The thalamus, a crucial brain structure, has been the subject of increasing interest in the neuroscientific community due to its potential role in learning, linguistic processes and, in particular, reading and arithmetic. Recent studies have demonstrated that the thalamus is involved in regulating the functions of the associative cortex, including areas related to visual perception and reading, as well as areas important for memory, cognition and learning (MARINHO LIMA; AGRELA RODRIGUES, 2022).
Neuroscientific research has explored the relationship between the thalamus and cognitive abilities such as reading, arithmetic and intelligence quotient (IQ). A recent study investigated how resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) correlates with measures of reading and arithmetic performance, as well as IQ in young adults (MARINHO LIMA; AGRELA RODRIGUES, 2022).
The results of this study revealed that regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the thalamus, particularly in the left pulvinar, is associated with reading, arithmetic, and IQ performance. ReHo is a measure of local intrinsic functional connectivity, and a higher value indicates greater synchronization of regional brain activity and greater functional specification (MARINHO LIMA; AGRELA RODRIGUES, 2022).
However, the study also found that greater ReHo in the thalamus is associated with lower performance on all three measures, suggesting that greater local efficiency at rest may lead to less flexibility in reconfiguring for specific tasks. (MARINHO LIMA; AGRELA RODRIGUES, 2022).
In contrast, research has also indicated that greater local intrinsic functional activity in the left superior parietal lobule, part of the dorsal attention network, is associated with better reading performance and IQ. (MARINHO LIMA; AGRELA RODRIGUES, 2022).
These findings provide new evidence about the brain mechanisms underlying reading, arithmetic, and intelligence skills, and how they may be related to thalamic function and attention. However, more research is needed to investigate the complex interactions between these abilities and their neural bases.
Reference :
MARINHO LIMA, Maria Clea; AGRELA RODRIGUES, Fabiano de Abreu. The thalamus is a common place for reading, arithmetic and CI: analysis of intrinsic functional properties. Ciencia Latina Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal, v. 6, no. 3, p. 1685-1698, 2022.
