Video games may aid in improving language learning among people with dyslexia

People suffering from dyslexia who also frequently play action video games may be able to manage shifting their attention from audio to video, a recent study found.

Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that makes reading, writing and spelling a much more difficult task.

The researchers involved in the study looked at 34 participants, half with dyslexia and half without. Each was asked to press a button every time he or she heard a sound, saw a faint light appear or if both happened at the same time.

The group of participants who suffered from dyslexia showed a slower response when an auditory signal came before a visual one compared to their non-dyslexic peers. However, when the audio came after the visual cue, both of the groups' response rates were comparable.

Researchers believe this is because in this format, the clues seemed to come from the same place to the participants.

Vanessa Harrar, Oxford University's junior research fellow, said this is something that has not yet been seen among those with dyslexia. Harrar confirmed that this is also the first time a study has done a location control so that the perception is that everything is coming from the same place. Based on the results of the study, the researchers have concluded that playing action video games could help those with the disorder transfer their focus from visual to auditory cues more easily.

Harrar also stressed that playing a game with a multisensory component and different locations for the sounds and visuals could help train the brain of dyslexic individuals to adapt to this challenge and potentially help them to be able to learn better.

Their findings were published in the journal Cell Biology.