Project description
A breakthrough in early detection of dyslexia
Dyslexia is more than a letter-swapping issue. It is about how we process the sounds linked to those letters. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EPIC Read project will combine speech production and neurophysiological paradigms to uncover the root causes of dyslexia and identify new clinical markers for early detection. Specifically, it will study the link between phonological processing and speech production in the development of typical children. Expected insights may help identify children at risk of dyslexia. In a second investigative parameter, EPIC Read will examine if neurophysiological brain data correlates with speech production markers in dyslexic children. The project holds the promise of earlier dyslexia diagnosis, changing the lives of countless individuals struggling with reading disorders.
Objective
Dyslexia is often thought of as a deficit that causes someone to transpose letters within a word or to see letters backwards. However, decades of research have shown that people with dyslexia do not have issues with seeing letters, but rather with how they process the sounds associated with these letters. The purpose of the current project is to broaden our understanding of the underlying deficits in dyslexia and to identify clinical markers that can help with early identification. Most studies have focused on how individuals with dyslexia perceive speech sounds (using behavioral or neurophysiological paradigms). However, little is known about speech production ability in this population. Therefore, there is a critical need to examine production in this population which can later be used as an early diagnostic marker by speech language pathologists.
The current project combines both speech production and neurophysiological paradigms to better understand the underlying sources of dyslexia, and to identify new markers associated with reading disorders which we can be implement clinically. In the first experiment, I examine the relationship between phonological processing skills and speech production in typically developing children. This will inform how we can use speech production patterns to identify children at risk of developing dyslexia. In the second experiment, I examine whether neurophysiological brain data is associated with speech production markers in children with dyslexia. This project has important clinical implications on diagnosis and earlier identification of dyslexia.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
20009 San Sebastian
Spain