Bottom Line: Developmental dyslexia emerges in childhood and is a reading disorder believed to involve language processing deficits. Reading is also a visual task but the potential role of visual processing in developmental dyslexia has been controversial. This study was a small observational study to assess the frequency of visual deficits in 29 children with developmental dyslexia compared with 33 typically developing reading children. Deficiencies in some measures of visual function were more common among children with developmental dyslexia than children who were typically developing. The cause and clinical relevance of the study findings are uncertain and more studies are needed to see if treating visual function deficiencies improves reading in children with developmental dyslexia.
Authors: Aparna Raghuram, O.D., Ph.D., Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, and coauthors
Related material: The commentary, "Is Oculomotor Testing Important in Developmental Dyslexia?" by Scott A. Larson, M.D., University of Iowa, Iowa City, is also available on the For The Media website.
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To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.2797)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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Journal
JAMA Ophthalmology