Evidence for a specific cross-modal association deficit in dyslexia: an electrophysiological study of letter-speech sound processing

摘要: The phonological deficit theory of dyslexia assumes that degraded speech sound representations might hamper the acquisition stable letter-speech associations necessary for learning to read. However, there is only scarce and mainly indirect evidence this assumed association problem. present study aimed at clarifying nature role problems in by analysing event-related potentials (ERP) 11-year-old dyslexic children sounds isolation or combined with letters, which were presented either simultaneously 200 ms before sounds. Recent studies normal readers revealed letters systematically modulated processing an early (mismatch negativity MMN) late (Late Discriminatory Negativity LDN) time-window. amplitude MMN LDN was enhanced when letters. study, however, did not exhibit any influences on even after 4 years reading instruction, indicating no automatic integration Interestingly, they a systematic effect processing, probably reflecting mere This pattern strongly divergent from observed age-matched readers, who showed both effects, but reminiscent beginner previous (Froyen, Bonte, van Atteveldt & Blomert, 2009). finding quality directly related fluency urges further research into audiovisual development failure dyslexia.