Executive Function as a Protective Factor in the Transmission of Reading Ability & Vulnerability - Project Summary/Abstract: Reading ability is highly heritable, with genetic factors explaining approximately 40-70% of individual differences in achievement. Twin studies show that 40-60% of children with a family history of dyslexia develop persistent reading difficulties; however, a roughly equal number go on to develop typical reading skills, demonstrating resilience to familial risk. Executive function (EF) has emerged as a key cognitive factor that may reduce vulnerability across the continuum of reading abilities, promoting resilience in at-risk readers. EF has been shown to influence multiple reading-related processes, including decoding, word reading, fluency, and comprehension, with large studies reporting significant effects across developmental stages. Children who struggle to read often show significant impairments in EF and demonstrate atypical engagement of executive control networks. Importantly, EF is a significant predictor of future reading abilities in prereaders with familial risk, and adults who have overcome childhood reading difficulties often show stronger EF than those with persistent challenges. Understanding the role of EF in reading development and the transmission of reading abilities is of critical importance because research indicates that EF is malleable through intervention, offering pathways to support improved reading achievement in vulnerable children. The proposed project represents the first familial control neuroimaging study investigating the neural and behavioral mechanisms by which EF promotes resilience across the continuum of reading ability. It will leverage data from the Intergenerational Neuroimaging of Language and Reading Networks project (5R01HD094834-05; Hoeft, 2019-2025) to accomplish three goals, each aligned to a specific aim. Using standardized testing data and targeted analyses in brain regions related to reading and EF, this study will first test whether child behavioral EF predicts (a) reading-related neural activation during a reading task and (b) reading achievement; second, whether child behavioral EF predicts reading resilience, operationalized as achievement exceeding parent-predicted scores; and third, whether child neural activation mediates the relationship between child behavioral EF and reading resilience. By identifying the neural and behavioral mechanisms by which EF promotes resilience to inherited vulnerability, this work will (1) inform theoretical models of reading development, (2) improve identification of at-risk children, (3) provide specific targets for intervention, and (4) potentially identify neural biomarkers of reading resilience. This fellowship will provide training in comprehensive fMRI analysis techniques, application of advanced statistical modeling to fMRI data, and development of independent research skills in neuroimaging. The training environment at the University of Connecticut’s Hoeft BrainLENS Laboratory provides unmatched expertise in educational neuroscience, access to well-characterized neuroimaging datasets, and established collaborations with leading international researchers. The proposed project will facilitate the transition to independent research by providing comprehensive experience in all aspects of neuroimaging research, from data processing to theoretical integration and scientific communication, preparing the applicant to compete for career development awards and establish an independent research program investigating neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying reading development and intergenerational transmission of reading abilities.
