More on white matter matters--cerebellar pathways and reading

Click on image to enlarge.  Other white matter tract posts here.

Another study demonstrates positive impact of Interactive Metronome treatment on reading

I just learned that the following article is soon to be published (click here for journal info)

[Click on image to enlarge]

This is the second peer-reviewed article to demonstrate a significant positive impact of Interactive Metronome (IM) training on certain reading behaviors in a study with both experimental and control groups.  The other study was one I was involved with (Taub, McGrew, & Keith, 2007; the abstract is presented below).  You can access that complete 2007 manuscript at the Brain Clock blog.

In the new Ritter et al. study, IM was combined with reading and language interventions in school-age children that had language and reading impairments.  This will be called the IM+language/reading intervention experimental group (IM+).  Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to this experimental group (n=21).  The other subjects (n=28) were randomly assigned to the same language/reading intervention, but without IM.  So, this study is not a pure investigation of the isolated benefits of IM.  Instead, it should be viewed as a study that investigated whether IM training could be a good “add on” component to other interventions focused on language and reading.  The outcome domain assessed was various components of reading achievement.

Both groups demonstrated statistically significant gains in reading rate/fluency and comprehension.  However, the IM+ demonstrated statistically significant stronger gains than the language/reading intervention only (control) group.  This suggests that IM may be a useful adjunct intervention to be used with other more traditional academic related treatments directed at reading improvement.

Similar to the Taub et al. (2007) study, the IM+ students showed more improvement (over the control students) in reading fluency/rate.  This consistent finding across both studies has been hypothesized to be due to either (a)  improvements in speed of cognitive processing, which results in greater efficiency and automaticity in reading words, (b) greater controlled attention (focus) which improves working memory functioning, or (c) a combination of both.

The new study differed from the earlier study in that IM+ group displayed greater reading comprehension gains than the academic only intervention group.  Taub et al. (2007) found no improvement in reading comprehension.  Given that both groups received the same language and reading comprehension treatment, it is hypothesized that the addition of IM may be impacting some cognitive processes that facilitate reading comprehension.  I agree with Ritter et al. (2012) that a viable hypothesis is that by increasing focus (attentional control) the students working memory’s were more efficient.  Working memory is the minds limited capacity “mental workbench” (just think of trying to recall a new phone number you just looked up in the phone book).   Increased attentional control (focus) increases the ability to actively maintain information just read in working memory long enough for it to be associated with material retrieved from long-term memory—thus “hooking” newly read information into the person’s store of acquired knowledge.  Click here for a recent brief video (I think…therefore IM) where I explain the role of focus and working memory and how it may facilitate higher level cognitive processing, comprehension, etc.

Of course, the small total sample (n=49) suggests some degree of caution.  But when combined with the Taub et al. (2007) study with larger samples, this form of replication in a new sample provides more support for the academic benefits (especially ease and rate of reading words) of IM interventions in school-age children.  Independent replication is a cornerstone of scientific research.

Research byte: Rise time perception and reading disabilities

Another article implicating auditory temporal processing abilities and readind disabilities...rise time perception problems.

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Metronome-based training improves reading: #1 at IQ Brain Clock Blog

I was curious what the most frequently visited post was at my IQ Brain Clock blog was. The winner is.....drum roll.....Metronome-based training improves reading.

Double click on image to enlarge.


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Research byte: Temporal processing (sampling) theory of dyslexia

An interesting article suggesting that temporal processing (temporal sampling) may play a crucial roles in various forms of reading disabilities (dyslexia). IMHO this theory may explain a good portion of individuals with dyslexia, but no single theory or causal mechanism can account for the diversity of causes that have been suggested for severe reading disabilities. Nevertheless...the prominent role of temporal processing is interesing.

As per usual when I make a research byte/brief post, if anyone would like to read the original article, I can share via email---with the understanding that the article is provided in exchange for a brief guest post about it's contents. :) (contact me at iap@earthlink.net if interested). Also, if figure/images are included in the post, they can usually be made larger by clicking on the image.

