一项研究说，大脑成像而不是标准化的测试可能有助于预测哪些诵读困难儿童有可能随着时间推移而改善他们的阅读能力。大约20%的诵读困难儿童在长到成年的时候阅读技能得到改善，但是这种补偿的基础尚不明确，而且阅读能力的改善很难预测。Fumiko Hoeft及其同事对25位诵读困难儿童和20位相同年龄的对照儿童用广泛使用的标准化阅读与语言测试评估了其阅读能力，并且对其进行了脑成像。这组作者在2.5年后重复进行了这种测试和成像，从而寻找与阅读改善有关的大脑测量或标准化测试结果。这组作者报告说，标准化测试没能预测未来的阅读改善。与对照组相比，大脑的右半球有更多的活动和结构连接的诵读困难儿童表现出了阅读能力的更大的改善。此外，整个大脑的激活模式比对任何一边大脑测量都能更好地预测阅读的改善。这组作者说，如果在将来针对更大规模受试者的研究中得到证实，这些发现可能表明大脑成像可能成为一种预后工具，去预测诵读困难儿童的阅读能力改善。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1008950108
Neural systems predicting long-term outcome in dyslexia
Fumiko Hoefta,b,1, Bruce D. McCandlissc, Jessica M. Blacka,d, Alexander Gantmana, Nahal Zakerania, Charles Hulmee, Heikki Lyytinenf, Susan Whitfield-Gabrielig, Gary H. Gloverh, Allan L. Reissa,b,h, and John D. E. Gabrielih
Abstract
Individuals with developmental dyslexia vary in their ability to improve reading skills, but the brain basis for improvement remains largely unknown. We performed a prospective, longitudinal study over 2.5 y in children with dyslexia (n = 25) or without dyslexia (n = 20) to discover whether initial behavioral or brain measures, including functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), can predict future long-term reading gains in dyslexia. No behavioral measure, including widely used and standardized reading and language tests, reliably predicted future reading gains in dyslexia. Greater right prefrontal activation during a reading task that demanded phonological awareness and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (including arcuate fasciculus) white-matter organization significantly predicted future reading gains in dyslexia. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) of these two brain measures, using linear support vector machine (SVM) and cross-validation, predicted significantly above chance (72% accuracy) which particular child would or would not improve reading skills (behavioral measures were at chance). MVPA of whole-brain activation pattern during phonological processing predicted which children with dyslexia would improve reading skills 2.5 y later with >90% accuracy. These findings identify right prefrontal brain mechanisms that may be critical for reading improvement in dyslexia and that may differ from typical reading development. Brain measures that predict future behavioral outcomes (neuroprognosis) may be more accurate, in some cases, than available behavioral measures.
