A B S T R A C T
It has been proposed that an impairment of procedural memory underlies a range of
linguistic, cognitive and motor impairments observed in developmental dyslexia (DD).
However, studies designed to test this hypothesis using the implicit sequence learning
paradigm have yielded inconsistent results. A fundamental aspect of procedural learning is
that it takes place over an extended time-period that may be divided into distinct stages
based on both behavioural characteristics and neural correlates of performance. Yet, no
study of implicit sequence learning in children with DD has included learning stages
beyond a single practice session. The present study was designed to fill this important gap
by extending the investigation to include the effects of overnight consolidation as well as
those of further practice on a subsequent day. The results suggest that the most
pronounced procedural learning impairment in DD may emerge only after extended
practice, in learning stages beyond a single practice session.