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Swanson HL, Orosco MJ, Reed DK. The mathematical word problem-solving performance gap between children with and without math difficulties: does working memory mediate and/or moderate treatment effects? Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-37. [PMID: 39049784 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2382202] [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: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
This study determined the extent to which working memory (WM) played a moderating and/or mediating role in word-problem-solving (WPS) instructional outcomes between children with and without math difficulties (MD). A randomized pretest-posttest control group study investigated the effects of 8-week strategy instruction in one of four treatment conditions on WPS accuracy of third graders with MD (N = 136) when compared to children with (N = 28) and without MD (N = 43). Comparisons were made of three strategy conditions that included overt cues (e.g. underlining key sentences, filling in diagrams), another treatment condition that removed the overt cues (material-only), and two control conditions (children with and without MD). Four important findings emerged. First, posttest WM significantly predicted posttest WPS, computation, and schema accuracy independent of pretest and treatment conditions. Second, posttest WM mediated posttest WPS treatment outcomes when the control conditions included children without MD. Third, strategy conditions that included overt cues (e.g. crossing out irrelevant sentences) decreased WM demands compared to the Materials-Only condition (without overt cues) for children with MD. Finally, incremental attention allocation training within treatment conditions improved posttest WM in children with MD but not posttest WPS. Results indicated that WPS differences between children with and without MD across treatment conditions were mediated by posttest WM performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Lee Swanson
- Educational Psychology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- College of Education and Human Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Michael J Orosco
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Deborah K Reed
- Tennessee Reading Research Center, The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA
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2
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Dolfi S, Decarli G, Lunardon M, De Filippo De Grazia M, Gerola S, Lanfranchi S, Cossu G, Sella F, Testolin A, Zorzi M. Weaker number sense accounts for impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia: Behavioral and computational evidence. Dev Sci 2024:e13538. [PMID: 38949566 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Impaired numerosity perception in developmental dyscalculia (low "number acuity") has been interpreted as evidence of reduced representational precision in the neurocognitive system supporting non-symbolic number sense. However, recent studies suggest that poor numerosity judgments might stem from stronger interference from non-numerical visual information, in line with alternative accounts that highlight impairments in executive functions and visuospatial abilities in the etiology of dyscalculia. To resolve this debate, we used a psychophysical method designed to disentangle the contribution of numerical and non-numerical features to explicit numerosity judgments in a dot comparison task and we assessed the relative saliency of numerosity in a spontaneous categorization task. Children with dyscalculia were compared to control children with average mathematical skills matched for age, IQ, and visuospatial memory. In the comparison task, the lower accuracy of dyscalculics compared to controls was linked to weaker encoding of numerosity, but not to the strength of non-numerical biases. Similarly, in the spontaneous categorization task, children with dyscalculia showed a weaker number-based categorization compared to the control group, with no evidence of a stronger influence of non-numerical information on category choice. Simulations with a neurocomputational model of numerosity perception showed that the reduction of representational resources affected the progressive refinement of number acuity, with little effect on non-numerical bias in numerosity judgments. Together, these results suggest that impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia cannot be explained by increased interference from non-numerical visual cues, thereby supporting the hypothesis of a core number sense deficit. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: A strongly debated issue is whether impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia stems from a deficit in number sense or from poor executive and visuospatial functions. Dyscalculic children show reduced precision in visual numerosity judgments and weaker number-based spontaneous categorization, but no increasing reliance on continuous visual properties. Simulations with deep neural networks demonstrate that reduced neural/computational resources affect the developmental trajectory of number acuity and account for impaired numerosity judgments. Our findings show that weaker number acuity in developmental dyscalculia is not necessarily related to increased interference from non-numerical visual cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Dolfi
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gisella Decarli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Silvia Gerola
- Centro Medico di Foniatria - Casa di Cura Trieste, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Lanfranchi
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cossu
- Centro Medico di Foniatria - Casa di Cura Trieste, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesco Sella
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Alberto Testolin
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Mathematics, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Zorzi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
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3
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Alrefaei MM. The effect of brain training video games on improving visuospatial working memory and executive function in children with dyscalculia. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38946169 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2024.2362782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The aim was to investigate the effect of brain training video games on improving visuospatial working memory and executive function in children with dyscalculia. This study employed a quasi-experimental, within-subjects design. Pre- post- and follow up test scores on visuospatial working memory and executive function were used. Sixty children from a primary education public school in Taif were selected. This study employed simple random method for selecting participants. Children assigned to the experimental group completed 18, 30 ms training sessions at the technology room in the presence of the researcher over a period of six weeks. The analyses were conducted using SPSS by performing a repeated-measures analysis of variance with a between-group factor and a with-group factor (pretest and posttest). Scheffé's post hoc test was also applied. The training helped the intervention group gain better scores in visuospatial working memory and executive function in post test compared to control one. There were significant differences in visuospatial working memory and executive function across different measurements(pre-post-and follow up).
