"Resilient" dyslexics have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex



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Dyslexic people have difficulty deciphering the text as they read, which means that they have trouble navigating between visual form and the sounds of a written language

But a subset of dyslexics In a new study, researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the University of California at San Francisco have identified the exact brain mechanism that explains the Gap between low decoding skills and a high reading comprehension.

The results, published in the journal PLOS One show that resilient dyslexics have a greater volume of gray matter in the part of the brain responsible for executive functions and working memory. This specific region, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of the left hemisphere, is known as the "air traffic controller" or "driver" of the brain. Gray matter is the darkest tissue in the brain and spinal cord, consisting mainly of nerve cells and branched dendrites.

In the study, the research team observed 55 English-speaking children aged 10 to 16 years with a wide range of reading abilities. ; half were diagnosed with dyslexia. The children were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which allowed the researchers to compare the participants' brain-mapping images with their reading results.

"We wanted to determine if brain regions related to language or other regions responsible," said Dr. Smadar Patael of the Department of Communication Disorders at TAU. "We found that the region in the left frontal part of the brain called left DLPFC was directly related to this divergence. The DLPFC has proved important for executive functions and cognitive controls. "

" We then sought to understand the answer to the question of dyslexia and the slight enlargement of this region of the brain, "says Patael." Do resilient dyslexics have distinct brain structures that allow for better resilience, or their success in reading a result of compensation strategies that actually changed the density of neurons in a specific region of the brain? "

researchers scanned 43 children's gardens, then three years later tested children's reading abilities.The results show that the density of neurons in the DLPFC is earlier than the mature reading ability and predicted the discordance, regardless of their initial reading ability

"This helps us to understand the cognitive and brain mechanisms that these children use to do well. despite their relative weakness in decoding. This could help us incorporate relatively new strategies into reading interventions, "said Professor Fumiko Hoeft, currently at the University of California at San Francisco and director of the Center's Brain Imaging Research Center. University of Connecticut this fall.

Patael Let's add that much of the kindergarten readiness program is focused on learning the sounds of phonological awareness and the letter.

"Our research findings suggest new approaches that focus on executive functions and working memory. If your child enters first grade, the practice of the alphabet may not be enough. Consider activities that require working memory, such as making cakes and playing strategy games and songs.

"These activities stimulate the working memory of children and can improve their understanding of texts," says Patael. Friends of the Tel Aviv University

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