Basale Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten von erwachsenen funktionalen Analphabeten und Analphabetinnen

Die vorliegende Untersuchung geht der Frage nach, inwieweit grundlegende Wahrnehmungsfunktionen bei erwachsenen funktionalen Analphabeten und Analphabetinnen in ähnlicher Weise beeinträchtigt sind, wie dies für lese-rechtschreib-schwache Kinder gezeigt werden konnte. 60 erwachsene funktionale Analphabetinnen und Analphabeten, 60 normal lesende Erwachsene, die entweder bezüglich Alter und IQ (n=30) oder nur bezüglich des Alters (n=30) vergleichbar sind, sowie 30 Kinder mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche nahmen an der Studie teil. Acht grundlegende Wahrnehmungsfunktionen wurden mit dem Brain-Boy Universal Professional (BUP-System) erfasst. Die funktionalen Analphabeten und Analphabetinnen und die Kinder mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche schnitten in allen acht grundlegenden Wahrnehmungsfunktionen deutlich schlechter ab als die normalen Leserinnen und Leser. Funktionale Analphabetinnen und Analphabeten und Kinder mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche unterschieden sich nicht voneinander. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass erwachsene funktionale Analphabetinnen und Analphabeten in ihren grundlegenden Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten beeinträchtigt sind. Dies könnte, wie für lese-rechtschreib-schwache Personen beschrieben, zu Problemen bei der Ausbildung von Phonemrepräsentationen führen, die ihrerseits den beim Schriftspracherwerb zentralen Prozess der Graphem-Phonem-Zuordnung massiv erschweren. Weiterhin deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass es sinnvoll sein könnte, in der Alphabetisierung Trainingsprogramme einzusetzen, die die grundlegenden Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten verbessern können. Einige derartige Programme sind bereits mit Erfolg bei lese-rechtschreib-schwachen Kindern eingesetzt worden. (DIPF/Orig.

Audio-visual speech perception in adult readers with dyslexia: an fMRI study

Developmental dyslexia is a specific deficit in reading and spelling that often persists into adulthood. In the present study, we used slow event-related fMRI and independent component analysis to identify brain networks involved in perception of audio-visual speech in a group of adult readers with dyslexia (RD) and a group of fluent readers (FR). Participants saw a video of a female speaker saying a disyllabic word. In the congruent condition, audio and video input were identical whereas in the incongruent condition, the two inputs differed. Participants had to respond to occasionally occurring animal names. The independent components analysis (ICA) identified several components that were differently modulated in FR and RD. Two of these components including fusiform gyrus and occipital gyrus showed less activation in RD compared to FR possibly indicating a deficit to extract face information that is needed to integrate auditory and visual information in natural speech perception. A further component centered on the superior temporal sulcus (STS) also exhibited less activation in RD compared to FR. This finding is corroborated in the univariate analysis that shows less activation in STS for RD compared to FR. These findings suggest a general impairment in recruitment of audiovisual processing areas in dyslexia during the perception of natural speech

AUDIOVISUAL SPEECH INTEGRATION IN THE SUPERIOR TEMPORAL REGION IS DYSFUNCTIONAL IN DYSLEXIA

Dyslexia is an impairment of reading and spelling that affects both children and adults even after many years of schooling. Dyslexic readers have deficits in the integration of auditory and visual inputs but the neural mechanisms of the deficits are still unclear. This fMRI study examined the neural processing of auditorily presented German numbers 0&ndash;9 and videos of lip movements of a German native speaker voicing numbers 0&ndash;9 in unimodal (auditory or visual) and bimodal (always congruent) conditions in dyslexic readers and their matched fluent readers. We confirmed results of previous studies that the superior temporal gyrus/sulcus plays a critical role in audiovisual speech integration: fluent readers showed greater superior temporal activations for combined audiovisual stimuli than auditory-/visual-only stimuli. Importantly, such an enhancement effect was absent in dyslexic readers. Moreover, the auditory network (bilateral superior temporal regions plus medial PFC) was dynamically modulated during audiovisual integration in fluent, but not in dyslexic readers. These results suggest that superior temporal dysfunction may underly poor audiovisual speech integration in readers with dyslexia. _ 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p

"Alpha Plus" : An innovative training program for reading and writing education of functionally illiterate adults

We describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a reading and writing training program for German functionally illiterate adults. The program “AlphaPlus” consists of the following modules: (1) training of basic perceptual abilities with the BrainBoy® / Audio-Trainer AT-3000; (2) training of brain-hemisphere coordination in the processing of spoken and written language (“Lateraltrainer”); (3) training of phoneme dis-crimination (“Lautdiskriminationstrainer”); (4) training of reading and writing skills with pen and paper-based material; (5) use of the learning portal www.ich-will-lernen.de developed by the German Volkshochschulverband (VHS); (6) social activities such as cooking, shopping etc.; (7) three weeks internship at possible employers. The effectiveness of the training was investigated in two courses of 18 participants each. Reading and spelling abilities of the participants improved significantly. Thus, it can be concluded that the program is effective in teaching reading and spelling to functionally illiterate adults. Further research is needed to evaluate the respective contribution of the different modules to the observed gains in reading and spelling abilities

Audio-visual speech integration in the superior temporal region is dysfunctional in dyslexia

Dyslexia is an impairment of reading and spelling that affects both children and adults even after many years of schooling. Dyslexic readers have deficits in the integration of auditory and visual inputs but the neural mechanisms of the deficits are still unclear. This fMRI study examined the neural processing of auditorily presented German numbers 0-9 and videos of lip movements of a German native speaker voicing numbers 0-9 in unimodal (auditory or visual) and bimodal (always congruent) conditions in dyslexic readers and their matched fluent readers. We confirmed results of previous studies that the superior temporal gyrus/sulcus plays a critical role in audiovisual speech integration: fluent readers showed greater superior temporal activations for combined audiovisual stimuli than auditory-/visual-only stimuli. Importantly, such an enhancement effect was absent in dyslexic readers. Moreover, the auditory network (bilateral superior temporal regions plus medial PFC) was dynamically modulated during audiovisual integration in fluent, but not in dyslexic readers. These results suggest that superior temporal dysfunction may underly poor audiovisual speech integration in readers with dyslexia

Audio-visual speech perception in adult readers with dyslexia: an fMRI study

Developmental dyslexia is a specific deficit in reading and spelling that often persists into adulthood. In the present study, we used slow event-related fMRI and independent component analysis to identify brain networks involved in perception of audio-visual speech in a group of adult readers with dyslexia (RD) and a group of fluent readers (FR). Participants saw a video of a female speaker saying a disyllabic word. In the congruent condition, audio and video input were identical whereas in the incongruent condition, the two inputs differed. Participants had to respond to occasionally occurring animal names. The independent components analysis (ICA) identified several components that were differently modulated in FR and RD. Two of these components including fusiform gyrus and occipital gyrus showed less activation in RD compared to FR possibly indicating a deficit to extract face information that is needed to integrate auditory and visual information in natural speech perception. A further component centered on the superior temporal sulcus (STS) also exhibited less activation in RD compared to FR. This finding is corroborated in the univariate analysis that shows less activation in STS for RD compared to FR. These findings suggest a general impairment in recruitment of audiovisual processing areas in dyslexia during the perception of natural speech.</p