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McGonnell M, Orr M, Backman J, Johnson SA, Davidson F, Corkum P. Examining the role of the visuospatial sketchpad in children's math calculation skills using Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 246:104246. [PMID: 38615594 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104246] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Math difficulties (MDs) occur in about 3-7 % of children and have been associated with academic, health, and occupational challenges. To date, findings about the role of working memory in MDs have been conflicting. The Automated Working Memory Assessment Battery (AWMA), which assesses all components of Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory, was used to investigate which component of the model was most related to math calculation skills in elementary-school children. Participants were 94 (52 male) children (M age = 9 years 1 month; Range = 6 years 0 months to 11 years 8 months). As hypothesized, math calculation scores were correlated with all four working memory components (phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, verbal and visuospatial central executive). After accounting for age, phonological processing, and attention, the visuospatial sketchpad was the only memory component that contributed to the prediction of math calculation scores, explaining an additional 10.2 % of unique variance. Short-term visuospatial memory should be assessed in children having difficulty with math and children could benefit from interventions that include attention to the development of both visuospatial memory and math calculation skills. This study did not use a longitudinal design and so we cannot conclude that weak visuospatial memory impedes the development of math calculation skills. Future research should use longitudinal designs and investigate other types of math skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa McGonnell
- Faculty of Education, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Matt Orr
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Joan Backman
- Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Shannon A Johnson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Fiona Davidson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Penny Corkum
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Poole BJ, Phillips NL, Killer BL, Gilmore C, Lah S. Mathematics Skills in Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2024; 34:598-636. [PMID: 37490196 PMCID: PMC11166774 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09600-8] [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: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Mathematics incorporates a broad range of skills, which includes basic early numeracy skills, such as subitizing and basic counting to more advanced secondary skills including mathematics calculation and reasoning. The aim of this review was to undertake a detailed investigation of the severity and pattern of early numeracy and secondary mathematics skills in people with epilepsy. Searches were guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Twenty adult studies and 67 child studies were included in this review. Overall, meta-analyses revealed significant moderate impairments across all mathematics outcomes in both adults (g= -0.676), and children (g= -0.593) with epilepsy. Deficits were also observed for specific mathematics outcomes. For adults, impairments were found for mathematics reasoning (g= -0.736). However, two studies found that mathematics calculation was not significantly impaired, and an insufficient number of studies examined early numeracy skills in adults. In children with epilepsy, significant impairments were observed for each mathematics outcome: early numeracy (g= -0.383), calculation (g= -0.762), and reasoning (g= -0.572). The gravity of impairments also differed according to the site of seizure focus for children and adults, suggesting that mathematics outcomes were differentially vulnerable to the location of seizure focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda J Poole
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Natalie L Phillips
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Brittany L Killer
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Camilla Gilmore
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Suncica Lah
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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Orefice C, Cardillo R, Lonciari I, Zoccante L, Mammarella IC. "Picture this from there": spatial perspective-taking in developmental visuospatial disorder and developmental coordination disorder. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1349851. [PMID: 38708023 PMCID: PMC11066165 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Either Developmental Visuospatial Disorder (DVSD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) present with difficulties in visuospatial processing, even though entailing different degrees of impairment. Among the visuospatial domain, spatial perspective taking is essential to interact with the environment and is significantly involved in many daily activities (e.g., environment navigation and spatial orienting). Notwithstanding, no previous studies have investigated this spatial domain in children with DVSD and limited evidence is available regarding DCD. Consistent with a transdiagnostic approach, the first goal of the present study was to compare spatial perspective taking abilities of these groups, also including a control group of not diagnosed peers (ND). Secondly, the role of different fine-motor and visuo-spatial predictors on the spatial perspective taking performance was considered. Method A total of 85 participants (DVSD = 26; DCD = 26; ND = 33), aged between 8 and 16 years old, were included in the study. Tasks assessing spatial perspective taking, fine-motor, visual imagery, and mental rotation skills, as well as visuo-spatial working memory were administered. Results and Discussion Overall, our results confirmed weaknesses in spatial perspective taking in both clinical groups, with the DVSD obtaining the lowest scores. Similarities and differences in the predictors accounting for the performance in the spatial perspective taking task emerged, suggesting the possible employment of different fine-motor or visuospatial strategies by group. Findings are discussed considering the potential impact they may have both in research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Orefice
