Introduction
It is widely known that reading and learning are complex processes involving various parts of the brain. Reading serves a crucial purpose for several individuals today, but many people of normal intelligence still cannot read well. Giraud & Ramus (2013, p. 37) mention that 3-7% of school children experience reading problems due to phonological disabilities commonly referred to as dyslexia. They argue that dyslexia is accompanied by difficulty in performing tasks involving speech. The authors have proposed several genes that contribute to poor reading, spelling, and short-term memory. Addressed in this article review are a summary and a critical analysis of a neurobiology paper. Similarly, it aims to investigate the relationship between neuronal microarchitecture of the auditory cortex and particular phonological processing abnormalities.
Summary and Arguments
The paper under review proposes that the defects associated with dyslexia come from genetic irregularities of cortical microarchitecture in the temporal lobe. After analyzing many sources and literature, Giraud & Ramus (2013) conclude that a particular series of genes are associated with dyslexia. Dyslexia is defined as an unexpected problem in reading for a person who has the intellect to be a much better reader owing to phonological processing issues (Shaywitz & Shaywitz, 2020). A diverse range of genes contributes to cognitive disorders and brain dysfunctions (Giraud & Ramus, 2013). The importance of the genes can be analyzed by inactivating some of the genes in rodents. Evidence presented in the study shows that genes and phenotypic differences have a significant role in developmental dyslexia.
The paper proposes that developmental dyslexia is strongly associated with biological etiology supported by multifactorial genetic etiology. This could lead to minor problems in reading, recalling the name, and remembering pictures. The authors propose that general alteration of the human cortical neuroanatomy and the dyslexia relation genes contribute to difficulties experienced in reading by rather intelligent people. Other theories presented to explain this problem include dyslexia susceptibilities such as DYX1C1 and DCDC2 and auditory mismatch negativity variations.
Positions, Findings, and Critiques
The authors take a position to analyze the alterations of phonological processing of people sing molecular genetics and dyslexia candidate genes. In reviewing the literature, the researchers discovered no evidence of a direct causal link between genes in individuals and auditory processing. This was not the expected result because dyslexic auditory cortical responses are faulty in certain people, with new trials suggesting them as possible determinants (Giraud & Ramus, 2013). Despite its comprehensive analysis of recent literature, the study did not find a definite cause of auditory processing disorder. The paper does not have exclusive research on the topic, the sources used are not well identified and cited, and it is hard for an average reader to grasp.
Recommendations
The literature reviewed by the authors focused on dyslexia in humans who, for health reasons, cannot have their candidate genes altered for study purposes. Giraud and Ramus (2013) recommended that further study on the topic be done on animals. In this research, the two arguments should involve deactivating some of the genes that contribute to phonological processing in Animals. A non-human study would widen the scope of the study, with rodents being the best animals to use for this further research.
Conclusions
The study discovered no clear correlation between the auditory cortex’s neuronal microarchitecture changes and specific modifications in processing sound and written words. However, the literature showed that developmental dyslexia is strongly associated with biological etiology. These were unexpected results as the latest genetic and neurophysiological studies suggested that specific genetic markers of auditory oscillations could be established. This study makes compelling arguments on the role of genes in auditory problems while also analyzing current literature on neurogenetics and dyslexia. Although the paper addresses the topic well, it is hard to grasp as it provides a narrow scope of neurogenetics and auditory deficits.
References
Giraud, A. L., & Ramus, F. (2013). Neurogenetics and auditory processing in developmental dyslexia. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 23(1), 37-42. Web.
Shaywitz, B. A., & Shaywitz, S. E. (2020). The American experience: Towards a 21st-century definition of dyslexia. Oxford Review of Education, 46(4), 454-471. Web.