Altered Cortico-cerebellar effective connectivity of the Visuo-attentional system is associated with READ1 deletion in developmental dyslexia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a heritable neurodevelopmental disorder associated with altered brain connectivity. The influence of genetic risks on cortico-cerebellar effective connectivity (EC) remains unclear. The present study investigates how reading proficiency and the READ1 deletion (READ1d) in the DCDC2 gene modulate visuo-attentional network dynamics. Functional MRI data were acquired in 78 children (DD and typical readers, with/without READ1d) performing a coherent motion detection task. EC within a seven-region visuo-attentional network, including magnocellular, ventral attention, and cerebellar (crus I) regions, was estimated using Dynamic Causal Modelling. Group-level effects were assessed using Parametric Empirical Bayes within a hierarchical Bayesian framework, testing reading proficiency, READ1d status, and their interaction (posterior probability threshold, Pp > 0.95). Reading proficiency was associated with increased cerebellar influence on visual and frontal regions, alongside reduced intra-cortical connectivity within dorsal stream pathways. The presence of READ1d was associated with reduced EC from primary visual and cerebellar regions to magnocellular and ventral attention networks, and increased intra-cortical interactions. The interaction between DD and READ1d revealed further reductions in cortico-cerebellar connectivity and altered network dynamics. Group-level analyses revealed EC differences in cortico-cerebellar pathways, which are reported as exploratory findings. Cortico-cerebellar EC is modulated by both reading proficiency and genetic susceptibility. Altered cerebellar contributions to visuo-attentional processes may represent a potential imaging-genetic signature of dyslexia, warranting replication in independent samples and validation through longitudinal and multimodal approaches.
Source: NeuroImage Clinical
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,490
Awards: G1097422683, G119252271, Virtual Brain Twin for personalised treatment of Psychiatric Disorders, G1619494194, G1724223818, G1740413602, G1769941385, G1843456423, G190268827, G2045496603, A 5 year prospective follow-up clinical and imaging investigation of demyelinating clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), G2372493982, G2789362503, G3323308467, G3442705347, EBRAINS 2.0: A Research Infrastructure to Advance Neuroscience and Brain Health, G3936970252, G4125086546, G4371434765, G4499128580, G455327546, G5055238918, G5356239126, Interactive Computing E-Infrastructure for the Human Brain Project, G6278817500, G6341469117, G6360694085, G6663672956, G6900113999, G7303014268, G7952648999, G8142160590, G8245847950, G8301431789, Cerebellum and Emotional Networks, G8441428806, G8715391269, Human Brain Project Specific Grant Agreement 3
OpenAlex ID: W7223196302