Margaret M. Gullick|Ö. Ece Demir?Lira|James R. Booth
Reading skill–fractional anisotropy relationships in visuospatial tracts diverge depending on socioeconomic status
The University of Texas at Austin|Northwestern University|Northwestern University|University of Chicago|Northwestern University|The University of Texas at Austin
low socioeconomic status ses repeatedly linked decreased academic achievement including lower reading outcomes lower ses children show skills scores commensurate higher ses peers whether abilities stem systems high ses children based divergent strategies unknown investigated potential interactive relationship ses realword reading skill white matter 42 typically developing children ses determined based parental education reading skill age significantly related ses significant neural interaction clusters bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus ilf left superior longitudinal fasciculus left corticospinal tract demonstrated interactive skillses relationships fractional anisotropy followup analyses demonstrated higher ses children showed positive relationship fractional anisotropy reflecting tract coherence reading skill left hemisphere tract clusters whereas lower ses children showed positive relationship right hemisphere homologues broadly ilf demonstrated support orthographic skill left general visuospatial processing right high reading achievement lower ses children may rely supplementary visuospatial processing higher ses readers pattern consistent previous work reporting low ses childrens environments include less rich verbal experience may lead disproportionately draw visuospatial skills success results indicate group ses differences may best described adaptive deficit model