Neurocognitive development in RD children with/without general cognitive deficits

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目旨在通过描述阅读与其一般认知能力不一致的挣扎读者的神经认知发展，增强我们对在残疾读者中观察到的行为和神经生物学异质性的实质程度的理解。本研究将采用混合横截面/纵向设计，招募两组儿童，其一般认知和阅读技能均低于平均水平（使用基于成就的标准进行操作定义; RD-A组）：一个年轻队列（平均年龄7.5岁）和一个老年队列（平均年龄9.5岁）。两组患者都将接受针对语言和非语言认知技能的认知行为和功能性神经成像（fMRI）评估;两组患者也将在12个月后接受行为评估。比较组将从最近资助的赠款（R 01 HD 48830; K。R. Pugh，PI），Landi博士是合作者。在该基金中，研究了相对于一般认知能力而言，阅读技能受到抑制的RD儿童的神经认知发展（由传统的智商差异标准操作定义; RD-D组）和典型发育（TD）儿童将纵向跟踪两年，从7.5岁到9.5岁，使用行为和功能性神经成像（fMRI）测量（以及MR光谱和分子遗传测量）。通过与现有的R 01合作，拟议的项目将直接研究RD中语言特异性与一般认知障碍的连续性，收集一个队列（RD-A组）的数据，并与其他两个队列（RD-D和TD）进行关键比较。具体而言，本研究的目的是：（1）更好地了解RD儿童（其阅读与其一般认知能力不一致（RD-A）或不一致（RD-D））与典型发展（TD）队列之间的早期神经生物学和认知相似性/差异;（2）纵向评估早期神经生物学和认知特征预测随后阅读发展的方式;（3）在TD阅读者从初级阅读者向流利阅读者转变的2年期间，对RD-A阅读者的神经生物学和认知发展进行横断面研究。重要的是，这项研究将提供有关RD个体（也存在一般认知缺陷的人）子集的急需信息，这些人迄今为止在认知和教育研究中的代表性相对不足。这项研究可能会发现微妙的病因学和神经生物学差异RD儿童，最终这样的发现可以提高我们的能力，个性化的教学方法，优化治疗的异质组的儿童谁经历阅读困难。该项目与NIH的公共卫生使命相关，因为它有助于理解与阅读障碍（RD）相关的病因学和潜在的神经生物学。此外，它将提供对两种阅读障碍亚型之间的相关差异的理解; RD差异（阅读与一般认知能力不一致）和RD成就（阅读与一般认知能力相称），这将有助于为RD提供未来的治疗和补救策略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project aims to enhance our understanding of the substantial degree of behavioral and neurobiological heterogeneity observed among disabled readers by characterizing the neurocognitive development of struggling readers whose reading is or is not at odds with their general cognitive abilities. This research will employ a hybrid cross-sectional/longitudinal design, recruiting two cohorts of children whose general cognitive and reading skills are both below average (operationally defined using achievement-based criteria; RD-A group): a younger cohort (mean age 7.5 years) and an older cohort (mean age 9.5 years). Both will be assessed with cognitive-behavioral and functional neuroimaging (fMRI) measures that target language and non-language cognitive skills; both cohorts will also be assessed behaviorally 12 months later. Comparison groups will be drawn from a recently funded grant (R01 HD48830; K. R. Pugh, PI) on which Dr. Landi is a collaborator. In that grant, the neurocognitive development of RD children whose reading skills are suppressed relative to their general cognitive abilities (operationally defined by traditional IQ-discrepancy criterion; RD-D group) and Typically Developing (TD) children will be tracked longitudinally for two years, from 7.5 to 9.5 years of age, using behavioral and functional neuroimaging (fMRI) measures (as well as MR spectroscopy and molecular-genetic measures). By partnering with the existing R01, the proposed project will directly study the continuum of language-specific versus general cognitive impairments in RD, collecting data for one cohort (the RD-A group), and yet making key comparisons to these other two cohorts (RD-D and TD). Specifically, this research aims to: (1) achieve a better understanding of early neurobiological and cognitive similarities/differences between RD children whose reading is (RD-D) or is not (RD-A) at odds with their general cognitive abilities, and Typically-Developing (TD) cohorts; (2) assess, longitudinally, the ways in which early neurobiological and cognitive profiles are predictive of subsequent reading development; and (3) examine, cross-sectionally, the neurobiological and cognitive development of RD-A readers over the 2-year period during which TD readers shift from beginning to fluent readers. Importantly, this research will provide much needed information about a subset of RD individuals (those who also present with general cognitive deficits) who have been relatively underrepresented in cognitive and educational research to date. This research may detect subtle etiological and neurobiological differences among RD children; ultimately such findings could improve our ability to individualize instructional approaches, optimizing treatment for the heterogeneous group of children who experience reading difficulties. This project is relevant to NIH's public health mission because it contributes to the understanding of the etiology and underlying neurobiology associated with reading disability (RD). Further it will provide an understanding of the relevant differences between two subtypes of reading disability; RD-Discrepant (reading is at odds with general cognitive abilities) and RD-Achievement (reading is commensurate with general cognitive ability), which will be useful for informing future treatment and remediation strategies for RD.