Neuroscience illuminating the influence of auditory or phonological intervention on language-related deficits.

Sari Ylinen,Teija Kujala

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00137

Abstract

Remediation programs for language-related learning deficits are urgently needed to enable equal opportunities in education. To meet this need, different training and intervention programs have been developed. Here we review, from an educational perspective, studies that have explored the neural basis of behavioral changes induced by auditory or phonological training in dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI), and language-learning impairment (LLI). Training has been shown to induce plastic changes in deficient neural networks. In dyslexia, these include, most consistently, increased or normalized activation of previously hypoactive inferior frontal and occipito-temporal areas. In SLI and LLI, studies have shown the strengthening of previously weak auditory brain responses as a result of training. The combination of behavioral and brain measures of remedial gains has potential to increase the understanding of the causes of language-related deficits, which may help to target remedial interventions more accurately to the core problem.

Highlights

Finding the most effective techniques to remediate languagerelated impairments, such as dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI), or language-learning impairment (LLI, cf. Tallal, 2001), would be of crucial importance to educators, who try to help children struggling with these learning difficulties
From an educational perspective, studies that have explored the neural basis of behavioral changes induced by auditory or phonological training in dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI), and language-learning impairment (LLI)
We focus on auditory or phonological interventions, because in many cases dyslexia, SLI, and LLI are all characterized by phonological deficits (Tallal, 2001; Shaywitz and Shaywitz, 2005; Pennington and Bishop, 2009; Ramus et al, 2013), despite their complex etiology

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Finding the most effective techniques to remediate languagerelated impairments, such as dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI), or language-learning impairment (LLI, cf. Tallal, 2001), would be of crucial importance to educators, who try to help children struggling with these learning difficulties. This raises a question, whether understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of language impairments facilitates their efficient treatment. Since the combination of neuroscientific and behavioral measures has been www.frontiersin.org

Ylinen and Kujala

Dyslexia Dyslexia

Risk for reading disability

Pseudoword rhymematching Selective auditory attention

Yes attention

CONCLUSION