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Ng CT, Huang PH, Cho YC, Lee PH, Liu YC, Chang TT. Frontoparietal and salience network synchronizations during nonsymbolic magnitude processing predict brain age and mathematical performance in youth. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26777. [PMID: 39046114 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The development and refinement of functional brain circuits crucial to human cognition is a continuous process that spans from childhood to adulthood. Research increasingly focuses on mapping these evolving configurations, with the aim to identify markers for functional impairments and atypical development. Among human cognitive systems, nonsymbolic magnitude representations serve as a foundational building block for future success in mathematical learning and achievement for individuals. Using task-based frontoparietal (FPN) and salience network (SN) features during nonsymbolic magnitude processing alongside machine learning algorithms, we developed a framework to construct brain age prediction models for participants aged 7-30. Our study revealed differential developmental profiles in the synchronization within and between FPN and SN networks. Specifically, we observed a linear increase in FPN connectivity, concomitant with a decline in SN connectivity across the age span. A nonlinear U-shaped trajectory in the connectivity between the FPN and SN was discerned, revealing reduced FPN-SN synchronization among adolescents compared to both pediatric and adult cohorts. Leveraging the Gradient Boosting machine learning algorithm and nested fivefold stratified cross-validation with independent training datasets, we demonstrated that functional connectivity measures of the FPN and SN nodes predict chronological age, with a correlation coefficient of .727 and a mean absolute error of 2.944 between actual and predicted ages. Notably, connectivity within the FPN emerged as the most contributing feature for age prediction. Critically, a more matured brain age estimate is associated with better arithmetic performance. Our findings shed light on the intricate developmental changes occurring in the neural networks supporting magnitude representations. We emphasize brain age estimation as a potent tool for understanding cognitive development and its relationship to mathematical abilities across the critical developmental period of youth. PRACTITIONER POINTS: This study investigated the prolonged changes in the brain's architecture across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, with a focus on task-state frontoparietal and salience networks. Distinct developmental pathways were identified: frontoparietal synchronization strengthens consistently throughout development, while salience network connectivity diminishes with age. Furthermore, adolescents show a unique dip in connectivity between these networks. Leveraging advanced machine learning methods, we accurately predicted individuals' ages based on these brain circuits, with a more mature estimated brain age correlating with better math skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Tat Ng
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsien Huang
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center for Mind, Brain & Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Cheng Cho
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Hong Lee
- Research Center for Mind, Brain & Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chang Liu
- Research Center for Mind, Brain & Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Ting Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center for Mind, Brain & Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Wang Y, Zhang Y, Xu T, Han X, Ge X, Chen F. Finger motor representation supports the autonomy in arithmetic: neuroimaging evidence from abacus training. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad524. [PMID: 38186011 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Researches have reported the close association between fingers and arithmetic. However, it remains unclear whether and how finger training can benefit arithmetic. To address this issue, we used the abacus-based mental calculation (AMC), which combines finger training and mental arithmetic learning, to explore the neural correlates underlying finger-related arithmetic training. A total of 147 Chinese children (75 M/72 F, mean age, 6.89 ± 0.46) were recruited and randomly assigned into AMC and control groups at primary school entry. The AMC group received 5 years of AMC training, and arithmetic abilities and resting-state functional magnetic resonance images data were collected from both groups at year 1/3/5. The connectome-based predictive modeling was used to find the arithmetic-related networks of each group. Compared to controls, the AMC's positively arithmetic-related network was less located in the control module, and the inter-module connections between somatomotor-default and somatomotor-control modules shifted to somatomotor-visual and somatomotor-dorsal attention modules. Furthermore, the positive network of the AMC group exhibited a segregated connectivity pattern, with more intra-module connections than the control group. Overall, our results suggested that finger motor representation with motor module involvement facilitated arithmetic-related network segregation, reflecting increased autonomy of AMC, thus reducing the dependency of arithmetic on higher-order cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Wang
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Tianyong Xu
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuelian Ge
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Feiyan Chen
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Nugiel T, Demeter DV, Mitchell ME, Garza A, Hernandez AE, Juranek J, Church JA. Brain connectivity and academic skills in English learners. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad414. [PMID: 38044467 PMCID: PMC10793574 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
English learners (ELs) are a rapidly growing population in schools in the United States with limited experience and proficiency in English. To better understand the path for EL's academic success in school, it is important to understand how EL's brain systems are used for academic learning in English. We studied, in a cohort of Hispanic middle-schoolers (n = 45, 22F) with limited English proficiency and a wide range of reading and math abilities, brain network properties related to academic abilities. We applied a method for localizing brain regions of interest (ROIs) that are group-constrained, yet individually specific, to test how resting state functional connectivity between regions that are important for academic learning (reading, math, and cognitive control regions) are related to academic abilities. ROIs were selected from task localizers probing reading and math skills in the same participants. We found that connectivity across all ROIs, as well as connectivity of just the cognitive control ROIs, were positively related to measures of reading skills but not math skills. This work suggests that cognitive control brain systems have a central role for reading in ELs. Our results also indicate that an individualized approach for localizing brain function may clarify brain-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tehila Nugiel
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32304, United States
| | - Damion V Demeter
