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Endlich D, Lenhard W, Marx P, Richter T. Differential Switch Costs in Typically Achieving Children and Children With Mathematical Difficulties. JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 2024; 57:255-271. [PMID: 37905535 DOI: 10.1177/00222194231204619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Children with mathematical difficulties need to spend more time than typically achieving children on solving even simple equations. Since these tasks already require a larger share of their cognitive resources, additional demands imposed by the need to switch between tasks may lead to a greater decline of performance in children with mathematical difficulties. We explored differential task switch costs with respect to switching between addition versus subtraction with a tablet-based arithmetic verification task and additional standardized tests in German elementary school children in Grades 1 to 4. Two independent studies were conducted. In Study 1, we assessed the validity of a newly constructed tablet-based arithmetic verification task in a controlled classroom-setting (n = 165). Then, effects of switching between different types of arithmetic operations on accuracy and response latency were analyzed through generalized linear mixed models in an online-based testing (Study 2; n = 3,409). Children with mathematical difficulties needed more time and worked less accurately overall. They also exhibited a stronger performance decline when working in a task-switching condition, when working on subtraction (vs. addition) items and in operations with two-digit (vs. one-digit) operations. These results underline the value of process data in the context of assessing mathematical difficulties.
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2
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Liu J, Supekar K, El-Said D, de los Angeles C, Zhang Y, Chang H, Menon V. Neuroanatomical, transcriptomic, and molecular correlates of math ability and their prognostic value for predicting learning outcomes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk7220. [PMID: 38820151 PMCID: PMC11141625 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk7220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Foundational mathematical abilities, acquired in early childhood, are essential for success in our technology-driven society. Yet, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences in children's mathematical abilities and learning outcomes remain largely unexplored. Leveraging one of the largest multicohort datasets from children at a pivotal stage of knowledge acquisition, we first establish a replicable mathematical ability-related imaging phenotype (MAIP). We then show that brain gene expression profiles enriched for candidate math ability-related genes, neuronal signaling, synaptic transmission, and voltage-gated potassium channel activity contributed to the MAIP. Furthermore, the similarity between MAIP gene expression signatures and brain structure, acquired before intervention, predicted learning outcomes in two independent math tutoring cohorts. These findings advance our knowledge of the interplay between neuroanatomical, transcriptomic, and molecular mechanisms underlying mathematical ability and reveal predictive biomarkers of learning. Our findings have implications for the development of personalized education and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Dawlat El-Said
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Carlo de los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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3
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Pedemonte B, Pereira CW, Borghesani V, Ebbert M, Allen IE, Pinheiro-Chagas P, De Leon J, Miller Z, Tee BL, Gorno-Tempini ML. Profiles of mathematical deficits in children with dyslexia. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:7. [PMID: 38360731 PMCID: PMC10869821 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00217-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Despite a high rate of concurrent mathematical difficulties among children with dyslexia, we still have limited information regarding the prevalence and severity of mathematical deficits in this population. To address this gap, we developed a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests, known as the UCSF Mathematical Cognition Battery (MCB), with the aim of identifying deficits in four distinct mathematical domains: number processing, arithmetical procedures, arithmetic facts retrieval, and geometrical abilities. The mathematical abilities of a cohort of 75 children referred to the UCSF Dyslexia Center with a diagnosis of dyslexia, along with 18 typically developing controls aged 7 to 16, were initially evaluated using a behavioral neurology approach. A team of professional clinicians classified the 75 children with dyslexia into five groups, based on parents' and teachers' reported symptoms and clinical history. These groups included children with no mathematical deficits and children with mathematical deficits in number processing, arithmetical procedures, arithmetic facts retrieval, or geometrical abilities. Subsequently, the children underwent evaluation using the MCB to determine concordance with the clinicians' impressions. Additionally, neuropsychological and cognitive standardized tests were administered. Our study reveals that within a cohort of children with dyslexia, 66% exhibit mathematical deficits, and among those with mathematical deficits, there is heterogeneity in the nature of these deficits. If these findings are confirmed in larger samples, they can potentially pave the way for new diagnostic approaches, consistent subtype classification, and, ultimately personalized interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Pedemonte
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - C W Pereira
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - V Borghesani
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université de Genève, Genève, CH, Switzerland
| | - M Ebbert
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - I E Allen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - P Pinheiro-Chagas
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J De Leon
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Z Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - B L Tee
