Dyslexic brains can be retrained.

• Position: Learning Disabilities

Dyslexic children's brains operate more like those of normal readers following training designed to help them hear sounds in words, finds a study from Stanford (Calif.) and Rutgers, Newark, N.J., universities. For the first time, researchers have shown that the brains of dyslexic youngsters can be rewired--after under going intensive remediation training--to improve comprehension.

The program, designed to assist dyslexics understand rapidly changing sounds that are the building blocks of language, helps participants become better readers after just eight weeks. "It was very dramatic to see the huge differences that occurred in the brains of these children." explains Stanford psychology professor John Gabrieli. "... One note of optimism ... is that such a limited intervention can have a substantial effect on reading scores."

Brain imaging scans of the children who participated in the training showed that critical areas used for reading were activated for the first time, and that they began to function more normally. Furthermore, additional processing regions were aroused in what scientists believe the dyslexics may have used as a compensatory process as they learned to read more fluently.

Dyslexia, sometimes called "word blindness," is a common disorder, affecting five to 10% of Americans. Dyslexics have trouble distinguishing between letters that rhyme, such as B and D. The condition is defined as a specific difficulty in decoding that is severe enough to interfere with academic functioning and cannot be accounted for by lack of educational opportunities, personal motivation, or problems in sight or sound. Studies estimate that about 40% of people with dyslexia inherit it genetically. Other factors believed to trigger the disorder include prematurity at birth, developmental language impairment, and attention deficits.

Gabrieli believes the study's findings may help demonstrate how different types of programs can tackle various problems faced by poor readers. "This is...