Brain asymmetry for language in dyslexic children.

Studies of brain asymmetry in dyslexia have yielded mixed results both with respect to patterns of asymmetry and their cognitive correlates. This paper assessed language lateralisation inferred from dichotic listening with forced attention in a clinical group of young dyslexic subjects. As a whole the dyslexic group showed a deviant asymmetry pattern compared to a control group. Subdivision into two subgroups by receptive language abilities yielded differential patterns within the dyslexia group. Both subgroups exhibited a weaker response pattern to right ear stimuli than the control group. In addition, the subgroup with no language impairment showed bilateral language representation, whereas the subgroup with impaired receptive language abilities showed reversed dominance patterns.