Colored overlay effects in reading performance and eye movements in dyslexic children

• Grant number: 19/11168-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: José Angelo Barela
• Grantee: Rafaela Caruso Mazzolani
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Reading is not a trivial task, which involves several cognitive aspects and mechanisms in order to identify letter and words and their meaning. An important mechanism is the appropriate eye movements. Studies have identified eye movement coordination differences in dyslexic children and adults. Several strategies have been proposed and used aiming to reduce and minimize reading and writing difficulties in dyslexic children involving the manipulation of the text and context quality in which the reading/writing occurs. Colored overlays have been used leading to improvement in the reading fluency and speed. However, such use has also been questioned due to the need of quantitative measures and the understanding of underlying mechanisms related to such improvement. Recently, we have demonstrated that the use of a green overlay improved reading performance in dyslexic children. More importantly, however, performance improvement was associated to eye movement changes speeding up the reading. These results are promising but still there is the need to further understand the possible effects of other overlay colors and the impact on eye movement organization. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the reading performance and to examine eye movement characteristics in dyslexic children reading with overlay of different colors. Twenty children with dyslexia will ask to read texts with no overlay and with orange, green and blue overlay, providing a wide range of the color spectral wavelength. Dyslexic children will read the texts with a eye tracking system in order to monitor eye movements. Total reading time, number and duration of fixations, number and amplitude of saccadic eye movements will be obtained during each text reading. Comparison among the conditions (no filter, orange, green and blue overlays) will be performed in order to verify possible effects of colored overlays in the reading performance and eye movement during the reading conditions.