A preschool biomarker for literacy

描述(由申请人提供)：多达十分之一的儿童阅读和拼写能力较差，这构成了发育性阅读障碍。人们普遍认为，这是有神经学基础的；然而，这一基础的性质仍存在激烈辩论。然而，有一种一致的观点认为，阅读障碍与语音处理能力差有关。语音处理能力指的是获取和操纵语言的声音单位。事实上，大多数有阅读障碍的儿童在一系列语音处理任务上表现出困难。越来越多的研究发现，电生理学测量的语音-声音转录与学龄儿童的语音处理技能和阅读能力之间存在显著的关系。因此，我们开发了一套皮质下和皮质下的生理测试，以探索研究人员假设为语音处理不良的根源的一些核心缺陷。我们的目标是对时变信号和刺激规则的皮质下处理，以及对快信号和慢信号的大脑半球特化。在4至8岁儿童的纵向队列中，我们将模拟正常的神经语音转录过程，量化其发展，并检查其与识字相关技能发展的关系。我们的意图是，通过利用这些电生理探针到阅读前年龄组，可能会在学龄前儿童中发现一个生物标记物，它可以预测儿童在小学年级期间的最终阅读技能。如果发现这样的生物标志物，将为更早和更有效的靶向干预铺平道路。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): As many as one in ten children have the poor reading and spelling skills that comprise developmental dyslexia. It is widely accepted that there is a neurological basis; however, the nature of that basis is hotly debated. Nevertheless, one consistent view is that poor phonological processing-the ability to access and manipulate the sound units of language-is involved in dyslexia. Indeed, a majority of children with reading deficits exhibit difficulties on an array of phonological processing tasks. A growing body of research has discovered that speech-sound transcription, as measured by electrophysiology, shows striking relationships with phonological processing skills and reading ability in school-age children. As such, we have developed a suite of subcortical and cortical physiological tests that probe some of the core deficits that researchers have postulated as the root elements of poor phonological processing. We will target the subcortical processing of time-varying signals and stimulus regularities, and cortical hemispheric specialization to both fast and slow signals. In a longitudinal cohort of four- to eight-year-olds, we will model the normal neurological speech transcription process, quantify its development, and examine its relationship with the development of literacy-related skills. Our intention is that by leveraging these electrophysiological probes to a pre-reading age group, a biomarker, in preschoolers, may be found that predicts a child's eventual reading skill as he/she progresses through the primary grades. If such a biomarker is found, it would pave the way for earlier and more effectively targeted intervention.