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技能差，构成发展性阅读障碍。人们普遍认为存在神经学基础;然而，该基础的性质存在激烈争论。然而，一个一致的观点是，不良的语音处理能力，访问和操纵语言的声音单位，涉及阅读障碍。事实上，大多数有阅读缺陷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转录与学龄儿童的语音处理技能和阅读能力有着显著的关系。因此，我们开发了一套皮层下和皮层生理测试，以探索研究人员假设为语音处理不良的根本因素的一些核心缺陷。我们将针对时变信号和刺激信号的皮层下处理，以及皮层半球对快信号和慢信号的专门化。在一个4 - 8奥尔兹的纵向队列中，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。我们的目的是，通过利用这些电生理探针的前阅读年龄组，生物标志物，在学龄前儿童，可以发现，预测一个孩子的最终阅读技能，他/她的进展，通过小学年级。如果发现这样的生物标志物，它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.