Learning problems, delayed development, and puberty.

Beverly A Wright; Steven G Zecker

doi:10.1073/pnas.0401825101

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Learning problems, delayed development, and puberty.

Beverly A Wright·Steven G Zecker

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Abstract

Language-based learning disorders such as dyslexia affect millions of people, but there is little agreement as to their cause. New evidence from behavioral measures of the ability to hear tones in the presence of background noise indicates that the brains of affected individuals develop more slowly than those of their unaffected counterparts. In addition, it seems that brain changes occurring at approximately 10 years of age, presumably associated with puberty, may prematurely halt this slower-than-normal development when improvements would normally continue into adolescence. The combination of these ideas can account for a wide range of previous results, suggesting that delayed brain development, and its interaction with puberty, may be key factors contributing to learning problems.

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Acoustic Stimulation Adolescent Adult Aging Auditory Perception Brain Case-Control Studies Child Developmental Disabilities Dyslexia Female Humans Learning Disabilities Male Puberty Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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Beverly A Wright, Steven G Zecker. 2004-06-21. Learning problems, delayed development, and puberty.. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0401825101

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