Neurocognitive development in RD children with/without general cognitive deficits

描述(由申请者提供)：本项目旨在通过表征阅读能力与一般认知能力不一致的困难读者的神经认知发展，加强我们对残疾读者中观察到的行为和神经生物学异质性的实质性程度的理解。这项研究将采用横断面/纵向混合设计，招募两组一般认知和阅读技能均低于平均水平的儿童(使用基于成就的标准进行操作定义；RD-A组)：较年轻的一组(平均年龄7.5岁)和较年长的一组(平均9.5岁)。两组受试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神经成像(FMRI)测量的评估；两组受试者也将在12个月后接受行为评估。比较小组将从兰迪博士参与合作的最近资助的赠款(R01 HD48830；K.R.Pugh，Pi)中抽出。在这笔赠款中，阅读技能相对于一般认知能力受到抑制的RD儿童(按照传统的智商差异标准进行操作定义；RD-D组)和典型发育(TD)儿童的神经认知发展将被纵向跟踪两年，从7.5岁到9.5岁，使用行为和功能神经成像(FMRI)测量(以及磁共振波谱和分子遗传学测量)。通过与现有的R01合作，拟议的项目将直接研究RD中特定语言与一般认知障碍的连续体，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。具体地说，本研究的目的是：(1)更好地了解阅读与一般认知能力(RD-D)和典型发展(TD)队列不一致的RD儿童的早期神经生物学和认知相似/差异；(2)纵向评估早期神经生物学和认知特征对随后阅读发展的预测方式；以及(3)横向考察RD-A读者从初级阅读转向流利阅读的两年期间的神经生物学和认知发展。重要的是，这项研究将提供关于RD个人(也存在一般认知缺陷的人)的子集的迫切需要的信息，这些人在认知和教育研究中的代表性相对较低。这项研究可能会发现RD儿童之间细微的病因和神经生物学差异；最终，这样的发现可以提高我们个性化教学方法的能力，优化对阅读困难的异类儿童的治疗。这个项目与美国国立卫生研究院的公共卫生使命相关，因为它有助于理解阅读障碍(RD)的病因学和潜在的神经生物学。此外，它还将提供对阅读障碍两个亚类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)，这将有助于指导未来的RD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.