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Mackenzie E Mitchell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - AnnaCarolina Garza
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Arturo E Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Jenifer Juranek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77225, United States
| | - Jessica A Church
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
- Biomedical Imaging Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
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Ren T, Li Z, Wang C, Li BM. Early Gray Matter Structural Covariance Predicts Longitudinal Gain in Arithmetic Ability in Children. Dev Neurosci 2023; 46:119-135. [PMID: 37279707 DOI: 10.1159/000531419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous neuroimaging studies on arithmetic development have mainly focused on functional activation or functional connectivity between brain regions. It remains largely unknown how brain structures support arithmetic development. The present study investigated whether early gray matter structural covariance contributes to later gain in arithmetic ability in children. We used a public longitudinal sample comprising 63 typically developing children. The participants received structural magnetic resonance imaging scanning when they were 11 years old and were tested with a multiplication task at 11 years old (time 1) and 13 years old (time 2), respectively. Mean gray matter volumes were extracted from eight brain regions of interest to anchor salience network (SN), frontal-parietal network (FPN), motor network (MN), and default mode network (DMN) at time 1. We found that longitudinal gain in arithmetic ability was associated with stronger structural covariance of the SN seed with frontal and parietal regions and stronger structural covariance of the FPN seed with insula, but weaker structural covariance of the FPN seed with motor and temporal regions, weaker structural covariance of the MN seed with frontal and motor regions, and weaker structural covariance of the DMN seed with temporal region. However, we did not detect correlation between longitudinal gain in arithmetic ability and behavioral measure or regional gray matter volume at time 1. Our study provides novel evidence for a specific contribution of gray matter structural covariance to longitudinal gain in arithmetic ability in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Ren
- Institute of Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China,
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China,
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China,
| | - Zheng Li
- Institute of Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chunjie Wang
- Institute of Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bao-Ming Li
- Institute of Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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Nugiel T, Mitchell ME, Demeter DV, Garza A, Cirino PT, Hernandez AE, Juranek J, Church JA. Brain Engagement During a Cognitive Flexibility Task Relates to Academic Performance in English Learners. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:149-160. [PMID: 38770227 PMCID: PMC11103627 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
English Learners (ELs), students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, are a fast-growing, understudied, group of students in the U.S. with unique learning challenges. Cognitive flexibility-the ability to switch between task demands with ease-may be an important factor in learning for ELs as they have to manage learning in their non-dominant language and access knowledge in multiple languages. We used functional MRI to measure cognitive flexibility brain activity in a group of Hispanic middle school ELs (N = 63) and related it to their academic skills. We found that brain engagement during the cognitive flexibility task was related to both out-of-scanner reading and math measures. These relationships were observed across the brain, including in cognitive control, attention, and default mode networks. This work suggests the real-world importance of cognitive flexibility for adolescent ELs, where individual differences in brain engagement were associated with educational outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tehila Nugiel
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Mackenzie E Mitchell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Damion V Demeter
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego
| | | | | | | | - Jenifer Juranek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center
| | - Jessica A Church
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin
- Biomedical Imaging Center, The University of Texas at Austin
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Wilkey ED, Gupta I, Peiris A, Ansari D. The mathematical brain at rest. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Zhang D, Yu L, Chen Y, Shen J, Du L, Lin L, Wu J. Connectome-based predictive modeling predicts paranoid ideation in young men with paranoid personality disorder: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Cereb Cortex 2023:6992943. [PMID: 36657794 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac531] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Paranoid personality disorder (PPD), a mental disorder that affects interpersonal relationships and work, is frequently neglected during diagnosis and evaluation at the individual-level. This preliminary study aimed to investigate whether connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) can predict paranoia scores of young men with PPD using whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC). College students with paranoid tendencies were screened using paranoia scores ≥60 derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; 18 participants were ultimately diagnosed with PPD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and subsequently underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain rs-FC was constructed, and the ability of this rs-FC to predict paranoia scores was evaluated using CPM. The significance of the models was assessed using permutation tests. The model constructed based on the negative prediction network involving the limbic system-temporal lobe was observed to have significant predictive ability for paranoia scores, whereas the model constructed using the positive and combined prediction network had no significant predictive ability. In conclusion, using CPM, whole-brain rs-FC predicted the paranoia score of patients with PPD. The limbic system-temporal lobe FC pattern is expected to become an important neurological marker for evaluating paranoid ideation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Die Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, 6 Jiefang Street, Dalian 116001, China.,Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Lan Yu
- Department of Radiology, Suzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou 211166,China
| | - Yingying Chen
- Department of Radiology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, 6 Jiefang Street, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Lina Du
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, 6 Jiefang Street, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, 6 Jiefang Street, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Jianlin Wu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, 6 Jiefang Street, Dalian 116001, China
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