If nothing else, this article has some cool figures of models :)

Usha Goswami, A temporal sampling framework for developmental dyslexia, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 18 November 2010, ISSN 1364-6613, DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.10.001.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VH9-51H497T-1/2/28fbdeb2c2e67c43775242a445a171f3)

Abstract

Neural coding by brain oscillations is a major focus in neuroscience, with important implications for dyslexia research. Here, I argue that an oscillatory `temporal sampling' framework enables diverse data from developmental dyslexia to be drawn into an integrated theoretical framework. The core deficit in dyslexia is phonological. Temporal sampling of speech by neuroelectric oscillations that encode incoming information at different frequencies could explain the perceptual and phonological difficulties with syllables, rhymes and phonemes found in individuals with dyslexia. A conceptual framework based on oscillations that entrain to sensory input also has implications for other sensory theories of dyslexia, offering opportunities for integrating a diverse and confusing experimental literature.










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mental timing IQ Brain Clock brain clock temporal processing metronome mental time-keeping brain timing educational psychology school psychology special education neuropsychology neuroscience neurology brain rhythm rhythm processing intelligence cognitive abilities reading disabilities dyslexia

Speech rhythm perception (Ga?) important for early reading

Holliman, A. J., Wood, C., & Sheehy, K. (2010). Does Speech Rhythm Sensitivity Predict Children's Reading Ability 1 Year Later? Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 356-366.

There is a growing literature demonstrating that speech rhythm sensitivity is related to children's reading development, independent of phonological awareness. However, the precise nature of this relationship is less well understood, and further research is warranted to investigate whether speech rhythm sensitivity predicts the different components of reading over time. In this 1-year longitudinal study, 69 five- to 8-year-old English-speaking children completed a speech rhythm assessment at Time 1 along with other cognitive assessments and then completed a variety of reading assessments at Time 2 (1 year later). A series of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that after controlling for individual differences in age, vocabulary, and phonological awareness, speech rhythm sensitivity was able to predict unique variance in word reading and the phrasing component of the reading fluency measure 1 year later. The findings emphasize the contribution of speech rhythm sensitivity in children's reading development, and the authors argue that speech rhythm sensitivity should now be included in current models of children's reading development.

Speech rhythm was measured via the revised mispronounciations task:  As described in the article:

Speech rhythm sensitivity was measured using the revised mispronunciations task (Holliman et al., in press). Children heard a prerecorded word that was sounded through a speaker, where the stress of that word had been manipulated and reversed. For example, in the normal pronunciation of the word carrot [kær?t], the vowel in the first syllable is fully articulated and the vowel in the second syllable is reduced. However, in this task the stress was reversed so that the vowel in the first syllable became reduced and the vowel in the second syllable was fully articulated; carrot was pronounced as “c’rot” [k?'r?t]. To succeed in this task, children would need to be sensitive to the fact that the stress had been manipulated, and be
able to recover the correct stress, making a stress shift (Kitzen, 2001) to match the auditory input to a word stored in the lexicon, and then identify the corresponding target item from a choice of four pictures available.

If anyone would like a copy of the PDF article, in exchange for a brief guest blog post review of the article, contact the blogmaster @ iap@earthlink.net

Technorati Tags: Psychology, school psychology, special education, learning disabilities, reading disabilities, dyslexia, neuropsychology, speech and language, speech rhythm perception, rhythm perception, Ga, auditory processing, reading, IQs corner, educational psychology, intelligence, literacy

ResearchBytes 10-23-09: Rhythm production and reading/dyslexia

Articles that caught my eye during my weekly search of a wide range of professional literature.

Dellatolas, G., Watier, L., LeNormand, M. T., Lubart, T., & ChevrieMuller, C. (2009). Rhythm Reproduction in Kindergarten, Reading Performance at Second Grade, and Developmental Dyslexia Theories. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 24(6), 555-563.

