Working Memory and Brain Morphology in Dyslexia and ADHD

描述（由申请人提供）：患有阅读障碍的儿童通常表现为语音处理和工作记忆（WM）较差。此外，他们糟糕的语音处理技能和他们无法储存语言材料之间存在着很强的联系。在MRI研究中，已经发现阅读障碍患者的几个大脑区域在结构上是非典型的，这些大脑异常与语音处理不良有关。然而，在阅读障碍的文献中，大脑结构和工作记忆之间的关系受到了有限的关注。ADHD儿童也存在WM缺陷。然而，注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）主要影响中央执行系统（CE）。因此，有一个有趣的二分法2障碍与诵读困难显示受损的口头短期存储和完整的CE功能，和ADHD显示完整的口头存储，但受损的CE功能。与阅读障碍的研究类似，在使用结构MRI技术的ADHD文献中，WM和大脑形态之间的关系受到了有限的关注。因此，本项目的目标是确定在阅读障碍，多动症或控制儿童的大脑结构和WM功能之间的关系，同时确定语言处理影响这种关系的程度。参与者将包括8-12岁的诵读困难、多动症和对照儿童。他们将参与对他们的工作记忆、语言功能、智力和阅读能力的神经心理学测试。沿着认知测试，将对每个孩子进行结构MRI扫描。将使用定量结构神经成像技术分析每次扫描。通过相关设计，脑形态，工作记忆和语言处理之间的关系将在儿童和没有神经发育障碍。这项研究将有利于阅读障碍儿童提供知识，可能有助于诊断和干预。例如，通过更好地理解阅读障碍和ADHD的生物学相关性，可能比传统技术提供更快速的诊断。此外，早期诊断将允许更早地进行干预，早期干预与更好的治疗结果有关，而不是晚些时候开始干预。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Children with dyslexia frequently present with poor phonological processing and working memory (WM). Furthermore, there is a strong association between their poor phonological processing skills and their inability to store verbal material. Several brain regions have been found to be structurally atypical in dyslexia in MRI studies, and these brain abnormalities have been linked to poor phonological processing. Nonetheless, the relationship between brain structure and WM has received limited attention in the dyslexia literature. Children with ADHD also present with WM deficits. However, the central executive (CE) is primarily affected in ADHD. Hence, there is an interesting dichotomy between the 2 disorders with dyslexia displaying impaired verbal short-term storage and intact CE functioning, and ADHD displaying intact verbal storage but impaired CE functioning. Similar to research on dyslexia, the relationship between WM and brain morphology has received limited attention in the ADHD literature using structural MRI techniques. Thus, the goal of this project is to ascertain the relationship between brain structure and WM functioning in children with dyslexia, ADHD or controls, while determining the extent linguistic processing influences this relationship. Participants will include children with dyslexia, ADHD and controls between the ages of 8-12 years. They will engage in neuropsychological testing of their WM, linguistic functioning, intelligence, and reading ability. Along with cognitive testing, a structural MRI scan will be conducted on each child. Each scan will be analyzed using quantitative structural neuroimaging techniques. Through a correlational design, the relationships between brain morphology, WM and linguistic processing will be examined in children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders. This study will benefit children with dyslexia in terms of providing knowledge that may aid in diagnosis and intervention. For example, through a better understanding of the biological correlates of dyslexia and ADHD, a more rapid diagnosis may be possible than is provided by traditional techniques. Furthermore, earlier diagnosis will allow for earlier placement into intervention, and early intervention has been linked with better treatment outcome than intervention started later.