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Reading Skills are Associated with Neural Activation Variability during Spoken and Written Word Processing

Poster Session E - Monday, March 31, 2025, 2:30 – 4:30 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Adianes Herrera-Diaz^1,2, Yishai Pérez-Ponce², Rachael M. Harrington^2,3, Robin Morris^1,2,4, Jeffrey G Malins^1,5,6, C. Nikki Arrington^1,2,4,5; ¹Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA, ²Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA, USA, ³Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA, ⁴Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Atlanta, GA, USA, ⁵Department of Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA, ⁶Mayo Clinic, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA

Introduction: Research suggests that neural activation variability within specific brain regions may be a useful biomarker of cognitive flexibility and adaptability. As part of an ongoing study, we explored whether baseline single word reading in young adults is associated with the average level of functional brain activation and variability during a functional language and reading task. Methods: Twenty-two young adults (mean age: 20.82; 15 female) completed a standardized measure of speeded sight word and pseudoword reading fluency as well as an fMRI-picture word identification task that involved matching written or spoken words to picture cues. Whole-brain analysis based on the general linear model was used to identify activated regions during the processing of spoken versus written words. Scores on sight word and pseudoword efficiency subtests were correlated with mean and variance of activation estimates of brain regions associated with the reading network. Results: Sight word and pseudoword reading efficiency subtests were positively associated with both average level and neural activation variability in supramarginal gyus (SMG), angular gyrus (AG), middle and inferior temporal gyri (MTG; ITG) and inferior frontal gyri, pars triangularis and opercularis (IFGpt; IFGop) during written word processing (Pearson’s r: 0.43-0.51, p < 0.05) . Composite scores were specifically associated with neural activation variability in SMG, MTG, ITG, IFGpt and IFGop during spoken word processing. (Pearson’s r: 0.45-0.49, p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that neural variability during print and speech processing may play an important role for reading performance in young adults.

Topic Area: LANGUAGE: Other