A functioning writing and reading brain requires a system of language-related neural components to be well connected and integrated. The long term goal of Project III is to understand neural substrates responsible for the writing/reading brain in children with learning disability. A major component of this project is to measure treatment effects on 3 specific learning disabilities in written language (SLDs-WL). Project III will identify brain activation and connectivity differences among three contrasting groups of writing and/or reading disabilities and normal reading and writing controls identified and given special instruction in Project I before and after intervention in first year they participate to assess the brain's immediate RTI and follow-up RTI. The 3 SLDs-WL differ in whether their impairment is in (a) handwriting only, (b) word- spelling and reading for real or pseudowords, (c) written composition/reading comprehension. We will measure 1) language-related brain activation and functional connectivity using functional MRI, and 2) language-related structural brain connectivity and fiber tractography using diffusion tensor imaging. Real-time eye tracking will be used to correlate eye movements with the functional MRI to track focus of attention because SLDs-WL are associated with problems in supervisory attention (executive functions). The proposed project will evaluate whether (a) instruction aimed at the language and working memory problems can fully normalize functional connectivity of brain on tasks at 3 levels of language-subword, word, and text-corresponding to the impairment in each SLD-WL (b) if so, whether the normalized connectivity remains at long term follow-up two years later when their brains are re-imaged;(c) if not, whether the structural connectivity of the white fiber tracts of arcuate fasciculus differentiate those with language comprehension problems and other SLD- WL and control groups and white fiber tracts in the superior longitudinal fasciculus differentiate those with impaired handwriting from the other SLD-WL groups structurally and in response to specialized intervention.

Public Health Relevance

This research project is relevant to human health because new treatment techniques will be tested using brain imaging which could lead to better ways to treat and diagnose children with learning disabilities (dyslexia and dysgraphia).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Specialized Center (P50)
Project #
5P50HD071764-03
Application #
8609054
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHD1-DSR-H)
Project Start
2013-12-01
Project End
2016-11-30
Budget Start
2013-12-01
Budget End
2014-11-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
$667,739
Indirect Cost
$247,706
Name
University of Washington
Department
Type
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Nielsen, Kathleen; Andria-Habermann, Kathryn; Richards, Todd et al. (2018) Emotional and Behavioral Correlates of Persisting Specific Learning Disabilities in Written Language during Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence. J Psychoeduc Assess 36:651-669
Thompson, Robert; Tanimoto, Steve; Lyman, Ruby Dawn et al. (2018) Effective Instruction for Persisting Dyslexia in Upper Grades: Adding Hope Stories and Computer Coding to Explicit Literacy Instruction. Educ Inf Technol (Dordr) 23:1043-4068
Alston-Abel, Nicole Lynn; Berninger, Virginia (2018) Relationships between Home Literacy Practices and School Achievement: Implications for Consultation and Home-School Collaboration. J Educ Psychol Consult 28:164-189
Richards, Todd L; Berninger, Virginia W; Yagle, Kevin et al. (2018) 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. Cogent Psychol 5:
Sanders, Elizabeth A; Berninger, Virginia W; Abbott, Robert D (2018) Sequential Prediction of Literacy Achievement for Specific Learning Disabilities Contrasting in Impaired Levels of Language in Grades 4 to 9. J Learn Disabil 51:137-157
Nielsen, Kathleen; Henderson, Sheila; Barnett, Anna L et al. (2018) Movement Issues Identified in Movement ABC2 Checklist Parent Ratings for Students with Persisting Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and OWL LD and Typical Literacy Learners. Learn Disabil (Pittsbg) 23:10-23
Yagle, Kevin; Richards, Todd; Askren, Katie et al. (2017) Relationships between Eye Movements during Sentence Reading Comprehension, Word Spelling and Reading, and DTI and fmri Connectivity In Students with and without Dysgraphia or Dyslexia. J Syst Integr Neurosci 3:
Richards, Todd; Pettet, Mark; Askren, Mary et al. (2017) ERPs While Judging Meaningfulness of Sentences With and Without Homonym or Morpheme Spelling Foils: Comparing 4th to 9th Graders With and Without Spelling Disabilities. Dev Neuropsychol 42:284-297
Richards, Todd L; Abbott, Robert D; Yagle, Kevin et al. (2017) Self-government of complex reading and writing brains informed by cingulo-opercular network for adaptive control and working memory components for language learning. J Syst Integr Neurosci 3:
Richards, Todd L; Berninger, Virginia W; Yagle, Kevin J et al. (2017) Changes in DTI Diffusivity and fMRI Connectivity Cluster Coefficients for Students with and without Specific Learning Disabilities In Written Language: Brain's Response to Writing Instruction. J Nat Sci 3:

Showing the most recent 10 out of 44 publications