Temporal processing deficit could be associated with a specific difficulty in learning to read. In 1951, Stambak provided preliminary evidence that children with dyslexia performed less well than good readers in reproduction of 21 rhythmic patterns. Stambak's task was administered to 1,028 French children aged 5–6 years. The score distribution (from 0 to 21) was quasi-normal, with some children failing completely and other performing perfectly. In second grade, reading was assessed in 695 of these children. Kindergarten variables explained 26% of the variance of the reading score at second grade. The Stambak score was strongly and linearly related to reading performance in second grade, after partialling out performance on other tasks (oral repetition, attention, and visuo-spatial tasks) and socio-cultural level. Findings are discussed in relation to perceptual, cerebellar, intermodal, and attention-related theories of developmental dyslexia. It is concluded that simple rhythm reproduction tasks in kindergarten are predictive of later reading performance.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, special education, neuropsychology, neuroscience, rhythm, rhythm production, dyslexia, mental timing, IQ Brain Clock

More temporal processing and reading/dyslexia research

Below are a list of research studies (forwarded to me by a colleague) dealing with the role of temporal processing and reading. I've NOT had the time to read any of these abstracts or articles. I'm posting them here as an FYI. Enjoy.

Visual and auditory processing in young children at family risk for dyslexia. A longitudinal study.

Cross-Modality Temporal Processing Deficits in Developmental Phonological Dyslexics

New Sensory Tests for the Early Detection of Dyslexia

Rapid Visual Processing by College Students in Reading Irregular Words and Phonologically Regular Pseudowords Presented Singly and in Contiguity

Children with dyslexia: evidence for visual attention deficits in perception of rapid sequences of objects.

Psychophysical indices of temporal processing abnormalities in children with dyslexia.

Sensitivity to dynamic auditory and visual stimuli predicts nonword reading ability in both dyslexic and normal readers

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, temporal processing, mental time keeping, IQ Brain Clock, reading, dyslexia

Dissertation dish: Temporal processing and early reading development

An interesting unpublished dissertation that highlights the relationship between temporal processing (click here for link to relevant portion of IQ Brain Clock EWOK; click here for other "temporal processing" posts at this blog; click here for other "reading" and timing posts at this blog) and early reading development. PDF copy can be downloaded from the original cite (click here). Thanks to Amy V. for forwarding me information about this dissertation. This is the first "dissertation dish" post at the IQ Brain Clock. Dissertation dish posts are a semi-regular feature at IQ's Corner.

As is often the case, this dissertation has a nice literature review on the role of auditory and temporal processing and reading, as well as the well-known role of phonological processing and reading. Of particular interest was the finding that temporal processing explained additional variance unique from phonological processing variance. That is - both temporal and phonological processing were found to be important sources in understanding early reading development.

Title	The Role of Temporal and Phonological Processing In Early Reading Development: A Longitudinal Study
Author	Hood, Michelle H
Institution	Griffith University
Date	2005
Abstract

