AUTHOR=Chouake Tara , Levy Tamar , Javitt Daniel C., Lavidor Michal 

TITLE=Magnocellular training improves visual word recognition

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2012

YEAR=2012

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00014

DOI=10.3389/fnhum.2012.00014

ISSN=1662-5161

ABSTRACT=Current research has shown that the magnocellular system may play a crucial role in reading deficits related to dyslexia. The current study explored the relationship between magnocellular activity and reading abilities; we examined the hypothesis that a repeated usage of the magnocellular stream may improve reading by strengthening crucial neural pathways. Visual training was conducted for five consecutive days using a motion detection task (magnocellular training) and a control task of pattern detection (parvocellular training).  Reading abilities of skilled readers were measured before and after the training using a lexical decision task.  It was found that low grade visual training overall can improve speed of lexical decision, but only magnocellular training selectively improved accuracy.  Improvement in the magnocellular training task predicted performance on adjacent anagram and word recognition after training.  In contrast, in the control group (parvocellular training) degree of improvement in training did not predict lexical decision performance after training.  This result lends support to the role of the magnocellular system in reading, and has potential implications for neuro-rehabilitation of reading related deficits.