Neuropsychological deficits and neural dysfunction in familial dyslexia.

Full Abstract

We report the neuropsychological profile and the pattern of brain activity during reading tasks in a sample of familial dyslexics. We studied our subjects with an in-depth neuropsychological assessment and with functional neuroimaging (fMRI) during word and pseudoword reading and false font string observations (baseline condition). The neuropsychological assessment revealed that familial dyslexia, in both persistent and compensated forms, is often associated with deficits in verbal short-term memory, phonological awareness and automatization abilities. The functional results showed a lack of activation in the posterior areas of the reading network. This study, together with the previously published VBM study (Brambati, S.M., Termine, C., Ruffino, M., Stella, G., Fazio, F., Cappa, S.F. and Perani, D., Regional reductions of gray matter volume in familial dyslexia, Neurology, 63 (2004) 742-5), provides a multiple modality evaluation of familial dyslexia. The neuropsychological assessment showed cognitive deficits associated with dyslexia that persist also in subjects with compensated reading deficit. Both the anatomical and the functional study point out a deficit in the posterior areas of the reading network.

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Author information

Author/s: Brambati, Simona Maria (SM); Termine, Cristiano (C); Ruffino, Milena (M); Danna, Massimo (M); Lanzi, Giovanni (G); Stella, Giacomo (G); Cappa, Stefano Francesco (SF); Perani, Daniela (D);

Affiliation: Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Brain research (Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Oct; vol 1113 (issue 1) : pp 174-85

Dates: Created 2006/09/25; Completed 2006/12/13;

PMID: 16934234, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Brain Mapping
Cognition Disorders - etiology; pathology; physiopathology
Dyslexia - complications; pathology; physiopathology
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Oxygen - blood
Verbal Behavior - physiology

Associated Chemicals: Oxygen (7782-44-7)

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