Brain's functional network clustering coefficient changes in response to instruction (RTI) in students with and without reading disabilities: Multi-leveled reading brain's RTI.

Robert D. Abbott,Kevin Yagle,Virginia W. Berninger,Peter Walla,Dan Peterson,Todd L. Richards

doi:10.1080/23311908.2018.1424680

Robert D. Abbott, Kevin Yagle

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2018.1424680

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Abstract

In students in grades 4 to 9 (22 males, 20 females), two reading disability groups—dyslexia (n = 20) or oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD) (n = 6)—were compared to each other and two kinds of control groups—typical readers (n = 6) or dysgraphia (n = 10) on word reading/spelling skills and fMRI imaging before and after completing 18 computerized reading lessons. Mixed ANOVAs showed significant time effects on repeated measures within participants and between groups effects on three behavioral markers of reading disabilities—word reading/spelling: All groups improved on the three behavioral measures, but those without disabilities remained higher than those with reading disabilities. On fMRI reading tasks, analyzed for graph theory derived clustering coefficients within a neural network involved in cognitive control functions, on a word level task the time × group interaction was significant in right medial cingulate; on a syntax level task the time × group interaction was significant in left superior frontal and left inferior frontal gyri; and on a multi-sentence text level task the time × group interaction was significant in right middle frontal gyrus. Three white matter-gray matter correlations became significant only after reading instruction: axial diffusivity in left superior frontal region with right inferior frontal gyrus during word reading judgments; mean diffusivity in left superior corona radiata with left middle frontal gyrus during sentence reading judgments; and mean diffusivity in left anterior corona radiata with right middle frontal gyrus during multi-sentence reading judgments. Significance of results for behavioral and brain response to reading instruction (RTI) is discussed.

Highlights

Epidemiological studies have shown that among school-age children and youth not all reading disabilities are the same
Developmental research has shown that early emerging oral language disabilities during the preschool years may be related to late talking and/or late combining of words into syntactic structures that persist during the school years along with reading disabilities (Catts & Kamhi, 2005; Paul, Murray, Clancy, & Andrews, 1997; Scott, 2004; Thal, Bates, Goodman, & Jahn-Samilo, 1997)
Set 1 research questions: Behavioral results for response to instruction (RTI) As shown in Table 1, there were significant diagnostic group effects and time effects on word-level achievement measures related to the hallmark impairment in dyslexia—oral reading of real words and pseudowords and word spelling—and time effects

Summary

Introduction

Epidemiological studies have shown that among school-age children and youth not all reading disabilities are the same. Developmental research has shown that early emerging oral language disabilities during the preschool years may be related to late talking and/or late combining of words into syntactic structures that persist during the school years along with reading disabilities (Catts & Kamhi, 2005; Paul, Murray, Clancy, & Andrews, 1997; Scott, 2004; Thal, Bates, Goodman, & Jahn-Samilo, 1997). These specific learning disabilities have been referred to as oral and written language learning disabilities (OWL LD) or specific language impairment (SLI) in the research literature. Not all SLDs-WL even involve reading; some impair writing but not reading (Berninger, Nielsen, Abbott, Wijsman, & Raskind, 2008)

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