Zhang Xinyue, Zhao Yueye, Chen Siyu, Huang Zi-Gang, Zhao Jingjing
School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China.
The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Brain Behav. 2025 Sep;15(9):e70781. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70781.
In our previous study, we have identified white matter subnetworks linked to phonological processing deficits (e.g., subnetworks centered at the left middle temporal gyrus) in dyslexic children from alphabetic languages using a data-driven hub-based white matter network analysis approach. Yet, white matter subnetworks associated with phonological processing skills in individuals from nonalphabetic languages (e.g., Chinese) have never been studied. This study aims to identify hub-related white matter networks associated with phonological processing skills in Chinese readers.
Sixty-five Chinese-speaking adults were classified into good readers (n = 37) and poor readers (n = 28) based on the severity of self-reported reading difficulties and dyslexia symptoms, as assessed by the Chinese adaptation of the Adult Reading History Questionnaire (C-ARHQ). We explored hub-related networks corresponding to phonological processing skills among the participants. Mediation analysis was further conducted to examine the relationship between white matter networks, phonological awareness, and character reading ability of these adults.
We observed structural connectivity of two hub-related white matter networks accounted for individual differences of phonological awareness in Chinese readers: white matter networks surrounding the left middle temporal gyrus and the left fusiform gyrus. Follow-up mediation analysis revealed that the two white matter networks further contributed to the character reading ability of Chinese readers through phonological awareness.
The current study provides the first-hand empirical evidence for the white matter network of phonological processing skills in Chinese readers. The findings offer an important cross-linguistic insight into the white matter network corresponding to phonological processing in nonalphabetic languages.
在我们之前的研究中，我们使用基于数据驱动的中心白质网络分析方法，在使用字母语言的诵读困难儿童中，识别出了与语音处理缺陷相关的白质子网（例如，以左颞中回为中心的子网）。然而，非字母语言（如中文）使用者中与语音处理技能相关的白质子网从未被研究过。本研究旨在识别与中文阅读者语音处理技能相关的中心白质网络。
根据成人阅读史问卷（C-ARHQ）中文版评估的自我报告阅读困难和诵读困难症状的严重程度，将65名说中文的成年人分为阅读能力良好组（n = 37）和阅读能力较差组（n = 28）。我们探索了参与者中与语音处理技能相对应的中心网络。进一步进行中介分析，以检验这些成年人的白质网络、语音意识和汉字阅读能力之间的关系。
我们观察到两个与中心相关的白质网络的结构连通性解释了中文阅读者语音意识的个体差异：围绕左颞中回和左梭状回的白质网络。后续的中介分析表明，这两个白质网络通过语音意识进一步影响了中文阅读者的汉字阅读能力。
本研究为中文阅读者语音处理技能的白质网络提供了第一手实证证据。这些发现为非字母语言中与语音处理相对应的白质网络提供了重要的跨语言见解。
