All the studies underlined the high frequency of co-morbid associations in specific learning disorders. Understanding the reasons for these associations could enable us to determine the cerebral bases that underlie each disorder. Their frequent association suggests the etiological bases are partly common, it seems logical to turn to explanatory models of various common specific disorders. The model recently proposed by Nicholson \& Fawcett (2007) suggests a specific disorder of procedural learning. But the brain networks involved in this learning could be achieved separately. We intend therefore to study the neural networks involved in learning procedural and compare networks recruited among children with specific learning disorder alone or in combination (co-morbidity). The children included in the study have either a Developmental Dyslexia or a Developmental Coordination Disorder, or both. The procedure includes a neuropsychological evaluation and a brain MRI study with a morphological and a functional part. During fMRI the child realizes a automated motor task contrasting with a task involving learning procedural.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
65
The neuropsychological assessment will include an assessment of: * Intellectual ability * Laterality * Reading Skills * Motor skills * Oral Language * Attention * Child's behaviour
It will include a first session of about an hour outside MRI for familiarization with the environment of the MRI. The MRI will then be made after a break of 15 minutes * Morphological time: this time include the initial acquisition of a sequence of anatomical 3D T1-weighted high-resolution contiguous axial slices and the imaging of diffusion tensor. * Functional time: The experimental paradigm is a paradigm as a block with alternating phase of motor and rest conditions. The two motor tasks are: a Learning motor sequence or motor sequence task and Automated motor sequence or AT (automated task).
Hôpital des Enfants
Toulouse, France
difference in the level of brain activity
The difference in the level of brain activity obtained by contrasting the result of the automated task and that task with learning in the same patient-adjusted performance.
Time frame: 1 day
The level of brain activity obtained by fMRI
The level of brain activity obtained by fMRI will be estimated by the blood flow in milliliters per minute using a standardized procedure and validated specific MRI used and managed entirely by dedicated software (SPM8 - Welcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, London, UK). The performance adjustment is made in the analysis of the estimated difference in blood flow using a mixed model. Regions of interest are the primary motor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the pre motor cortex, the striatum and the cerebellum. These regions will be studied in both hemispheres.
Time frame: 1 day
The performance of subjects
The performance of subjects evaluated in terms of frequency of movements in Hz and the number of erroneous restraints. The average frequency of movements for each block will be used as a covariate in the statistical analysis.
Time frame: 1 day
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