Abstract
Current research has shown that basic visual networks, such as the magnocellular system, may play a crucial role in reading deficits related to dyslexia. The current study explored the relationship between magnocellular activity and reading abilities; we examined the hypothesis that a repeated usage of the magnocellular stream may improve reading by strengthening crucial neural pathways. Visual training was conducted for five consecutive days using a motion detection task (magnocellular training) and a control task of pattern detection (parvocellular training). Reading abilities of skilled readers were measured before and after the training using a lexical decision task. It was found that low-grade visual training overall can improve speed of lexical decision, but there is some indication that magnocellular training may selectively relate to accuracy. This potential added benefit of accuracy is crucial, and indicates that magnocellular training may have an advantage to parvocellular or general visual training when it comes to reading. This result lends support to the role of basic visual systems in reading, and has potential implications for neurorehabilitation of reading-related deficits.
Highlights
The magnocellular visual network is a distinct perceptual pathway projecting from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to primary visual areas, and provides the majority of visual information that is extended dorsally toward the parietal cortex
Magnocellular abilities have been positively correlated with word recognition performance; coherent motion detection as well as word recognition have both been shown to contain a right visual field advantage, underlining their connection to the “verbal” left hemisphere and indicating that magnocellular activity plays a role in left hemisphere language areas during visual language processing (Levy et al, 2010)
The current study tested the potential of repeated sensory stimulation to improve reading and the contribution of magnocellular function to that process
Summary
The magnocellular visual network is a distinct perceptual pathway projecting from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to primary visual areas, and provides the majority of visual information that is extended dorsally toward the parietal cortex This extended magnocellular-dominated dorsal stream is principally critical for detecting spatial relationships as well as rapid changes, which allows this network to be sensitive to motion (Ungerleider and Haxby, 1994). Dyslexia is traditionally defined as a discrepancy between reading ability and intelligence in children receiving adequate reading tuition. These difficulties occur in otherwise bright and able children who master other tasks well (Snowling, 2000). Eden et al (1996) demonstrated that, compared
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