Working Memory and Brain Morphology in Dyslexia and ADHD

描述（申请人提供）：阅读障碍儿童通常表现为语音加工和工作记忆（WM）较差。此外，他们较差的语音处理技能与他们无法储存语言材料之间存在很强的联系。在MRI研究中发现，阅读障碍患者的几个大脑区域在结构上不典型，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WM之间的关系受到了有限的关注。患有ADHD的儿童也存在WM缺陷。然而，中央执行（CE）主要在ADHD中受到影响。因此，这两种障碍之间存在一个有趣的二分法：阅读障碍表现为语言短期存储受损和完整的CE功能，而ADHD表现为完整的语言存储但受损的CE功能。与对阅读障碍的研究类似，在使用结构MRI技术的ADHD文献中，WM与脑形态之间的关系受到的关注有限。因此，本项目的目标是确定阅读障碍、ADHD或对照儿童的大脑结构与WM功能之间的关系，同时确定语言加工对这种关系的影响程度。参与者将包括8-12岁之间患有阅读障碍、多动症和控制组的儿童。他们将参与对他们的WM、语言功能、智力和阅读能力的神经心理学测试。在进行认知测试的同时，将对每个孩子进行结构核磁共振扫描。每次扫描将使用定量结构神经成像技术进行分析。通过相关设计，将在有和没有神经发育障碍的儿童中检查脑形态学，WM和语言处理之间的关系。这项研究将为患有阅读障碍的儿童提供有助于诊断和干预的知识。例如，通过更好地了解阅读障碍和多动症的生物学相关性，可能比传统技术提供的诊断更快。此外，早期诊断将允许更早地进行干预，早期干预与较晚开始的干预相比具有更好的治疗效果。

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 two 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.