Comments on: Opening Eyes to Learning Difficulties http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/07/opening-eyes-to-learning-difficulties/ Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:08:56 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Frank DeVita http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/07/opening-eyes-to-learning-difficulties/#comment-534 Frank DeVita Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:08:45 +0000 http://blogs.bu.edu/ombs/?p=256#comment-534 No, the problem actually becomes more complex. Given that there may be malfunction in the retinal cells, the incoming information stream could be distorted before it even gets to the LGN/thalamus and the higher brain, where there may be further deficits in processing. This complicates everything and creates the hypothesis that learning disability arises from a combination of malfunction in perception and processing, and that the brain may be incorrectly processing already distorted input. Also, the claim is not that deficient magno cells are causing difficulty in mathematics. It was just a manifestation of the theory that inefficient perception is correlated with learning difficulty. The test could have easily been performed with dyslexics or kids with motor control problems instead of with math tests - they are just inherently easier to score and measure. However, I think much further study is indeed needed to try and bridge visual perception inefficeincy with specific learning deficits and correlate that information with actual brain function abnormality. The eyes have only added another variable to an already immensely complex equation. No, the problem actually becomes more complex. Given that there may be malfunction in the retinal cells, the incoming information stream could be distorted before it even gets to the LGN/thalamus and the higher brain, where there may be further deficits in processing. This complicates everything and creates the hypothesis that learning disability arises from a combination of malfunction in perception and processing, and that the brain may be incorrectly processing already distorted input.

Also, the claim is not that deficient magno cells are causing difficulty in mathematics. It was just a manifestation of the theory that inefficient perception is correlated with learning difficulty. The test could have easily been performed with dyslexics or kids with motor control problems instead of with math tests – they are just inherently easier to score and measure. However, I think much further study is indeed needed to try and bridge visual perception inefficeincy with specific learning deficits and correlate that information with actual brain function abnormality.

The eyes have only added another variable to an already immensely complex equation.

]]> By: Guitchounts http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/07/opening-eyes-to-learning-difficulties/#comment-533 Guitchounts Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:23:10 +0000 http://blogs.bu.edu/ombs/?p=256#comment-533 If retinal cells are at fault in diseases like dyslexia (there is evidence that dyslexia is a problem in rapid processing in other parts of the brain), is the problem any simpler than if the defective cells were from another part of the brain (say, auditory cortex)? And just because kids who have difficulty with math also have problems tracking dot movements, no one can claim that the math difficulty arises from inefficient magno cells (causation). If retinal cells are at fault in diseases like dyslexia (there is evidence that dyslexia is a problem in rapid processing in other parts of the brain), is the problem any simpler than if the defective cells were from another part of the brain (say, auditory cortex)?

And just because kids who have difficulty with math also have problems tracking dot movements, no one can claim that the math difficulty arises from inefficient magno cells (causation).

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