Auckland University psychologist Karen Waldie has been carrying out a brain-mapping study that shows dyslexics try to read with the right side of their brains, not the left.

Using a new magnetic resonance imaging machine, or MRI, she has mapped the brains of dyslexics and non-dyslexics as they perform verbal and non-verbal tasks.

In the non-verbal tasks, dyslexic brains work in exactly the same way as others, however, the verbal tasks show increased blood flow to the right hemisphere of the dyslexic brain, proving that dyslexics try to read the wrong way with the right side.

Dr Waldie's work is physical proof that dyslexia is a neurological condition and may help us to understand the best way forward in remediation.

Her results indicate that the brain may be more flexible than we originally thought.

After 50,000 years, our brains are highly specialised for verbal communication, using specific areas to do this.

Reading, however, is a recent development in human history so the brain recruits a variety of areas to help it perform the task.

Since our brain continues to develop throughout our lifetimes, it would appear there is potential to be able to help dyslexics to read more successfully.

Dr Waldie is looking for five more dyslexic adults to join her study and then hopes to study the condition in children.

Apr 24, 2007

With many thanks to the excellent NZ Herald.