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M L Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Baulina M, Kosonogov V. "Calculating faces": can face perception paradigms enrich dyscalculia research? Front Psychol 2024; 14:1218124. [PMID: 38235284 PMCID: PMC10791763 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1218124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a subtype of learning disabilities, which is characterized by lower mathematical skills despite average intelligence and average or satisfactory performance in other academic areas. It is not fully understood how such deficits emerge in the course of brain development. When considering the mechanisms of dyscalculia, two domain-specific systems are distinguished. The Approximate Number System (ANS) is related to the approximate estimation of large sets, and the Object Tracking System (OTS) is responsible for subitizing, that is, the exact quantification of small sets. In recent years, the multiple-deficit framework has become increasingly popular. On the one hand, it explains the impairment of certain general cognitive functions in children with DD, such as executive functions, attention, visual-perceptual discrimination, processing speed, and rapid scanning of visual information. On the other hand, it provides a theoretical basis for explaining the simultaneous occurrence of the different types of other comorbid conditions (such as dyslexia and ADHD) and the relationship between them. We suggest that the face recognition could be considered as another, probably impaired function in dyscalculic individuals. We highlight several brain areas involved both in numerical and facial processing: intraparietal sulcus (IPS), fusiform gyrus (FFG), and hippocampus (HC). We consider the possibility of expanding the scope of dyscalculia research by application of face perception paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Baulina
- Laboratory of Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, Federal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Research, Moscow, Russia
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Kosonogov
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
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5
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Mishra A, Khan A. [Formula: see text] Domain-general and domain-specific cognitive correlates of developmental dyscalculia: a systematic review of the last two decades' literature. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:1179-1229. [PMID: 36440471 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2147914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, influencing the learning of mathematics in developing children. In the last two decades, continuous growth of research has helped in the advancement of the state of knowledge of dyscalculia. This upsurge in the number of studies makes it relevant to conduct a systematic review, covering all the empirical evidence, but there is a dearth of review studies synthesizing findings of the studies in the recent past. Therefore, the current study aims to systematically review studies investigating the underlying cognitive causal factors associated with developmental dyscalculia in the last two decades. To investigate the underlying cognitive factors associated with dyscalculia, two prominent approaches have been used: domain-general and domain-specific. While the domain-general approach argues for the deficit in general cognitive abilities, the domain-specific approach argues for the deficit in core numerical abilities. In the present review, the PRISMA method is followed. Articles were searched using two methods: firstly, through database sources of Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, 1738 abstracts were screened, of which 46 articles met the specific inclusion criteria; and secondly, through recently published systematic reviews and meta-analyses, 29 studies were included. A total of 75 studies, 48 studies from domain-general and 27 studies from domain-specific approaches, have been selected. This review discusses domain-general and domain-specific approaches of developmental dyscalculia, along with specific theories associated with both approaches. Based on the discussed findings, visuospatial working memory and symbolic number processing abilities emerged as the best predictor of math ability in children with dyscalculia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Mishra
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Azizuddin Khan
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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6
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Kramer P. Iconic Mathematics: Math Designed to Suit the Mind. Front Psychol 2022; 13:890362. [PMID: 35769758 PMCID: PMC9234488 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.890362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematics is a struggle for many. To make it more accessible, behavioral and educational scientists are redesigning how it is taught. To a similar end, a few rogue mathematicians and computer scientists are doing something more radical: they are redesigning mathematics itself, improving its ergonomic features. Charles Peirce, an important contributor to ordinary symbolic logic, also introduced a rigorous but non-symbolic, graphical alternative to it that is easier to picture. In the spirit of this iconic logic, George Spencer-Brown founded iconic mathematics. Performing iconic arithmetic, algebra, and even trigonometry, resembles doing calculations on an abacus, which is still popular in education today, has aided humanity for millennia, helps even when it is merely imagined, and ameliorates severe disability in basic computation. Interestingly, whereas some intellectually disabled individuals excel in very complex numerical tasks, others of normal intelligence fail even in very simple ones. A comparison of their wider psychological profiles suggests that iconic mathematics ought to suit the very people traditional mathematics leaves behind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kramer
- *Correspondence: Peter Kramer, ; orcid.org/0000-0003-4807-7077
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7
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Ogun SA, Arabambi B, Oshinaike OO, Akanji A. A human calculator: a case report of a 27-year-old male with hypercalculia. Neurocase 2022; 28:158-162. [PMID: 35235489 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2022.2046781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Calculation is one of the higher brain functions, which has been linked to the inferior parietal lobule and part of the frontal lobe. Cases of hypercalculia have been reported, usually in the setting of Autism-Spectrum Disorder or Savant syndrome. We report the case of a 27-year-old male undergraduate who had hypercalculia with normal clinical neurological findings. His brain MRI showed a nonspecific lesion in the right parietal lobe white matter. Further functional neuroimaging is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Babawale Arabambi
