Neurobiology of dyslexia : A reinterpretation of the data

Abstract

Theories of developmental dyslexia differ on how to best interpret the great variety of symptoms (linguistic, sensory, motor) observed in dyslexic individuals. One approach views dyslexia as a specific phonological deficit, which sometimes co-occurs with a more general sensorimotor syndrome. The present review of the neurobiology of dyslexia shows that neurobiological data are indeed consistent with this view, explaining both how a specific phonological deficit might arise, and why a sensorimotor syndrome should be significantly associated with it. This new conceptualisation of the aetiology of dyslexia may generalise to other neuro-developmental disorders, and may further explain heterogeneity within each disorder and co-morbidity between disorders