Are dyslexics' visual deficits limited to measures of dorsal stream function?

We tested the hypothesis that the differences in performance between develo pmental dyslexics and controls on visual tasks are specific for the detecti on of dynamic stimuli. We found that dyslexics were less sensitive than con trols to coherent motion in dynamic random dot displays. However, their sen sitivity to control measures of static visual form coherence was not signif icantly different from that of controls. This dissociation of dyslexics' pe rformance on measure that are suggested to tap the sensitivity of different extrastriate visual areas provides evidence for an impairment specific to the detection of dynamic properties of global stimuli, perhaps resulting fr om selective deficits in dorsal stream functions. NeuroReport 12:1527-1530 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.