# Multi-site Study of Dyslexia

> **NIH NIH R01** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2020 · $322,777

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 [The proposed research tests the hypothesis that atypical cerebral symmetries increase the risk for
dyslexia through the expression of dyslexia-related genes that are known to regulate brain development.] While
there were early promising findings linking planum temporale symmetry to dyslexia, study limitations due to
small sample size, inconsistent measurement methods, and varied behavioral and genetic profiles of the
subjects produced inconsistent results. [Here we examine planum temporale and other cerebral symmetries
associated with dyslexia]. We address the limitations of previous studies by using a large dataset of existing
genetic, neuroimaging, and behavioral data, as well as multi-site methods that we developed in the current
funding period that make it possible to address dyslexia hypotheses with large multisite datasets. We have
demonstrated the ability to deal with missing data, varied image acquisitions, and the behavioral heterogeneity
of dyslexia samples that is influenced by sampling approaches. [Specific Aim 1 is to test the hypothesis that
atypical cerebral asymmetries are observed for specific reading disability profiles, which are theoretically and
empirically-grounded and map to different genetic risks. Specific Aim 2 is to examine the degree to which
specific genetic risk variants for dyslexia influence the development of cerebral asymmetries. Specific Aim 3
is to develop the cloud-based infrastructure to provide investigators with secondary data for use in their studies
and to replicate our findings (e.g., cerebral asymmetry measures related to dyslexia). The results will provide
a consensus on the cerebral asymmetry hypothesis for dyslexia because of our large dataset and collaborative
approach, provide behavioral neurogenetic explanations for dyslexia, and provide resources to the research
community to advance our understanding of dyslexia and other developmental disorders.]

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9844476
- **Project number:** 5R01HD069374-07
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Mark Andrew Eckert
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $322,777
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-01-03 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9844476

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9844476, Multi-site Study of Dyslexia (5R01HD069374-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9844476. Licensed CC0.

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