New Dyslexia Study at NYU Child Study Center
by Adam Koplewicz
A research study of teenagers with dyslexia has begun at the
New York University Child Study Center. This study is attempting
to shed new light and understanding on a common but disabling
condition.
Using a new neuroimaging technique, DYNOT (Dynamic Near-infrared
Optical Tomography) examines the brain in a safe, non-invasive
manner by having a student wear a helmet that will penetrate
light into his skull, producing an image of the brain. The
study hopes to demonstrate differences between dyslexic and
non-impaired readers.
Volunteers are needed between the ages of 12 and 21, with
or without dyslexia, to participate in one session for two
to four hours. Participants will take a reading assessment
test and wearing the DYNOT helmet. Volunteers will receive
up to $60. Several schools have agreed to let their students
receive community service credit.
Dyslexia is the most common learning
disability in the United States, affecting more than 20 million
individuals. Unfortunately the disorder is often misunderstood
and surrounded with myths. Common misunderstandings include:
dyslexics are stupid, dyslexics reverse and flip their letters,
boys are affected significantly more often, dyslexics have
behavior problems, dyslexia is a “new,
modern day problem.”
Individuals with dyslexia have difficulty decoding or breaking
down a word. They lack phonemic awareness, the ability to hear
the 44 sounds that make up the English language. Reading can
be nearly impossible for these individuals. It is understandable
that someone with dyslexia is going to find school challenging
especially in middle and high school when reading requirements
are considerable.
Nevertheless dyslexics, often intelligent,
are frequently embarrassed by their disability. General George
Patton, one of America’s greatest generals during World
War II and a dyslexic, did not start attending school until
he was 12 years old because he could not read. Tutors read
to him to make sure he gained the necessary information while
he struggled to learn how to read. Nelson Rockefeller, governor
of New York and vice president of the United States, was
also dyslexic and had tutors to teach him to read, which
he never was able to do with any ease. Yet Rockefeller graduated
from Dartmouth College. Winston Churchill was also dyslexic.
The reason that boys are identified
more often is that they are more likely to act up when they
can’t read and therefore
are more likely to get referred. Nevertheless, studies that
examine the reading abilities of the general population show
that girls suffer from dyslexia as frequently as boys. When
a student has dyslexia he may avoid reading out loud and sometimes
resort to being a “clown” or a “troublemaker.”
Dyslexia has been around since humans learned to read. Today,
alternative methods to teaching students how to read have been
developed; some have been found to be very effective. In addition
neuroimaging techniques like MRI have demonstrated differences
in the brains of dyslexics as compared to non-impaired readers.
The new study at the NYU Child Study Center is attempting to
find an easier, safer and less expensive technique to examine
these differences that will hopefully lead to improved interventions
and treatments for students with dyslexia.#
For more information about the NYU Child Study Center Dyslexia
Study please contact Xavier Castellanos, MD, the lead researcher
of the study, at 212-263-8911.
