title: Dichotic listening as an index of lateralization of speech perception in familial risk children with and without dyslexia.
abstract: Atypical language lateralization has been marked as one of the factors that may contribute to the development of dyslexia. Indeed, atypical lateralization of linguistic functions such as speech processing in dyslexia has been demonstrated using neuroimaging studies, but also using the behavioral dichotic listening (DL) method. However, so far, DL results have been mixed. The current study assesses lateralization of speech processing by using DL in a sample of children at familial risk (FR) for dyslexia. In order to determine whether atypical lateralization of speech processing relates to reading ability, or is a correlate of being at familial risk, the current study compares the laterality index of FR children who did and did not become dyslexic, and a control group of readers without dyslexia. DL was tested in 3rd grade and in 5/6th grade. Results indicate that at both time points, all three groups have a right ear advantage, indicative of more pronounced left-hemispheric processing. However, the FR-dyslexic children are less good at reporting from the left ear than controls and FR-nondyslexic children. This impediment relates to reading fluency.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: b.e.hakvoort@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hakvoort
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aryan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Leij
authors.affiliation: Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) & University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ellie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Setten
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maurits
authors.affiliation: Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) & University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maassen
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Titia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Zuijen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004007:Dichotic Listening Tests; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Dichotic listening; Dyslexia; Familial risk; Language; Lateralization; Speech processing