Pınar Yunus, Bayat Nihat, Yüksel Begümhan, Özkara Yasin
Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey.
Department of Basic Education, Faculty of Education, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey.
Children (Basel). 2025 May 30;12(6):710. doi: 10.3390/children12060710.
Reading is a core cognitive ability that plays a central role in children's brain development and academic success. This review aims to examine the neuroplastic relationship between reading acquisition and white matter development from infancy through adolescence, with a focus on implications for literacy interventions and educational planning. A systematic review of 89 neuroimaging studies published between 1998 and 2024 was conducted. Eligible studies utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) or structural MRI to investigate white matter changes related to reading behavior in children aged 0 to 18. Studies were identified through comprehensive searches in Web of Science and Scopus databases. Children with stronger reading abilities consistently showed increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in key white matter pathways, such as the arcuate fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus, supporting phonological processing and reading fluency. Longitudinal data suggest that early exposure to literacy enhances brain flexibility and white matter organization. In contrast, children with reading disabilities, including dyslexia, often show disorganized white matter structure, but compensatory pathways may emerge through targeted interventions. Reading experience is associated with measurable changes in white matter development across childhood. Early and sustained literacy engagement appears to optimize neural structures for reading. These findings can inform early diagnosis and improve pedagogical strategies for literacy education. Further research is needed on the long-term neurobiological effects of reading interventions.
阅读是一项核心认知能力，在儿童大脑发育和学业成就中起着关键作用。本综述旨在探讨从婴儿期到青少年期阅读习得与白质发育之间的神经可塑性关系，重点关注对读写能力干预和教育规划的影响。对1998年至2024年间发表的89项神经影像学研究进行了系统综述。符合条件的研究利用扩散张量成像（DTI）或结构MRI来调查0至18岁儿童中与阅读行为相关的白质变化。通过在科学网和Scopus数据库中进行全面检索来确定研究。阅读能力较强的儿童在关键白质通路（如弓状束和上纵束）中始终表现出分数各向异性（FA）增加，这支持语音处理和阅读流畅性。纵向数据表明，早期接触读写能力可增强大脑灵活性和白质组织。相比之下，包括诵读困难在内的阅读障碍儿童通常表现出白质结构紊乱，但通过有针对性的干预可能会出现代偿通路。阅读体验与儿童期白质发育的可测量变化相关。早期和持续的读写参与似乎能优化阅读的神经结构。这些发现可为早期诊断提供信息，并改善读写教育的教学策略。需要进一步研究阅读干预的长期神经生物学效应。
