WEDNESDAY, 27 January
Neuropsychology of developmental dyslexia
(organised by K. Shapiro, San Francisco, USA)
Dyslexia is a common neurodevelopmental disorder which often presents with difficulty in learning to read, although it is also frequently associated with problems in phonology, oral and motor praxis, numerical cognition, and executive function. Despite the frequency of dyslexia, its brain basis and core causes are not fully understood. Investigations into the neurocognitive basis of dyslexia have the potential not only to shed light on the pathophysiology of this heterogeneous disorder, but also—by examining ways in which dyslexics' brain structure and cognition differ from non-dyslexics—to inform theories about the neuropsychology of language and its intersections with other core cognitive domains.
15.00 KEVIN SHAPIRO (San Francisco, USA)
Dyslexia and cognitive variability: From neurodevelopment to neurodegeneration
15.40 Floor discussion
15.50 DANIELA PERANI (Milano, Italy)
Genes, phenotypes and endophenotypes: the lesson from developmental dyslexia
16.30 Floor discussion
16.40 Coffee break
17.00 FRANC RAMUS (Paris, France)
Neuroanatomy of dyslexia
17.40 Floor discussion
17.50 MAAIKE VANDERMOSTEN (Leuven, Belgium)
Structural and functional markers of vulnerability in the reading network
18.30 Floor discussion
18.40 General discussion
ERALDO PAULESU (Milano, Italy) Discussant
Kevin Shapiro will introduce the topic and discuss the key neuropsychological features of developmental dyslexia and the heterogeneous phenotypes of the disorder. Daniela Perani will speak about the genetic and anatomical basis of familial and idiopathic language disorders and how these relate to neuropsychological deficits. Franck Ramus will discuss the neuroanatomy of dyslexia, with an emphasis on the links between biology, cognition and behavior. Maaike Vandermosten will focus on the links between auditory processing, phonological representation, and alterations in white matter tracts. Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini will discuss the relationship between developmental dyslexia and the presentation of neurodegenerative disease later in life. Eraldo Paulesu will do the final wrap-up and provocation of speakers&audience at the end of the symposium.
References
Brambati SM et al. Brain Res (2006) 1113:174.
Marino C et al. Cortex (2014) 57:227.
Boets B et al. Science (2013) 342:1251.
Miller ZA et al. Brain (2013) 136:3461.
Paulesu et al. Front Hum Neurosci. 2014 Nov 11;8:830. eCollection 2014.
Ramus F. Trends in Neurosci (2004) 27:720.