• [Blogmaster note - bold font added by me] This study investigated the ability of auditory and visual temporal processing measured before school entry (mean age 5.36 years) to predict early reading development in an unselected sample of children. There were 142 children at the first phase (Preschool), 125 at the second phase 6 - 8 months later (early Grade 1; mean age 5.94 years), and 105 at the third phase12 months later (Grade 2; mean age 6.94 years). There were similar numbers of males and females. Visual and auditory temporal order judgement (TOJ) and Temporal Dot accuracy (rapid visual sequencing task) measured at Preschool explained a significant percentage of the variance in letter identification (an important pre-reading skill) measured concurrently. These measures also predicted a significant percentage of the variance in letter and word identification (word reading accuracy) and reading rate (fluency) measured in early Grade 1, even after controlling for the effects of age, environment, memory, attentional vigilance, non-verbal ability, and speech and language problems. They also significantly discriminated between groups of children at Grade 1 who could and could not use phonological decoding to read non-words. By Grade 2, these Preschool measures accounted for significant variance in word reading accuracy and fluency and in non-word decoding. Only Preschool auditory temporal processing accounted for significant unique variance in the reading measures at Preschool or Grade 1, but by Grade 2, visual temporal processing (Temporal Dot) also accounted for significant unique variance. Temporal Dot accuracy also explained unique variance in the rate of growth in these reading measures across this period.
• These changes in predictive ability by the auditory and visual temporal processing measures were interpreted as reflecting developmental changes in their roles in reading as reading develops. Auditory temporal processing was important in early pre-reading and reading and remained important throughout. Visual temporal processing only became important in the later phase, possibly because of increasing need to analyse letter sequences. Preschool temporal and phonological processing measures accounted for approximately equal percentages of variance in the reading measures at Preschool and Grade 1, but by Grade 2, the Preschool phonological processing measures accounted for significantly more variance in all reading measures, except Pseudohomophone Choice (orthographic processing). Very little of the variance that was explained in the reading measures was common to temporal and phonological processing. The variance that each uniquely explained in reading was more important than the variance they explained in common. Therefore, utilising both temporal and phonological processing predictors optimised prediction of early reading skills.
• The study also showed there was significant linear development occurring in temporal processing from Preschool to Grade 2. The correlations of scores on the temporal measures from Preschool to Grade 1 were moderate. The relative position of children within the distribution on these skills showed moderate stability over the short-term, but less stability over the long-term. The majority of children who fell in the bottom quartile on the temporal and phonological processing measures at Preschool remained in the bottom half of the distribution on those measures by Grade 2. These children may represent those who are at most risk for reading difficulties. Letter Word Identification showed high stability from Preschool to Grade 2.
• There was little difference in the percentage of variance explained in subsequent reading between temporal processing measures obtained at Preschool or Grade 1. However, performance on the Visual temporal order judgement task was more likely to account for significant unique variance in reading when measured after school entry than before. This was consistent with the expected developmental changes in reading. When measured after school-entry, phonological processing measures accounted for greater percentages of variance in the reading measures than when measured before. There were also developmental changes in which phonological processing measures were important predictors of reading skills. When measured at Grade 1, rhyme and alliteration detection and phonemic segmentation were the most important predictors. However, when measured at Grade 2, performance on the Rhyme and Alliteration task had reached ceiling, so would no longer be a useful predictor of later reading. These results were consistent with developmental models of reading and of phonological processing.
• The results provided support for a causal role of temporal processing in reading development. They also showed that measures of visual and auditory temporal processing obtained close to school-entry would be a useful addition to predicting risk of early reading difficulties. However, additional work is needed to determine the most suitable temporal processing measures for this younger age group.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, temporal processing, brain clock, IQ Brain Clock, phonological processing, Ga, Grw, reading, dyslexia, dissertation

State of the brain fitness software revolution

Brain fitness. Clearly a hot buzz phrase the past few years. What does it mean? What is happening? Where is it headed? Should I purchase some of the advertised software/technology to keep my mind fresh and protected from the influence of aging? Curious minds want to know...and Sharp Brains has provided the most comprehensive synthesis of the brain fitness software field to date.

As mentioned previously, Sharp Brains recently published "State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008." Before proceeding I need to mention that, IMHO, the Sharp Brains organization is the leading critical voice in the field of brain fitness. I've often called them the Ralph Nader of brain fitness. Thus, I believe their first "state of the market" report should receive serious attention by anyone interested in this emerging field. It is my understanding that a similar hardware report is in development. I can't wait!

It is not possible to summarize the information packed 87-paged report in a blog post, so I'll only provide a few tidbits.

First, as stated at the Sharp Brain web page:

• The report tracks developments at over 20 public and private companies offering tools to assess and train brain functions and provides important industry data, insights and analysis to help investors, executives, entrepreneurs, and policy makers navigate the opportunities and risks of this rapidly growing market. The report discusses the implications of cognitive science on healthy aging and a number of disorders such as attention deficits, dyslexia, stroke and traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, autism, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease. The report also provides information and frameworks to help institutional buyers make informed purchase decisions about brain fitness programs.

A few (select) highlights:

• Revenues for the US brain fitness software market was estimated to reach $225 million in revenues in 2007...reflecting a large increase from $100 million in 2005. Clearly the brain fitness movement has reached and passed the tipping point.
• Considerable confusion exists in the market. Many products and claims proliferate, but, according to Sharp Brains, only five programs have demonstrated positive cognitive effects in tightly controlled research studies (e.g., studies that use randomized controlled trials). Readers are encouraged to visit the Sharp Brains web page and blog for objective evaluations of new and emerging brain fitness product claims.
  
• The consumer brain fitness market showed significant gains from 2005 to 2007 (from a few million in 2005 to $80 million). Consumers should expect an increasing array of products directly targeted at the end-user consumer. Expect a number of new software and technology start up companies to join the bandwagon this year.
  
• Nintendo's Brain Age and training games are credited as being one of the major forces in the increased interest in brain fitness.
• There are four primary customer segments: consumers, healthcare & insurance providers, K12 school systems, and fortune 1000 companies, military,and sports teams.
• Does any of this glitzy stuff work? It depends. As is the case with most cognitive or educational interventions, short-term (proximal) improvement (measured in weeks) is often demonstrated. However, the evidence for long-term (distal) improvement and maintenance is minimal to none, and consists largely of circumstantial evidence. Long-term improvement due to cognitive-based interventions has been one of the more elusive searches for the holy grail in the area of intelligence.
  

I could go on, and on, and on. If you are interested in capturing an accurate picture of the state of the brain software research and market there is only one option...purchase their report. The report is organized into seven chapters:

• Why now? Market Overview
• The Science of Brain Fitness: Neuroplasticity, Neurogenisis and the Cognitive Reserve
• Consumers--Taking Charge of Their Brain Health
• Healthcare and Insurance Providers--Focus on Preventive Health
• K12 School Systems--Responding to Learning Disabilities in New Ways
• Fortune 1000 Companies, Military and Sports Teams--Improving Productivity
• Future Directions: Market trends 2007-20015.

Other brain-related blogs have commented on this report. For example, check out the Brain Injury News and Information Blog.

Finally, given that I'm an educational psychologist who has consulted on a research project (using randomized control and treatment groups) that demonstrated short-term (proximal) positive academic effects for the Interactive Metronome technology (click here for more information and here for conflict of interest disclosure), I was most interested in the conclusion that the K-12 educational market "remains largely untapped due to limited research linking cognitive training to academic performance." I hope this changes. I predict that there will be increased interest in the application of brain fitness software and hardware in the K-12 school-age market, most likely driven first by parents purchasing products in hopes of improving the educational performance of their children.


Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, neurotechnology, brain fitness, Sharp Brains, software, intelligence, IQ, Interactive Metronome

Mental timing and dyslexia - another study

Another article (Jamkowski & Rusiak, 2008; Psychological Research journal) investigating the role of temporal processing in reading and reading disabilities (click here for prior related posts). The literature review (intro) is worth a read just to get a quick overview of the potential role of temporal processing in a number of clinical disorders and human cognitive functioning.



Abstract (italics added by the Time Doc blog dictator)

• Hari et al. (Brain 174:1373–1380, 2001) demonstrated that dyslexics showed a sluggish attention capture in both visual hemiWelds. Additionally, they indicated a left–right asymmetry in the perception of temporal order of two visual stimuli (they performed worse than controls only if the stimulus in the left hemiWeld preceded that in right hemiWeld). They suggested that a left-sided minineglect is associated with dyslexia. We hypothesized that if a kind of neglect syndrome is responsible for the asymmetry they found, dyslexics should not only show a left–right asymmetry in temporal order judgment of two laterally presented stimuli but also perform equally well as controls when the stimuli are vertically aligned. Our results indicated that in both tasks dyslexics performed generally worse than normal readers. The results suggest that dyslexics suffer from a more general problem of order discrimination.

Technorati Tags: psychology, education, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, temporal processing, brain clock, reading, dyslexia, learning disabiilities, reading disability, intelligence, IQ, brain clock, mental time keeping

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Mental timing and dyslexia

Yet another research study suggestive of a link between mental/temporal timing/processing and dyslexia. This time fMRI evidence that suggests changes in brain function due to a timing-based letter-sound program. Check it out. Click here for other dyslexia related posts at this blog and here for posts at my sister blog---IQ's Corner.


