip Gerretsen|Rainer Goebel|Leo Blomert
Deviant processing of letters and speech sounds as proximate cause of reading failure: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of dyslexic children
Imaging Center|Maastricht University|Imaging Center|Maastricht University|Imaging Center|Maastricht University|Maastricht University|Imaging Center|Imaging Center|Maastricht University|Imaging Center|Maastricht University
learning associate auditory information speech sounds visual information letters first critical step becoming skilled reader alphabetic languages nevertheless remains largely unknown brain areas subserve learning automation associations employ functional magnetic resonance imaging study letterspeech sound integration children without developmental dyslexia results demonstrate dyslexic children show reduced neural integration letters speech sounds planum temporaleheschl sulcus superior temporal sulcus cortical responses speech sounds fluent readers modulated letterspeech sound congruency strong suppression effects incongruent letters modulation observed dyslexic readers wholebrain analyses unisensory visual auditory group differences additionally revealed reduced unisensory responses letters fusiform gyrus dyslexic children well reduced activity processing speech sounds anterior superior temporal gyrus planum temporaleheschl sulcus superior temporal sulcus importantly neural integration letters speech sounds planum temporaleheschl sulcus neural response letters fusiform gyrus explained almost 40 variance individual reading performance findings indicate interrelated network visual auditory heteromodal brain areas contributes skilled use letterspeech sound associations necessary learning read extending similar findings adults data furthermore argue notion reduced neural integration letters speech sounds dyslexia reflect consequence lifetime reading struggle instead support view letterspeech sound integration emergent property learning read develops inadequately dyslexic readers presumably result deviant interactive specialization neural systems processing auditory visual linguistic inputs