Improve Reading Performance Research Articles

Image enhancement improves reading performance in age-related macular degeneration patients.

We wanted to determine whether the 2- to 4-fold increases in reading speed found for patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) when reading filtered text, presented one word at a time in the middle of the display would also be found when filtered text was scrolled across the screen. Reading speeds for filtered text that compensates for an observer's reduced contrast sensitivity function (CSF) were compared with the reading speeds for unfiltered text, when continuous, non-repeating text was scrolled across the display. The reading speeds of the ARMD observers tested were 1.7-4.5-times faster when reading filtered text, than when reading unfiltered text that was scrolled across the screen. The largest increments, over a 4-fold increase, were obtained in those subjects with the lowest unfiltered reading rates and the greatest loss of central vision. This study illustrates the usefulness of individualized text filtering for image enhancement in digitally based viewing devices to provide low vision remediation.

Does Inverting Text Improve Reading Performance in Homonymous Hemianopes?

Anecdotal information from rehabilitation practice of reading performance and low-vision practice suggests that where right homonymous parafoveal field loss impairs reading at the visual-sensory level, an improvement in reading speed can be achieved by inverting the text. This is because whilst left-field loss is considered to impair return eye movements to the beginning of a line, right-field loss is considered to reduce the spatial size of the perceptual window and increase its temporal extent by prolonging fixations times, reducing the amplitudes of saccades to the right, and introducing frequent regressive saccades. Inverting the text was thought to reverse these effects as the leading edge of the perceptual window is ‘returned’ to the sighted field so that in-line saccades can be visually guided. Here we report that this does not appear to be the case. In our study we measured the eye movements of patients with right homonymous hemianopia and others with peripheral loss due to retinitis pigmentosa as well as normal controls using an infrared video eye-tracker. All groups display a similar proportional prolongation of fixations times, reduction of saccadic amplitude, and proportion of regressive saccades when asked to read inverted text, which suggests a cognitive component of impairment independent of visual field loss in right homonymous hemianopes.

Activation of the Phonological Lexicon for Reading and Object Naming in Deep Dyslexia

Poor oral reading in some cases of deep dyslexia could be due to difficulty in inhibiting the phonological lexical entries of words semantically related to the correct reading responses. If this is the case, then additional activation of the correct phonological entries should improve reading performance, whereas additional activation of competing entries should lead to errors. This should hold true for object naming as well as for reading, since both depend on a semantically mediated lexical route. These predictions were borne out with an “output” deep dyslexic patient, who made many semantic errors in both reading and naming. Providing phonetic cues (the initial portions of the correct responses) increased his reading and naming accuracy, and providing miscues (the initial portions of words related semantically to the correct responses) led to errors. Furthermore, when the patient was shown a printed word or pictured object and the examiner spoke a correct reading or naming response in isolation, the patient almost always accepted the response as correct, but he also judged that many semantically related foils were correct. Finally, a comparison of reading and naming errors suggested that “visual” errors may sometimes have a phonological basis.

Enhancing the reading of dyslexic children by reading acceleration and auditory masking.

This research attempted to improve the reading performance of dyslexic children through two different methods: reading acceleration and auditory masking. Participants were 52 dyslexic children and 52 reading-level matched normal, novice readers. Results indicated that whereas acceleration improved reading performance in both groups, auditory masking was beneficial to dyslexic children only. Furthermore, a combined condition of both acceleration and masking was the most effective in enhancing dyslexic children's comprehension. It is argued that because normal readers use the phonological route quite effectively, its masking is detrimental to performance. On the other hand, auditory masking reduces the impact of the presumed phonological impairment of dyslexic children. Analysis of decoding mistakes suggested that both manipulations might have resulted in a more effective utilization of orthographic information and enhanced top-down context effects for dyslexic and novice readers.

Eccentric fixation with hemianopic field defects: A valuable strategy to improve reading ability and an indication of cortical plasticity

Purpose: Reading disability is the main complaint in patients with hemianopic field defects (HFD). The analysis of reading strategies and of potential adaptive mechanisms is of interest for improvement of the reading process. Methods: A modified model 101 SLO was used to image the fundus (HeNe or IR laser) and to present the stimuli (HeNe laser with acousto optic modulator). Retinal fixation locus (RFL) was related to fixation targets of different size and shape and to texts. RFL and eye movements during reading were recorded simultaneously on video tape. Visual fields were examined by Tübingen Manual and/or Automated Perimetry. Results: Of 36 patients with HFD, ten showed eccentric fixation. The new RFL was shifted 1o-2o towards the healthy hemiretina, corresponding to a shift of the field defect towards the hemianopic side. RFL depended on stimulus size: central fixation was used for stimuli requiring high resolution, eccentric fixation was used for large targets and reading (shown by the landing points of the foveola on the text). Reading speed was increased in patients with eccentric fixation. Conclusion: The SLO method permits the simultaneous assesssment of RFL and stimulus with high spatial resolution and is a helpful method to study fixation behavior and reading in HFD. Eccentric fixation is a valuable strategy to improve reading performance in HFD by creating a sufficient reading visual field. Eccentric fixation despite intact visual acuity indicates a high degree of cortical plasticity.

