Do differences in brain activation challenge universal theories of dyslexia?
It has been commonly agreed that developmental dyslexia in different languages has a common biological origin: a dysfunction of left posterior temporal brain regions dealing with phonological processes. Siok, Perfetti, Jin, and Tan (2004, Nature, 431, 71-76) challenge this biological unity theory of dyslexia: Chinese dyslexics show no deficits in posterior temporal brain regions but a functional disruption of the left middle frontal gyrus. Here, I will argue that these data do not challenge universal cognitive theories of dyslexia according to which weaknesses in the ability to process the phonological features of language are at the origin of dyslexia.
Ziegler
Johannes C
JC
Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, CNRS et Université de Provence, Case 66, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3, France. ziegler@up.univ-mrs.fr
D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010700:Phonetics; D011582:Psychological Theory; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology*