In this 21st century, research has shown that approximately one
out of every five children have a significant reading disability - the most
common one being dyslexia. It is estimated that about 13 percent to 14 percent
of elementary school children suffer from this reading disorder. However, with
the new advances in brain-imagining technology, scientists and doctors have discovered
that there is a way to help them improve and may even “treat” this disorder.
Thanks to the brain-imaging technology called magnetic source imaging,
scientists have been able to identify the differences in brain activity between
a child with a reading disorder and a child without a reading disorder. Studies
have shown that different regions of the brain that activate during reading.
For example, a child with no reading disorder has more activity in the speech areas
of the left brain than on the right brain. However, a child with a reading
disorder uses the right brain a lot more, thus causing the brain to go into
overdrive. Other studies have shown that children with poor reading skills have
lower activity in the parietal cortex region. In addition, children with
dyslexia have shown to have less gray matter.
So what does this all mean?
This means that scientists can experiment with finding the right
approach and reading instruction that will further develop a child’s ability to
use the speech areas in the left brain; and, that is just what scientists have
been testing! As mentioned in the American Psychology Association article, “See
Brain. See Brain Read…”, images of children’s brains before and after they
receive, “systemic, research-based reading instruction show that the” correct
teaching technique can help normalize brain function. A study conducted by
Guinevere Eden, PhD, at Georgetown University, showed that after intensive
reading training, bodies of brain cells (gray matter) increased in children
with dyslexia. Another study conducted also confirmed that after an
experimental eight-month reading intervention, children with a reading disorder
had an increase in the speech areas located in the left-hemisphere. These two
studies showed that with the proper training, the brains of children with
dyslexia can begin to look more like the brains of normal readers.
http://www.apa.org/action/resources/research-in-action/reading.aspx
I found it interesting that children with dyslexia utilize the right sides of their brains more than the left side as seen in people without any reading disabilities. Using the left side of the brain for reading is understandable since the left hemisphere is more associated with logic. Dyslexia is a disorder which causes difficulty of interpreting words and letters, which makes sense to see in the right hemisphere because the right hemisphere is more associated with creativity and visualization. It is amazing how technologies such as magnetic source imaging exist and can actually support the claims of which side of the brain is utilized more in children with and without dyslexia.
ReplyDeleteI find it very exciting that reading disorders such as dyslexia could actually be treated through repeated training in children. This would require early knowledge of the child's disorder however and to make a noticeable change I think it would require some strong advertising about the early warning signs of these disorders in children. So having said that, would this training still be as effective in older people? We know that the brain is constantly growing and changing in children and young people but this growth slows down as you age. I would like to see a study which looks for a similar training process for adults with dyslexia.
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear that developments are being made for children with reading disorders. This post is a prime example of how crucial the role of neuroimaging is in research for neuroscience. These training methods are a product of scientists being able to locate the specialized areas of activity for children with reading disorders and those without. As well, we would not know how effective the training is without being able to see changes in brain activity in magnetic source imaging.
ReplyDelete