Differential Diagnosis in Learning Disabilities

描述（由申请人提供）：科罗拉多学习障碍研究中心（CLDRC）的长期目标是识别、表征、验证和改善阅读障碍和ADHD，这两种儿童期最普遍和常见的并发症。为了实现这些目标，CLDRC采用了一种独特的方法，评估遗传和环境影响在多大程度上构成这些疾病的基础，并使用病因学中的协变来了解阅读技能的缺陷是单一综合征的表现还是代表单独的亚型。成套测试，包括认知和学术能力的心理测量（项目I）、阅读、写作和语言过程（项目二）、注意力缺陷多动障碍和执行功能（项目III）将对同卵双胞胎和异卵双胞胎及其兄弟姐妹的样本进行管理，其中每对双胞胎中至少有一名成员有阅读障碍，一组是双胞胎及其兄弟姐妹的独立样本，其中每对双胞胎中至少有一名成员患有ADHD，另一组是双胞胎及其兄弟姐妹的对照组，他们没有阅读障碍或ADHD的学校历史。所得数据将用于评估阅读缺陷（包括单词识别技能、阅读流畅性、理解和写作）、ADHD及其共病的病因，以及它们与音素意识、语音解码、正字法编码、词汇、听力理解和执行功能测量的协变。为了绘制影响学习障碍的数量性状基因座，并进行关联和突变分析，将从所有双胞胎家庭中采集血样（项目IV）。项目V将在3个样本中评估对计算机辅助教学的反应：早期（K-4）有风险的阅读者，项目I-III中识别为阅读障碍的2 - 4年级双胞胎，以及我们从学前班开始进行广泛纵向评估的4年级阅读障碍双胞胎。对项目V中的指令的反应也将在项目IV分子遗传分析中进行研究。一个行政核心单位将负责协调五个研究项目的活动，确定和安排受试者，获取问卷数据和血样，以及管理中心预算。阅读障碍和多动症是重要的公共卫生问题。拟议的研究将促进我们对其病因和补救措施的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-range objectives of the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center (CLDRC) are the identification, characterization, validation and amelioration of reading disabilities and ADHD, the two most prevalent and often co-morbid disorders of childhood. To accomplish these objectives, the CLDRC employs a unique approach that assesses the extent to which genetic and environmental influences underlie these disorders, and that uses covariation in etiology to understand whether deficits in component skills of reading are manifestations of a single syndrome or represent separate subtypes. Test batteries that include psychometric measures of cognitive and academic abilities (Project I), reading, writing, and language processes (Project II), and ADHD and executive functions (Project III) will be administered to a sample of identical and fraternal twins and their siblings in which at least one member of each twin pair has a reading disability, to an independent sample of twins and their siblings in which at least one member of each twin pair has ADHD, and to a comparison group of twins and their siblings with no school history of reading disabilities or ADHD. Resulting data will be used to assess the etiologies of reading deficits (including word recognition skills, reading fluency, comprehension, and writing), ADHD, and their comorbidity, as well as their covariation with measures of phoneme awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, vocabulary, listening comprehension, and executive functions. In order to map quantitative trait loci that influence learning disabilities, and conduct association and mutation analyses, blood samples will be obtained from families of all twin pairs (Project IV). Project V will assess response to computer-assisted instruction in 3 samples: early (K-4th) at-risk readers, 2nd - 4th grade twins identified with reading disabilities in Projects l-lll, and 4th grade twins with reading disabilities for whom we have extensive longitudinal assessments starting from preschool. Response to instruction in project V will also be studied in the Project IV molecular-genetic analyses. An administrative core unit will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the five research projects, ascertaining and scheduling subjects, obtaining questionnaire data and blood samples, and administering the Center budget. Reading disabilities and ADHD are important public health problems. The proposed research will advance our understanding of their etiology and remediation.