Neurocognitive Foundations of Morphological Processing in Children with Dyslexia

项目摘要 发育性阅读障碍是一种特殊的学习障碍，其特征是单词阅读困难，影响5- 美国有12%的儿童。阅读障碍最常与对语言声音的敏感度受损有关 (语音意识)。然而，阅读的最终目的不是为了获得声音，而是为了获得意义。 尽管阅读障碍的声音处理及其损害的神经认知机制是 相对较好的理解，对单位敏感性的作用和神经认知基础知之甚少。 阅读障碍中的意义(形态意识)。这是知识上的一大差距，因为患有诵读困难的儿童 通常表现出较差的词形意识，对多态单词的解码变得越来越多 对小学和中学的学业成功很重要。以词汇质量框架为指导 和联结主义阅读理论，目前的提议将调查神经认知机制 阅读障碍儿童(4-5年级)和阅读障碍儿童的基本形态加工 年龄匹配(4-5年级)和技能匹配(2-3年级)的典型读者。我将收集结构和功能上的 磁共振成像(MRI)数据在一个新的形态处理任务。参与者还将 完成对口语、阅读和认知技能的全面评估。首先，我将描述一下 形态加工的神经认知基础及其在典型读者中的发展。然后我会测试一下 假设形态加工的神经认知基础不同于典型发育的 儿童和阅读困难症患者。最后，我将确定形态处理的神经关联，它们是 结合单词阅读(DIS)能力的行为测量，通过以下方式促进我们对阅读困难的理解 将大脑与行为联系起来。随着形态学的发展，这项工作具有重要的理论和实践意义 随着时间的推移，阅读对成功阅读越来越重要，然而阅读和阅读困难的神经认知模型很少 包括形态过程。此外，形态可能是一种强大的补偿方式 阅读困难症的语音缺陷。这些发现可能会为教育和临床实践提供参考 形态加工作为一种有前途的补偿机制，并提供基于研究的干预 为苦苦挣扎的读者准备的。拟议的研究将为完成研究员培训提供充足的机会。 培训目标：1)阅读障碍的概念性知识；2)功能磁共振技术培训 神经成像，3)高级方法知识，4)与教育工作者和 临床医生。这项工作将在麻省理工学院和麻省理工学院国际水文计划进行，这两个充满活力的学术社区都有广泛的 儿科神经成像资源，并由该领域具有数十年经验的领先专家指导 开展与阅读和阅读障碍相关的研究。

Project Summary Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by word reading difficulties that impacts 5- 12% of children in the US. Dyslexia is most commonly associated with impaired sensitivity to language sounds (phonological awareness). However the ultimate goal of reading is not to access sound, but to access meaning. Although the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying sound processing and its impairments in dyslexia are relatively well understood, little is known about the role and neurocognitive basis of sensitivity to units of meaning (morphological awareness) in dyslexia. This is a major gap in knowledge, as children with dyslexia typically demonstrate poor morphological awareness, and decoding polymorphemic words becomes increasingly important for academic success through elementary and middle school. Guided by the Lexical Quality framework and Connectionist theories of reading, the current proposal will investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying morphological processing in relation to word reading children with dyslexia (4th-5th grade) as well as age-matched (4th-5th grade) and skill-matched (2nd-3rd grade) typical readers. I will collect structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data during a novel morphological processing task. Participants will also complete a comprehensive assessment of oral language, reading, and cognitive skills. First I will characterize the neurocognitive basis of morphological processing and its development in typical readers. I will then test the hypothesis that the neurocognitive basis of morphological processing differs between typically developing children and those with dyslexia. Finally, I will identify the neural correlates of morphological processing that are associated with behavioral measures of word reading (dis)ability, advancing our understanding of dyslexia by connecting brain to behavior. This work is of theoretical and practical importance, as morphology becomes increasingly important for successful reading over time, yet neurocognitive models of reading and dyslexia rarely include morphological processes. Additionally, morphology may be one powerful way to compensate for phonological deficits in dyslexia. Findings may inform educational and clinical practices to capitalize on morphological processing as a promising compensatory mechanism, and provide research-based intervention for struggling readers. The proposed study will provide ample opportunities to complete the fellowship training goals by advancing the trainee’s: 1) conceptual knowledge of dyslexia, 2) technical training in fMRI neuroimaging, 3) advanced methodological knowledge, and 4) translational skills in working with educators and clinicians. This work will be conducted at MIT and MGH IHP, both vibrant academic communities with extensive resources for pediatric neuroimaging, and supervised by leading experts in the field with decades of experience conducting research related to reading and dyslexia.