Introduction

Typically, arguments for the neurobiological basis of reading disability/dyslexia are drawn from two large bodies of research – one on the brain and the other on the genome. This chapter first presents a discussion of the literature on the so-called reading brain – the brain as it is engaged in reading and reading-related processes (Wolf, 2007). After this, it turns to the genome, as variability in its structure and function is thought to form the substrate, through the brain and, perhaps, other organs of the human organism (e.g., the liver by means of metabolizing Omega 3 fish oil, as discussed in Lindmark & Clough, 2007), of the neurobiological foundation of reading.

This chapter necessarily makes reference to many technical terms (e.g., specific regions of the brain, biological processes) that are likely to be unfamiliar to the nonspecialist. In order to conform to space restrictions and to maintain narrative coherence and flow, descriptions and definitions of many of these have not been provided. Helpful information about these terms should be readily available both from Internet sources and publications referenced in this chapter.