The effect of coherence training via neurofeedback on the improvement of reading in children with dyslexia

Dyslexia is a prevalent childhood disorder. Contrary to leading hypothesis of phonological deficit, new studies showed that the phonological representations in dyslexic children are intact but the ability to access them is impaired. Dysfunctional fronto-temporal connection has been interpreted as a neural evidence for this impaired access. Coherence training via neurofeedback provides the possibility of voluntary control on functional networks of brain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of improving functional connectivity between brains regions involved in reading. In this single subject study, four dyslexic children aged 7-9 years old completed twenty 30 minutes sessions of coherence neurofeedback training. The training protocols were the normalization of fronto-temporo-parietal connections. The results showed improvement in reading abilities and coherence values between target regions after treatment. These changes in coherence indicate dyslexia as a brain network disorder and coherence guided neurofeedback seems to be capable of modifying these disturbances.