Genetics, brain imaging, and poor comprehenders

The podcast episode discusses the exploration of genetics, brain imaging, and poor comprehenders. The speaker talks about a specific study that found a relationship between a gene called BDNF and reading comprehension and phonological memory. They discovered that individuals with the risk allele for this gene performed poorly on certain assessments and showed different patterns of brain activation. The episode also delves into the challenges of studying comprehension problems compared to word reading problems and the importance of studying language-based learning disabilities in school settings with the use of EEG data. The speaker highlights the potential for EEG and neuroimaging data to provide insight into intervention response and to identify precursors to intervention response.