- Title
- Does auditory entrainment effect eye movements during reading? a pilot study exploring the visual correlate of the temporal sampling framework and developmental dyslexia
- Creator
- Burge, Elise
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Masters Research - Master of Clinical Psychology (MClinPsych)
- Description
- Developmental dyslexia (dyslexia) affects visual processing of written text and auditory processing of spoken language. Cognitive deficits in dyslexia have been linked to problems in brainwave synchronisation. Early evidence suggests that brainwave synchronisation can be improved via entrainment using auditory or visual stimulus. The current study examined the effects of auditory entrainment via isochronic tones at theta, gamma and beta frequencies on eye movements during reading. This was to examine the role of language-based theta and gamma brainwave frequencies during reading within the visual domain. An additional aim was to investigate the existence of a visual correlate of the Temporal Sampling Framework (TSF); an emerging theory regarding visual deficits in dyslexia. To investigate the existence of a visual correlate of the TSF, it was hypothesised that eye movements during natural silent reading would occur at a theta frequency; and that eye movement efficiency and reading speed would increase following theta entrainment compared to a baseline measure of reading. To investigate the role of language-based brainwave frequencies during reading, it was hypothesised that following theta and gamma entrainment eye movement efficiency and reading speed would increase comparatively to participant’s baseline measure of reading. It was expected there would be no change in eye movements or reading speed in the beta control entrainment condition. Thirty normal readers completed a silent reading task in which eye movements were measured using eye-tracking technology. The results provided partial support for a visual correlate of the TSF as eye movements during silent reading occurred at a theta frequency. There was no change in eye movements or reading speed following beta entrainment compared to baseline reading. Contrary to predictions eye movements and reading speed did not change following theta entrainment comparatively to baseline. However, reading speed increased following gamma entrainment compared to baseline, but there was no change in eye movements. This suggests that entrainment impacted on magnocells/dorsal processing rather than the mechanical components such as eye movements during reading. These results tentatively provide support for a top-down model of reading in which gamma activity uses the magno-dorsal system to stimulate eye movements for optimal reading performance.
- Subject
- developmental dyslexia; temporal sampling framework; isochronic tones; eye movements; visual processing
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1492996
- Identifier
- uon:53461
- Rights
- Copyright 2023 Elise Burge
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
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| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 113 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |