Psychophysical evidence for a general temporal processing deficit in children with dyslexia

Neuroreport. 2001 Nov 16;12(16):3603-7. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200111160-00046.

Abstract

The hypothesis of a general (i.e. cross-modal) temporal processing deficit in dyslexia was tested by examining rapid processing in both the auditory and the visual system in the same children with dyslexia. Participants were 10- to 12-year-old dyslexic readers and age-matched normal reading controls. Psychophysical thresholds were estimated for auditory gap and visual double flash detection, using a two-interval, two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Significant group differences were found for the auditory and the visual test. Furthermore, temporal processing measures were significantly related to word and pseudo-word reading skills. As 70% of the dyslexic readers had significantly higher thresholds than controls for both auditory and visual temporal processing, the evidence tends to support the hypothesis of a general temporal processing deficit in children with dyslexia.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Auditory Perception / physiology
  • Auditory Perceptual Disorders / physiopathology
  • Auditory Perceptual Disorders / psychology
  • Child
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Dyslexia / physiopathology*
  • Dyslexia / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Temporal Lobe / physiopathology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology