Abnormal brain activation during speech perception and production in children and adults with reading difficulty
Date
2024Author
Fu, Yang
Yan, Xiaohui
Mao, Jiaqi
Su, Haibin
Cao, Fan
Metadata
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Fu, Y., Yan, X., Mao, J. et al. Abnormal brain activation during speech perception and production in children and adults with reading difficulty. npj Sci. Learn. 9, 53 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-024-00266-2
npj Science of learning
npj Science of learning
Abstract
Reading difficulty (RD) is associated with phonological deficits; however, it remains unknown whether the phonological deficits are different in children and adults with RD as reflected in foreign speech perception and production. In the current study, using functional Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we found less difference between Chinese adults and Chinese children in the RD groups than the control groups in the activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during Spanish speech perception, suggesting slowed development in these regions associated with RD. Furthermore, using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), we found that activation patterns in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), premotor, supplementary motor area (SMA), and IFG could serve as reliable markers of RD. We provide both behavioral and neurological evidence for impaired speech perception and production in RD readers which can serve as markers of RD.