Technorati Tags: psychology, education, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, brain clock, mental timing, fMRI, temporal processing, dyslexia, reading, learning disabilitiies

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Metronome training improves reading achievement

I previously blogged (a self-serving plug) about an "in press" research article that demonstrated that a mental-timing based intervention (Interactive Metronome; IM) improved reading achievement in elementary school children. The research summarized in this article suggests that a brain-based intervention may improve the resolution of a school child's internal brain clock and, in turn, produce positive reading achievement outcomes. [Check out my prior post for a necessary conflict of interest disclosure.] Also...click here for additional IM-related posts (@ the IQ Brain Clock) and mental time-keeping posts at my sister blog (IQ's Corner).

Below is the reference citation (with link to pdf copy of the article) and abstract.

This is exciting stuff. If the reader wants additional information regarding possible reasons for the success of this intervention, check out the Time Doc's recent IM Keynote PowerPoint presentation.

In addition, I've added this article to the "key research articles" section of this blog.

• Taub, G., McGrew, K. & Keith, T. (2007). Improvements in interval time tracking and effects on reading achievement, Psychology in the Schools, 44 (8), 849-863. (click here to view)

• This study examined the effect of improvements in timing/rhythmicity on students’ reading achievement. 86 participants completed pre- and post-test measures of reading achievement (i.e., Woodcock-Johnson III, Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Test of Word Reading Efficiency, and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency). Students in the experimental group completed a 4-week intervention designed to improve their timing/rhythmicity by reducing the latency in their response to a synchronized metronome beat, referred to as a synchronized metronome tapping (SMT) intervention. The results from this non-academic intervention indicate the experimental group’s post-test scores on select measures of reading were significantly higher than the non-treatment control group’s scores at the end of 4 weeks. This paper provides a brief overview of domain-general cognitive abilities believed effected by SMT interventions and provides a preliminary hypothesis to explain how this non-academic intervention can demonstrate a statistically significant effect on students’ reading achievement scores.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, education, neuropsychology, IQ, intelligence, reading, reading achievement, dyslexia, mental time keeping, brain clock, temporal processing, Interactive Metronome

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Rhythm and reading research- I've got rhthym....I've got....

Another study suggesting a link between an aspect of mental-time keeping (rhythm perception and production; also click here for related bibliography) and reading achievement. Although a small study (n=53), longitudinal research by David et al. (2007), reported in the Journal of Research in Reading, continues to suggest a link between reading ability and the cognitive abilities governed by an underlying brain clock.

Abstract

• Rhythm production in 53 children in grade 1 was investigated as a predictor of reading ability in the same children in grades 1–5. This paper reports the results of correlations and hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for shared variance between phonological awareness and naming speed. Rhythm was correlated significantly with both phonological awareness and naming speed. Rhythm predicted significant variance in reading ability at each grade level. Once phonological awareness was controlled, however, rhythm was a significant predictor only in grade 5. When naming speed was controlled, rhythm predicted unique variance in reading ability in grades 2, 3 and 5. Implications for the relationship between rhythm and the development of reading skills are discussed.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, education, neuropsychology, reading, rhythm, IQ brain clock, temporal processing, mental time keeping, school psychology, music

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Random tidbits from mind blogsphere 1-7-07

• Brain Injury blog reports that in today's Wall Street Journal there is a "scathing attack on insurance company attitudes on brain injury rehabilitation"
• Developing Intelligence has a review of the 2nd Edition of Mark Johnson's Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
• Eide Neurolearning blog has a post, with link to the journal article, re: a recent study that points out the obvious to those who work with kids with reading disabilities....namely, reading interventions need to be matched to the needs of those with reading disorders (they are not a homogeneous group)
• Gene Expression reports that Dr. Camilla Benbow, a well-established individual differences/intelligence scholar, has been appointed to the National Science Board. Kudos.
• Thanks to Mind Hacks for the FYI post regarding recent work in augmented cognition.
  
