title: Magnocellular mediated visual-spatial attention and reading ability.
abstract: This study explores the relationship between attentional processing mediated by visual magnocellular (MC) processing and reading ability. Reading ability in a group of primary school children was compared to performance on a visual cued coherent motion detection task. The results showed that a brief spatial cue was more effective in drawing attention either away or towards a visual target in the group of readers ranked in the upper 25% of the sample compared to lower ranked readers. Regression analysis showed a significant relationship between attentional processing and reading when the effects of age and intellectual ability were removed. Results suggested a stronger relationship between visual attentional and non-word reading compared to irregular word reading.
authors.affiliation: University Laboratory of Physiology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. kris.kinsey@physiol.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Kristofer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kinsey
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011932:Reading; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology