Family patterns of development dyslexia, Part II: Behavioral phenotypes
- Childrens Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); and others
The motor control of bimanual coordination and motor speech was compared between first degree relatives from families with at least 2 dyslexic family members, and families where probands were the only affected family members. Half of affected relatives had motor coordination deficits; and they came from families in which probands also showed impaired motor coordination. By contrast, affected relatives without motor deficits came from dyslexia families where probands did not have motor deficits. Motor coordination deficits were more common and more severe among affected offspring in families where both parents were affected than among affected offspring in families where only one parent was affected. However, motor coordination deficits were also more common and more severe in affected parents when both parents were affected than among affected parents in families where only one parent was affected. We conclude that impaired temporal resolution in motor action identifies a behavioral phenotype in some subtypes of developmental dyslexia. The observed pattern of transmission for motor deficits and reading impairment in about half of dyslexia families was most congruent with a genetic model of dyslexia in which 2 codominant major genes cosegregate in dyslexia pedigrees where the proband is also motorically impaired. 54 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 254403
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Medical Genetics, Journal Name: American Journal of Medical Genetics Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 60; ISSN 0148-7299; ISSN AJMGDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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