Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder mainly defined by reading difficulties. During reading, individuals with dyslexia exhibit hypoactivity in left-lateralized language systems. Lower activity in one brain circuit can be accompanied by greater activity in another, and, here, we examined whether right-hemisphere-based emotional reactivity may be elevated in dyslexia. We measured emotional reactivity (i.e., facial behavior, physiological activity, and subjective experience) in 54 children ages 7–12 with (n = 32) and without (n = 22) dyslexia while they viewed emotion-inducing film clips. Participants also underwent task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging. Parents of children with dyslexia completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, which assesses real-world behavior. During film viewing, children with dyslexia exhibited significantly greater reactivity in emotional facial behavior, skin conductance level, and respiration rate than those without dyslexia. Across the sample, greater emotional facial behavior correlated with stronger connectivity between right ventral anterior insula and right pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (p_FWE<.05), key salience network hubs. In children with dyslexia, greater emotional facial behavior related to better real-world social skills and higher anxiety and depression. Our findings suggest there is heightened visceromotor emotional reactivity in dyslexia, which may lead to interpersonal strengths as well as affective vulnerabilities.

阅读障碍是一种主要由阅读困难定义的神经发育障碍。在阅读过程中，有阅读障碍的个体在左侧语言系统中表现出活动减退。一个大脑回路中较低的活动可能伴随着另一个大脑回路中的较大活动，并且，在这里，我们检查了基于右半球的情绪反应是否会在阅读障碍中升高。我们测量了 54 名 7-12 岁儿童的情绪反应（即面部行为、生理活动和主观体验）（n  = 32）和没有（n = 22) 他们在观看诱发情绪的电影片段时出现阅读障碍。参与者还接受了无任务功能磁共振成像。阅读障碍儿童的父母完成了儿童行为评估系统，该系统评估了现实世界的行为。在观看电影时，有阅读障碍的儿童在情绪面部行为、皮肤电导水平和呼吸频率方面的反应性明显高于没有阅读障碍的儿童。在整个样本中，更大的情绪面部行为与右腹前岛叶和右前扣带回皮质之间更强的连接相关 ( p _FWE<.05)，关键显着网络集线器。在患有阅读障碍的儿童中，更大的情绪面部行为与更好的现实世界社交技能和更高的焦虑和抑郁有关。我们的研究结果表明，阅读障碍患者的内脏运动情绪反应增强，这可能会导致人际交往能力增强以及情感脆弱性。