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Akin Akanji
- Department of Radiology, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Nigeria
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Chutko L, Surushkina S, Yakovenko E. Clinical and psychophysiological manifestations of dyscalculia in children. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2022; 122:62-67. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202212209262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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9
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Lu Y, Ma M, Chen G, Zhou X. Can abacus course eradicate developmental dyscalculia. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Siegler Center for Innovative Learning Beijing Normal University Beijing China
| | - Mei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Siegler Center for Innovative Learning Beijing Normal University Beijing China
| | - Guozhong Chen
- Educational, Scientific and Cultural Division, The Jiangsu Abacus Association Department of Finance of Jiangsu Province Jiangsu China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Siegler Center for Innovative Learning Beijing Normal University Beijing China
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10
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Klichowski M, Kroliczak G. Mental Shopping Calculations: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1930. [PMID: 32849133 PMCID: PMC7417662 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most critical skills behind consumer's behavior is the ability to assess whether a price after a discount is a real bargain. Yet, the neural underpinnings and cognitive mechanisms associated with such a skill are largely unknown. While there is general agreement that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) on the left is critical for mental calculations, and there is also recent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) evidence pointing to the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) of the right PPC as crucial for consumer-like arithmetic (e.g., multi-digit mental addition or subtraction), it is still unknown whether SMG is involved in calculations of sale prices. Here, we show that the neural mechanisms underlying discount arithmetic characteristic for shopping are different from complex addition or subtraction, with discount calculations engaging left SMG more. We obtained these outcomes by remodeling our laboratory to resemble a shop and asking participants to calculate prices after discounts (e.g., $8.80-25 or $4.80-75%), while stimulating left and right SMG with neuronavigated rTMS. Our results indicate that such complex shopping calculations as establishing the price after a discount involve SMG asymmetrically, whereas simpler calculations such as price addition do not. These findings have some consequences for neural models of mathematical cognition and shed some preliminary light on potential consumer's behavior in natural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Klichowski
- Faculty of Educational Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Gregory Kroliczak
- Action and Cognition Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
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Dresler T, Bugden S, Gouet C, Lallier M, Oliveira DG, Pinheiro-Chagas P, Pires AC, Wang Y, Zugarramurdi C, Weissheimer J. A Translational Framework of Educational Neuroscience in Learning Disorders. Front Integr Neurosci 2018; 12:25. [PMID: 30022931 PMCID: PMC6039789 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging has undergone enormous progress during the last two and a half decades. The combination of neuroscientific methods and educational practice has become a focus of interdisciplinary research in order to answer more applied questions. In this realm, conditions that hamper learning success and have deleterious effects in the population - such as learning disorders (LD) - could especially profit from neuroimaging findings. At the moment, however, there is an ongoing debate about how far neuroscientific research can go to inform the practical work in educational settings. Here, we put forward a theoretical translational framework as a method of conducting neuroimaging and bridging it to education, with a main focus on dyscalculia and dyslexia. Our work seeks to represent a theoretical but mainly empirical guide on the benefits of neuroimaging, which can help people working with different aspects of LD, who need to act collaboratively to reach the full potential of neuroimaging. We provide possible ideas regarding how neuroimaging can inform LD at different levels within our multidirectional framework, i.e., mechanisms, diagnosis/prognosis, training/intervention, and community/education. In addition, we discuss methodological, conceptual, and structural limitations that need to be addressed by future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dresler
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Bugden
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- The Numerical Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Camilo Gouet
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marie Lallier
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Darlene G. Oliveira
- Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Pinheiro-Chagas
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ana C. Pires
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Yunqi Wang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Camila Zugarramurdi
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Siemann J, Petermann F. Innate or Acquired? - Disentangling Number Sense and Early Number Competencies. Front Psychol 2018; 9:571. [PMID: 29725316 PMCID: PMC5917196 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical profile termed developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a fundamental disability affecting children already prior to arithmetic schooling, but the formal diagnosis is often only made during school years. The manifold associated deficits depend on age, education, developmental stage, and task requirements. Despite a large body of studies, the underlying mechanisms remain dubious. Conflicting findings have stimulated opposing theories, each presenting enough empirical support to remain a possible alternative. A so far unresolved question concerns the debate whether a putative innate number sense is required for successful arithmetic achievement as opposed to a pure reliance on domain-general cognitive factors. Here, we outline that the controversy arises due to ambiguous conceptualizations of the number sense. It is common practice to use early number competence as a proxy for innate magnitude processing, even though it requires knowledge of the number system. Therefore, such findings reflect the degree to which quantity is successfully transferred into symbols rather than informing about quantity representation per se. To solve this issue, we propose a three-factor account and incorporate it into the partly overlapping suggestions in the literature regarding the etiology of different DD profiles. The proposed view on DD is especially beneficial because it is applicable to more complex theories identifying a conglomerate of deficits as underlying cause of DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Siemann
