# Influence of ADHD and Executive Functions on Developmental Dyslexia

> **NIH NIH R01** · MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS · 2024 · $653,621

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Dyslexia and ADHD are prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders with a high rate of co-occurrence. Executive
function (EF) challenges are common in both disorders, but research has yet to examine whether reading is
impacted differentially by EF deficits or ADHD status. Dyslexia research is further limited by few longitudinal
neuroimaging efforts examining reading growth and predictors of change in reading over time. Examining EF in
dyslexia with ADHD and dyslexia without ADHD is an under-studied topic, despite the potential for clarifying
etiological factors underlying reading difficulty and understanding the impact on academic outcomes that rely on
reading. Scientifically, this effort is essential for disambiguating contributions of ADHD and EF to reading
performance in dyslexia and testing associated theoretical models. Practically, this information is crucial for
developing effective assessment approaches to understand reading difficulty and intervene effectively. Final
datasets will include 80 typically developing readers (TD), 80 students with dyslexia, and 80 students with
dyslexia and ADHD. Students will be recruited when they are in grade three or four (ages 8-10), and data
collection will span three annual consecutive visits. The objectives are to: (1) precisely characterize ADHD status,
EF skills, and reading skills; (2) examine behavioral and neurocognitive correlates of reading to differentiate
contributions of EF deficits from ADHD status in dyslexia; and (3) determine whether behavioral and/or
neurocognitive longitudinal reading growth for children with dyslexia differ by comorbid ADHD and/or EF deficit
status. We predict that children with dyslexia will not differ based on reading measures when comparing children
with comorbid ADHD versus dyslexia alone. We hypothesize that (1) among children with dyslexia (with and
without ADHD), EF deficits - but not ADHD diagnosis - will be associated with worse reading performance and
differences on neurocognitive indices of performance; (2) children with dyslexia who do not have EF deficits will
demonstrate more reading growth than their peers with EF deficits, regardless of ADHD status, and (3) EF
deficits will impact reading fluency but not reading accuracy performance and growth. Findings will inform us
about whether any of these factors are related to children who make substantial progress in closing their reading
gaps versus other children do not, as well as characterize the utility of EF measures/ADHD surveys in predicting
reading growth among children with dyslexia. The significance of the research extends from discovery of etiology
associated with reading difficulties to testing a theoretical model and constructing improved approaches to
assessment and intervention for struggling readers. This proposal offers the largest and longest neurocognitive
study of dyslexia to date. Most importantly, the current work offers the potential to discover whether EF or ADHD
status may pr...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10794389
- **Project number:** 5R01HD106122-03
- **Recipient organization:** MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS
- **Principal Investigator:** JOANNA CHRISTODOULOU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $653,621
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10794389

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10794389, Influence of ADHD and Executive Functions on Developmental Dyslexia (5R01HD106122-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10794389. Licensed CC0.

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