Stroop interference in children with developmental dyslexia

Abstract

Abstract Previous studies have identified inhibitory deficits in dyslexic children, but we have little understanding of their neural mechanisms, especially for Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. We used a double-blind controlled trial to study the electroencephalogram responses of dyslexic and non-dyslexic children when performing the Stroop color-word test. Behavioral data showed differences in response time and accuracy between the 2 groups. In the event-related potentials (ERP) results, dyslexic children displayed larger P2 and P3b on congruent trials, while non-dyslexic children displayed larger P2 and P3b on incongruent trials, the 2 groups showed opposite brain activation patterns on the Stroop test. Dyslexic children have poor inhibitory function, and this poor inhibition may be related to their abnormal brain activation patterns.