Recovery of fusional convergence after systematic practice

Fusional convergence was trained systematically with orthoptic devices in three patients with a severe deficit in convergent fusion resulting from vascular (one case) or traumatic (two cases) brain damage. Within a single-subject baseline design two of the three patients showed a significant, and the third patient a moderate, recovery of fusional range. All patients showed a significant improvement in visual acuity for objects close by, improved reading performance and an increase in stereo acuity (two cases). The results suggest a considerable potential for recovery of oculomotor functions in brain-damaged patients when appropriate treatment methods are applied.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Dr. Wiederholt: Thank you for including my comments on Blaskey et al.'s article, “The Effectiveness of Irlen Filters for Improving Reading Performance: A Pilot Study” (JLD, December 1990) in the Letters to the Editor (JLD, November 1991). There is one error, however, in the copy.

Image enhancement filters significantly improve reading performance for low vision observers.

As people age, so do their photoreceptors; many photoreceptors in central vision stop functioning when a person reaches their late sixties or early seventies. Low vision observers with losses in central vision, those with age-related maculopathies, were studied. Low vision observers no longer see high spatial frequencies, being unable to resolve fine edge detail. We developed image enhancement filters to compensate for the low vision observer's losses in contrast sensitivity to intermediate and high spatial frequencies. The filters work by boosting the amplitude of the less visible intermediate spatial frequencies. The lower spatial frequencies. These image enhancement filters not only reduce the magnification needed for reading by up to 70%, but they also increase the observer's reading speed by 2-4 times. A summary of this research is presented.

Image enhancement filters to compensate for low vision observer's losses in contrast sensitivity improve reading performance the most

Image enhancement filters to compensate for low vision observer's losses in contrast sensitivity improve reading performance the most

Demand characteristics and full spectrum lighting effects on performance and mood

Beliefs about full spectrum lighting were manipulated to test the hypothesis that demand characteristics, not lamp type per se, underlie the anecdotal reports of beneficial effects of full spectrum lighting on performance and mood. The dependent measures were reading, arithmetic, noun underlining, and mood. Subjects worked under either full spectrum or cool white fluorescent lamps. Under full spectrum lamps they were given one of three instruction sets: ‘Full spectrum lamps improve performance and decrease fatigue’ (positive set); ‘There is no evidence to support such claims’ (negative set); or neutral information about light. The participants in the cool white condition received only the neutral information set. The results showed that when existing beliefs about lighting are controlled, both positive and negative information about full spectrum lighting effects lead to improved reading performance and increased self-reported arousal. No effect of lamp type was found, confirming previous research.

The Effectiveness of Irlen Filters for Improving Reading Performance: A Pilot Study

The objectives of this pilot study were to investigate the effectiveness of Irlen filters for improving comfort and reading performance and to determine whether traditional optometric intervention would be effective in relieving the symptoms commonly reported by people seeking help through the use of Irlen filters. Thirty subjects were included in the study: 12 males and 18 females. The ages of the subjects ranged from 9 to 51 (mean = 23.6). They were randomly placed in either an Irlen filter treatment group (n = 11), a vision therapy treatment group (n = 11), or a control group (n = 8). Pre- and posttesting on all subjects included a vision evaluation, reading and intelligence testing, the Irlen scotopic sensitivity screening test, and a symptom questionnaire. Results revealed that subjects in both treatment groups were more comfortable after treatment, although only the vision therapy group showed improvement in vision functioning. The subjects in the Irlen filter group did not show any significant gains in reading rate, word recognition in context, or comprehension.

Improved Reading Performance Using Individualized Compensation Filters for Observers with Losses in Central Vision

By boosting the amplitudes of the intermediate spatial frequencies more than the amplitude of the lower spatial frequencies, reading performance improved significantly when observers with losses in central vision read words that were filtered. Words that were filtered using an image enhancement function based on an observer's losses in visual function relative to a normal observer (1) reduced the magnification (30–70% less magnification was needed) and (2) increased the reading rate (2–3 times), measured in words per minute. The greater the loss in central visual function, the more individualized compensation filters reduced the magnification needed for word recognition. Individualized compensation filters improved the clarity and visibility of words for low vision observers. This study also found that the shape of the enhancement function was important to determine the optimum compensation filter for improving reading performance. In addition, the individualized compensation filters can be implemented by inexpensive hardware, for example in a closed circuit television (CCTV), to provide a significantly more effective low vision aid for observers with losses in central vision to read text, than is provided using only magnification.

