In search of neurophysiological markers for an auditory processing deficit in dyslexia.

The etiology of developmental dyslexia remains widely debated. One theory postulates that the reading and spelling problems in dyslexia originate from reduced sensitivity to temporal auditory information. This low-level deficit is thought to provoke a cascade of effects, including underspecified phonological representations and inaccurate speech perception. Until now, most studies focused on the psychophysical investigation of this deficit. However, its neural basis remains unknown. This project aims to investigate the neural nature of the temporal processing deficit in dyslexia and to relate it to speech perception and reading abilities by investigating neural responses to basic auditory temporal information as well as directly to the speech envelope. Furthermore, we aim to investigate the possibility to improve neural processing of the speech envelope by enhancing particular envelope cues in the speech signal and to unravel whether this speech enhancement strategy is also beneficial for individuals with dyslexia. Besides its theoretical relevance, this project strives (1) to contribute to the discovery of specific neurophysiologic markers for dyslexia, important for the early detection of dyslexia, and (2) to explore possible strategies to entrain sensitivity to temporal auditory cues and to improve speech perception abilities of individuals with dyslexia.