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Developmental dyslexia and explicit long‐term memory
Author(s) -
Menghini Deny,
Carlesimo Giovanni Augusto,
Marotta Luigi,
Finzi Alessandra,
Vicari Stefano
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
dyslexia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1099-0909
pISSN - 1076-9242
DOI - 10.1002/dys.410
Subject(s) - dyslexia , psychology , cognitive psychology , short term memory , cognition , visual memory , reading (process) , verbal memory , working memory , developmental psychology , linguistics , neuroscience , philosophy
Abstract The reduced verbal long‐term memory capacities often reported in dyslexics are generally interpreted as a consequence of their deficit in phonological coding. The present study was aimed at evaluating whether the learning deficit exhibited by dyslexics was restricted only to the verbal component of the long‐term memory abilities or also involved visual‐object and visual‐spatial domain. A further goal of the present study was to investigate the predictive value of non‐verbal long‐term memory abilities with respect to word and non‐word reading in dyslexic children. In accordance with these aims, performances of 60 dyslexic children were compared with that of 65 age‐matched normal readers on verbal, visual‐spatial and visual‐object task. Results documented a generalized impairment of episodic long‐term memory capacities in dyslexic children and the results did not vary as a function of children's age. Furthermore, in addition to verbal measures, also individual differences in non‐verbal long‐term memory tasks turn out to be good predictors of reading difficulties in dyslexics. Our findings indicate that the long‐term memory deficit in dyslexia is not limited to the dysfunction of phonological components but also involves visual‐object and visual‐spatial aspect, thus suggesting that dyslexia is associated to multiple cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.