Emily Finn and her colleagues at the Yale University School of Medicine conducted a whole-brain functional connectivity analysis of dyslexia using fMRI. They compared fMRI scans from a large number of both children and young adults with dyslexia to scans of typical readers in the same age groups. They specifically looked at functional connectivity, or coordinated fluctuations between pairs of brain regions over time.
Dyslexic readers st connectivity to anterior language regions around the inferior frontal gyrus.
This altered connectivity profile is consistent with dyslexia-related reading difficulties, and maps circuits underlying the problems with cognition and perception. What this means is that this study sheds light on the brain networks that crucially support the task of reading. Compared to typical readers, dyslexic readers had weaker connections between areas that process visual information and areas that control attention, suggesting that individuals with dyslexia are less able to focus on printed words.
A better understanding of brain organization in dyslexia through studies like this one could potentially lead to better intervention.
To read more about this study, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140828091245.htm.