Designing an Accurate Reading Skills Test: Why Parallel Texts are Important in Dyslexia Diagnosis
Researchers from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have developed a tool for accurately assessing reading skills in adults with reading impairments. It can be used, for instance, before and after sessions with a language therapist. The tool includes two texts that differ in content but are equal in complexity: participants were observed to read them at the same speed, make a similar number of errors, and understand the content to the same degree. Such parallel texts will enable more accurate diagnosis of dyslexia and better monitoring of the effectiveness of interventions aimed at addressing it. The paper has been published in Educational Studies.
Reading is a fundamental skill essential for learning, working, and navigating the world. However, even adults may struggle to read at a typical pace, with letters seeming to jump around and word meanings slipping away—leading to frustration and fatigue. Such symptoms are often overlooked, but they may signal dyslexia—a specific reading disorder that begins in childhood and can persist into adulthood without proper intervention, despite normal intelligence, good education, and no vision or hearing impairments.
Accurately diagnosing dyslexia in adults remains a challenge in Russia—one specialist may identify the disorder, another may disagree, and yet another may detect additional issues in the same patient. This inconsistency stems not from a lack of professional expertise but from differences in diagnostic approaches and tools—and more broadly, from the absence of standardised assessment tools for reading skills in Russian-speaking adults.
As a result, without a reliable diagnosis, it is difficult to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of interventions—typically measured by administering a reading test before and after the treatment. However, using the same text before and after an intervention risks the patient memorising it, while using a different text with unknown properties makes it unclear whether any change in reading performance reflects the intervention or merely variation in text complexity.
To address this problem, researchers from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain developed and tested two texts that differ in content but show no significant differences in key linguistic features, such as word length and frequency, sentence syntactic structure, readability according to the Flesch Reading Ease score, and other factors. The researchers hypothesised that these texts would be equally complex for adult native Russian speakers. The final versions were tested on a sample of 111 students.
Yana Kokoreva
'We composed the texts manually, without using neural networks—carefully monitoring sentence syntax, word length, and frequency, while striving to create coherent and meaningful stories. This would not have been possible without the tools provided by our colleagues: we relied on the StimulStat lexical database and the Textometr text complexity analyser, which enabled us to precisely control the psycholinguistic parameters of the texts,' comments co-author Yana Kokoreva, Research Assistant at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain.
The results confirm that both texts can be read with no statistically significant differences in speed, accuracy, or comprehension. This means they can be used to assess reading skills before and after dyslexia interventions, allowing for informed conclusions about their effectiveness. Building on the original paper-based test, the team at HSE’s Centre for Language and Brain has developed a digital version, now available for download.
Svetlana Dorofeeva
'The test can now be used both to diagnose dyslexia in adults and to assess progress following remedial sessions. Our study confirmed that these linguistically validated parallel texts are indeed equally challenging for readers. This means the methodology can be scaled up, allowing new texts to be created for repeated testing of adult readers based on established parameters. The same principles can be applied to develop reading tests for children, provided the parameters are adapted to their age,' says co-author Svetlana Dorofeeva, Research Fellow at the Centre for Language and Brain.
The study was conducted with support from HSE University's Basic Research Programme within the framework of the Centres of Excellence project.
See also:
Scientists Discover One of the Longest-Lasting Cases of COVID-19
An international team, including researchers from HSE University, examined an unusual SARS-CoV-2 sample obtained from an HIV-positive patient. Genetic analysis revealed multiple mutations and showed that the virus had been evolving inside the patient’s body for two years. This finding supports the theory that the virus can persist in individuals for years, gradually accumulate mutations, and eventually spill back into the population. The study's findings have been published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
HSE Scientists Use MEG for Precise Language Mapping in the Brain
Scientists at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have demonstrated a more accurate way to identify the boundaries of language regions in the brain. They used magnetoencephalography (MEG) together with a sentence-completion task, which activates language areas and reveals their functioning in real time. This approach can help clinicians plan surgeries more effectively and improve diagnostic accuracy in cases where fMRI is not the optimal method. The study has been published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.
For the First Time, Linguists Describe the History of Russian Sign Language Interpreter Training
A team of researchers from Russia and the United Kingdom has, for the first time, provided a detailed account of the emergence and evolution of the Russian Sign Language (RSL) interpreter training system. This large-scale study spans from the 19th century to the present day, revealing both the achievements and challenges faced by the professional community. Results have been published in The Routledge Handbook of Sign Language Translation and Interpreting.
HSE Scientists Develop DeepGQ: AI-based 'Google Maps' for G-Quadruplexes
Researchers at the HSE AI Research Centre have developed an AI model that opens up new possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases, including brain cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Using artificial intelligence, the team studied G-quadruplexes—structures that play a crucial role in cellular function and in the development of organs and tissues. The findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
New Catalyst Maintains Effectiveness for 12 Hours
An international team including researchers from HSE MIEM has developed a catalyst that enables fast and low-cost hydrogen production from water. To achieve this, the scientists synthesised nanoparticles of a complex oxide containing six metals and anchored them onto various substrates. The catalyst supported on reduced graphene layers proved to be nearly three times more efficient than the same oxide without a substrate. This development could significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen production and accelerate the transition to green energy. The study has been published in ACS Applied Energy Materials. The work was carried out under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
HSE Strategic Technological Projects in 2025
In 2025, HSE University continued its participation in the Priority 2030 Strategic Academic Leadership Programme, maintaining a strong focus on technological leadership in line with the programme’s updated framework. A key element of the university’s technological leadership strategy is its Strategic Technological Projects (STPs), aimed at creating in-demand, knowledge-intensive products and services.
‘Algebraic Geometry Is the Geometry of Ideal Forms’
Founded 15 years ago at HSE University, the Laboratory of Algebraic Geometry and Its Applications studies fundamental mathematics and helps to shape a unified language of mathematical science. The laboratory has become a well-known and respected research centre; recognition of its achievements includes presentations by its staff at international mathematical congresses and publications in leading global mathematical journals. The HSE News Service spoke with the head of the laboratory, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dmitry Kaledin, about its work.
HSE Researchers Offer Guidance to Prevent Undergraduate Burnout
Researchers at the HSE Institute of Education have identified how much time students should ideally devote to their studies, extracurricular activities, and personal life to maintain strong academic performance without compromising their mental health. An analysis of responses from 2,753 students, combined with their actual academic results, revealed several risk factors—such as excessive homework—as well as positive factors, including sufficient sleep, regular exercise, and moderate participation in projects. Based on these findings, the researchers developed practical recommendations for both students and universities. The paper has been published in the European Journal of Education.
Scientists Discover Why Parents May Favour One Child Over Another
An international team that included Prof. Marina Butovskaya from HSE University studied how willing parents are to care for a child depending on the child’s resemblance to them. The researchers found that similarity to the mother or father affects the level of care provided by parents and grandparents differently. Moreover, this relationship varies across Russia, Brazil, and the United States, reflecting deep cultural differences in family structures in these countries. The study's findings have been published in Social Evolution & History.
When a Virus Steps on a Mine: Ancient Mechanism of Infected Cell Self-Destruction Discovered
When a virus enters a cell, it disrupts the cell’s normal functions. It was previously believed that the cell's protective response to the virus triggered cellular self-destruction. However, a study involving bioinformatics researchers at HSE University has revealed a different mechanism: the cell does not react to the virus itself but to its own transcripts, which become abnormally long. The study has been published in Nature.