GEORGETOWN CENTER FOR READING /LEARNING /BRAIN FUNCTION

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The principal goal of the proposed Center is to further the scientific understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of learning disabilities with particular emphasis on language-based disabilities. As reading is a fundamental means of communication, children who have difficulty in acquiring this skill are severely disadvantaged.. Developmental dyslexia is a common reading disorder whose etiology is poorly understood. The behavioral manifestations of dyslexia are complex, involving abnormalities in both language and sensorimotor processing. While less behaviorally evident, specific sensory processing problems have also been identified in dyslexia and it has been suggested that they also contribute to the observed reading disorder. Better knowledge concerning the neural mechanisms responsible for developmental reading disability may suggest novel approaches leading to improvements in its diagnosis and treatment. The proposed Center brings together a group of established investigators with wide clinical and scientific experience from Georgetown University, the Bowman Gray School of Medicine and Gallaudet University to collaborate on an integrated series of projects to investigate: (1) the pathophysiology of disordered reading fluency, (2) neural mechanisms underlying a phonologically-based reading intervention program, and (3) the neural mechanisms of reading impairment in deaf individuals. The proposed research projects and resource cores together form a multi- disciplinary and coordinated effort to apply modern behavioral, genetic and imaging methods to the investigations of the mechanisms, classification and diagnosis of reading related learning disabilities. The experience gained in these studies will allow development of a deeper understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of successful behavioral intervention programs.