Attributional training and the generalization of reading strategies with underachieving children

Underachieving students often display inappropriate affective states, dysfunctional attributional beliefs, and impoverished metacognitive knowledge that combine to handicap their academic achievements. In the present study, 52 underachieving children participated in an intervention program comparing the effects of strategy-plus-attribution training, strategy-only training, and no training conditions on reading comprehension. The addition of attributional components to a comprehension strategy training program produced significant gains in strategy use, recall, reading grades, and attributional beliefs. Reading awareness increased in both strategy-plus-attribution and strategy-only groups, indicating that strategy training influenced selected aspects of metacognition. The addition of attributional components to strategy training improved reading performance by providing the impetus, via modified effort-related attributions, for the generalized use of the trained strategies.

Remediation of acquired dyslexia

The purpose of the study was to design treatment programmes for various types of reading disorder in such a way as to allow a valid evaluation of their efficacy. The study investigated whether specific forms of therapeutic intervention helped specific forms of disorder. Studies on five patients with different patterns of reading difficulty showed that specific treatment programmes were responsible for significant improvement in the patients' reading performance.

The effect of hypnotically induced suggestions on reading performance.

Abstract 52 volunteer Ss, 19 years of age or older, were recruited from the student population at the University of British Columbia. Ss were hypnotized and given posthypnotic achievement and esteem suggestions to investigate the influence of these suggestions on reading performance as measured by the total score on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (Nelson & Denny, 1960). Differences among groups were compared using a hierarchical regression approximation of analysis of covariance. Hypnotizable Ss scored higher than unhypnotizable Ss. Other-esteem suggestions were found to improve reading performance.

The Moyer Reading Technique Re-Evaluated

The purpose of the study was to design treatment programmes for various types of reading disorder in such a way as to allow a valid evaluation of their efficacy, i.e. in a way which allows specific treatment effects to be distinguished from non-specific treatment effects (e.g., the effects of attention from a helpful person), from changes unrelated to treatment (e.g. spontaneous recovery).In particular, the intention was to investigate whether specific forms of therapeutic intervention help specific forms of disorder.Studies on five patients with different patterns of reading difficulty showed that specific treatment programmes were responsible for significant improvement in the patients' reading performance.

Use of Self-Questioning with a Computer-Mediated Text System and Measures of Reading Performance

This study investigated the effects of a computer-mediated text system (CTS), designed to facilitate use of questioning strategies, on third-grade students' performance on vocabulary, comprehension, and prediction measures. The subjects were 48 third-grade average and good readers assigned randomly to one of four treatment conditions (three experimental and one control). Students in the experimental conditions read passages using the CTS and were trained to generate questions for clarification and/or focus of attention. Students in the control condition read passages printed on paper and did not receive any questioning training. The Nelson Reading Skills Test and an assessment of ability to predict reading performance were administered both before and after the treatment. Results supported the hypothesis that the CTS would be an effective medium for teaching students to generate questions to improve reading performance. Additional findings revealed that average readers made significantly greater gains than good readers in comprehension and vocabulary knowledge, whereas good readers made greater gains in ability to predict vocabulary performance. These findings indicated that students of average reading ability can learn how to use a reading strategy and apply it to a reading task. The results of the relation between computer feedback to student-generated questions and subsequent reading performance are also discussed. Outcomes of this study suggest the need for future research on the use of computers in the understanding and enhancement of the reading process.

Training parents as effective listeners of their children's reading

This study briefly outlines the results of a pilot project within the Bowen Special Education District directed to the training of parents as effective listeners of children's oral reading. The study assesses the relevant listening behaviours of two parents before, during and after being involved in a Parent Helper's Reading Program. The effectiveness of the program is generally evident from the observed improvement in listening behaviours demonstrated by the parents. Furthermore, the increased competency in listening behaviours by parents is paralleled by a simultaneous improvement in oral reading and comprehension performance by the target children. Also, the children's generalisation of skills from home to school is noted by both parents and teachers. Overall, this study suggests two significant implications to be considered within the context of existing reading programs utilising adult helpers. Firstly, the use of untrained helpers within school reading programs needs to be questioned. Secondly, the effectiveness of parent helper programs is dependent upon the level of follow-up and monitoring made available to program participants. While the limitations of generalising from a project using only two subjects is realised, the results suggest important areas for future investigations.

A brief review of studies of piracetam in dyslexia

Several double-blind studies of the effects of piracetam in developmental dyslexia are reviewed. There is general agreement among studies that piracetam appears to improve reading performance.

Educational impact of faculty review on radiology residents' radiographic interpretations.

The objective of this study was to analyze the improvements in film reading performance made by radiology residents during their first six months of training. Five first-year residents and eight radiologic technology students each interpreted two of three matched sets of 39 films under two conditions. One set's readings were reviewed by a staff radiologist, while the other's were unreviewed. Six months later, each observer read all three sets. After the first six months of training, residents improved their reporting of findings. There was less improvement in technologists' readings. Review and instruction by staff, both in the laboratory and daily work settings, appeared to contribute to improved performance. Accuracy of residents' final diagnosis did not improve significantly. We conclude that a training system in which residents' film interpretations are reviewed by staff can lead to improved resident performance. When studied in a longitudinal fashion, these improvements are detectable within six months. This teaching system is used in many radiology departments.