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1996/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Anatomia/Fisiologia

Many consider that dyslexia cannot be considered a serious disease, but this should not hide the importance of this dysfunction, as it hinders the development of thousands of children. And a discovery that will facilitate a better understanding of dyslexia: a team of researchers seems to have managed to find out where brain dysfunction occurs. As is known, in the cerebral cortex (on the left ear) there are two fundamental points that facilitate the correct development of activities such as reading.

It has just made a discovery that makes it easier to know better the reason for dyslexia. It was known what were the functions of two fundamental areas in the cerebral cortex, but not the third in it. A group of researchers have shown that this third one is bridging and that dyslexia occurs when it does not perform that function.

Next to them there is a third space, but so far the researcher has not managed to separate his function. As we have seen recently, this third section is a bridge that coordinates both areas, an inactive to dyslexic mechanism.

To reach this result, the team of researchers tested brain activity to a group of children. The data found that the two parts of the cerebral cortex of children without dyslexia brought their work to fruition: one part identified the word read and the other divided the word and represented its sound in the brain, while the bridge between both functions was done by the third part.

In the case of dyslexics, the bridge between the two parts was not activated, so the dyslexic reader could not assimilate the words, creating a dysfunction between the two parts of the brain. Knowing the space in which the coordination function develops, researchers have shown great hope. The diagnosis of dyslexia and the proper educational system to overcome this problem will be easier from now on.