• OMG!!!!!!!!! Having a strong preference for visual methods for presenting information (I'm often called Dr. Gv by some of my friends), I was blown over by the "Periodic Table of Visualization Methods." Check it out. Simply place your cursor over each "element" and see a nice visual picture/explanation of the data visualization method. This reminds me of the "Table of Human Cognitive Elements" that I once developed. I think I need to revisit that HCA project.
  

Technorati Tags: psychology, education, educational psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, intelligence, IQ test, IQ scores, brain injury, reading, dyslexia, LD, learning disability, National Science Board, visualization, data visualization

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Cerebellum and dyslexia controversy

As noted in a prior post, there has been a recent firestorm surrounding the controversial Dore Achievement Centers cerebellum-based treatment approach to severe reading disabilities (dyslexia). The Myomancy blog has been particularly prominent in covering the controversy and issues surrounding the cerebellum-based Dore Achievement Centers treatment. Given the role of the cerebellum in certain forms of mental/interval time-keeping, I find this controversy and surrounding research of interest.

The mental/interval time-keeping research has implicated the cerebellum in behaviors that operate at the millisecond range of time keeping, but not at the interval levels. I think this point may be relevant to the whole Dore controversy. As summarized previously, more complex cognitive behaviors (e.g., reading) most likely involve both the millisecond and interval level time-keeping systems. The interval level system appears to be important for such cognitive abilities as working memory and executive function, higher-level cognitive functions important for intelligence and achievement.

Thus, if a treatment for dyslexia is based ONLY on the millisecond system (primarily the cerebellum), it is not surprising that there is controversy. Such a brain-based treatment may only be focusing on one brain-related component for reading....while ignoring others (cognitive abilities and functions more dependent on the interval timing system).

This hypothesis is supported by a recent meta-analysis re: the role of impaired balance (due to the cerebellum) and developmental dyslexia. The reference and abstract (and URL link) are provided below. Bottom line--according to this meta-analysis and the mental/interval time-keeping research presented previously at this blog---a treatment focused only on the functions/abilities mediated by the cerebellum is likely only touching on a small portion of the complex set of abilities involved in reading. Brain-based treatments for reading (and other academics) most likely need to also include activities that address cognitive abilities mediated by cognitively controlled interval time-keeping brain mechanisms. I believe the article speaks for itself (although I have added emphasis via italics).

• Rochell, K. & Talcott, J. (2006). Impaired balance in developmental dyslexia? A meta-analysis of the contending evidence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(11), 1159–1166 (click here to view)

Abstract

• Background: Developmental dyslexia is typically defined by deficits in phonological skills, but it is also associated with anomalous performance on measures of balance. Although balance assessments are included in several screening batteries for dyslexia, the association between impairments in literacy and deficits in postural stability could be due to the high co-occurrence of dyslexia with other developmental disorders in which impairments of motor behaviour are also prevalent. Methods: We identified 17 published studies that compared balance function between dyslexia and control samples and obtained effect-sizes for each. Contrast and association analyses were used to quantify the influence of hypothesised moderator variables on differences in effects across studies. Results: The mean effect-size of the balance deficit in dyslexia was .64 (95% CI ¼ .44–.78) with heterogeneous findings across the population of studies. Probable co-occurrence of other developmental disorders and variability in intelligence scores in the dyslexia samples were the strongest moderator variables of effect-size. Conclusions: Balance deficits are associated with dyslexia, but these effects are apparently more strongly related to third variables other than to reading ability. Deficits of balance may indicate increased risk of developmental disorder, but are unlikely to be uniquely associated with dyslexia. Keywords: Meta-analysis, dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, balance, postural stability. Abbreviations: ADHD: attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder; DCD: developmental coordination disorder; FSIQ: full-scale intelligence quotient.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, reading, dyslexia, Grw, cerebellum, brain fitness, Dore, Dore Achievement Centers, intelligence, cognition, mental time keeping, interval timing, temporal tracking, time perception, balance

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