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Franz Petermann
- Center for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Peters L, Bulthé J, Daniels N, Op de Beeck H, De Smedt B. Dyscalculia and dyslexia: Different behavioral, yet similar brain activity profiles during arithmetic. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 18:663-674. [PMID: 29876258 PMCID: PMC5987869 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Brain disorders are often investigated in isolation, but very different conclusions might be reached when studies directly contrast multiple disorders. Here, we illustrate this in the context of specific learning disorders, such as dyscalculia and dyslexia. While children with dyscalculia show deficits in arithmetic, children with dyslexia present with reading difficulties. Furthermore, the comorbidity between dyslexia and dyscalculia is surprisingly high. Different hypotheses have been proposed on the origin of these disorders (number processing deficits in dyscalculia, phonological deficits in dyslexia) but these have never been directly contrasted in one brain imaging study. Therefore, we compared the brain activity of children with dyslexia, children with dyscalculia, children with comorbid dyslexia/dyscalculia and healthy controls during arithmetic in a design that allowed us to disentangle various processes that might be associated with the specific or common neural origins of these learning disorders. Participants were 62 children aged 9 to 12, 39 of whom had been clinically diagnosed with a specific learning disorder (dyscalculia and/or dyslexia). All children underwent fMRI scanning while performing an arithmetic task in different formats (dot arrays, digits and number words). At the behavioral level, children with dyscalculia showed lower accuracy when subtracting dot arrays, and all children with learning disorders were slower in responding compared to typically developing children (especially in symbolic formats). However, at the neural level, analyses pointed towards substantial neural similarity between children with learning disorders: Control children demonstrated higher activation levels in frontal and parietal areas than the three groups of children with learning disorders, regardless of the disorder. A direct comparison between the groups of children with learning disorders revealed similar levels of neural activation throughout the brain across these groups. Multivariate subject generalization analyses were used to statistically test the degree of similarity, and confirmed that the neural activation patterns of children with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyslexia/dyscalculia were highly similar in how they deviated from neural activation patterns in control children. Collectively, these results suggest that, despite differences at the behavioral level, the brain activity profiles of children with different learning disorders during arithmetic may be more similar than initially thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Peters
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Brain and Cognition Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, Canada.
| | | | - Nicky Daniels
- Brain and Cognition Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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Siemann J, Petermann F. Evaluation of the Triple Code Model of numerical processing-Reviewing past neuroimaging and clinical findings. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2018; 72:106-117. [PMID: 29128782 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED This review reconciles past findings on numerical processing with key assumptions of the most predominant model of arithmetic in the literature, the Triple Code Model (TCM). This is implemented by reporting diverse findings in the literature ranging from behavioral studies on basic arithmetic operations over neuroimaging studies on numerical processing to developmental studies concerned with arithmetic acquisition, with a special focus on developmental dyscalculia (DD). We evaluate whether these studies corroborate the model and discuss possible reasons for contradictory findings. A separate section is dedicated to the transfer of TCM to arithmetic development and to alternative accounts focusing on developmental questions of numerical processing. We conclude with recommendations for future directions of arithmetic research, raising questions that require answers in models of healthy as well as abnormal mathematical development. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS This review assesses the leading model in the field of arithmetic processing (Triple Code Model) by presenting knowledge from interdisciplinary research. It assesses the observed contradictory findings and integrates the resulting opposing viewpoints. The focus is on the development of arithmetic expertise as well as abnormal mathematical development. The original aspect of this article is that it points to a gap in research on these topics and provides possible solutions for future models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Siemann
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation (CCPR), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Franz Petermann
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation (CCPR), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
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15
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Halim FAA, Sugathan SK, Ariffin MM. Towards a mobile app design model for Dyscalculia children. 2017 IEEE CONFERENCE ON E-LEARNING, E-MANAGEMENT AND E-SERVICES (IC3E) 2017. [DOI: 10.1109/ic3e.2017.8409253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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16
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Moshé SL, Mehler MF. Isabelle Rapin, MD (1927–2017). Neurology 2017. [DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000004308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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