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Isabella Lonciari
- Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, University Pediatric Hospital “IRCCS Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
| | - Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Irene C. Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Marks RA, Pollack C, Meisler SL, D'Mello AM, Centanni TM, Romeo RR, Wade K, Matejko AA, Ansari D, Gabrieli JDE, Christodoulou JA. Neurocognitive mechanisms of co-occurring math difficulties in dyslexia: Differences in executive function and visuospatial processing. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13443. [PMID: 37675857 PMCID: PMC10918042 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Children with dyslexia frequently also struggle with math. However, studies of reading disability (RD) rarely assess math skill, and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying co-occurring reading and math disability (RD+MD) are not clear. The current study aimed to identify behavioral and neurocognitive factors associated with co-occurring MD among 86 children with RD. Within this sample, 43% had co-occurring RD+MD and 22% demonstrated a possible vulnerability in math, while 35% had no math difficulties (RD-Only). We investigated whether RD-Only and RD+MD students differed behaviorally in their phonological awareness, reading skills, or executive functions, as well as in the brain mechanisms underlying word reading and visuospatial working memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The RD+MD group did not differ from RD-Only on behavioral or brain measures of phonological awareness related to speech or print. However, the RD+MD group demonstrated significantly worse working memory and processing speed performance than the RD-Only group. The RD+MD group also exhibited reduced brain activations for visuospatial working memory relative to RD-Only. Exploratory brain-behavior correlations along a broad spectrum of math ability revealed that stronger math skills were associated with greater activation in bilateral visual cortex. These converging neuro-behavioral findings suggest that poor executive functions in general, including differences in visuospatial working memory, are specifically associated with co-occurring MD in the context of RD. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Children with reading disabilities (RD) frequently have a co-occurring math disability (MD), but the mechanisms behind this high comorbidity are not well understood. We examined differences in phonological awareness, reading skills, and executive function between children with RD only versus co-occurring RD+MD using behavioral and fMRI measures. Children with RD only versus RD+MD did not differ in their phonological processing, either behaviorally or in the brain. RD+MD was associated with additional behavioral difficulties in working memory, and reduced visual cortex activation during a visuospatial working memory task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Marks
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Courtney Pollack
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Steven L Meisler
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anila M D'Mello
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
| | - Tracy M Centanni
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel R Romeo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Karolina Wade
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anna A Matejko
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joanna A Christodoulou
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Lievore R, Cardillo R, Mammarella IC. Let's face it! The role of social anxiety and executive functions in recognizing others' emotions from faces: Evidence from autism and specific learning disorders. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38327107 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Youth with different developmental disorders might experience challenges when dealing with facial emotion recognition (FER). By comparing FER and related emotional and cognitive factors across developmental disorders, researchers can gain a better understanding of challenges and strengths associated with each condition. The aim of the present study was to investigate how social anxiety and executive functioning might underlie FER in youth with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and specific learning disorders (SLD). The study involved 263 children and adolescents between 8 and 16 years old divided into three groups matched for age, sex, and IQ: 60 (52 M) with ASD without intellectual disability, 63 (44 M) with SLD, and 140 (105 M) non-diagnosed. Participants completed an FER test, three executive functions' tasks (inhibition, updating, and set-shifting), and parents filled in a questionnaire reporting their children's social anxiety. Our results suggest that better FER was consistent with higher social anxiety and better updating skills in ASD, while with lower social anxiety in SLD. Clinical practice should focus on coping strategies in autistic youth who could feel anxiety when facing social cues, and on self-efficacy and social worries in SLD. Executive functioning should also be addressed to support social learning in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Lievore
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Kwok FY, Wilkey ED, Peters L, Khiu E, Bull R, Lee K, Ansari D. Developmental dyscalculia is not associated with atypical brain activation: A univariate fMRI study of arithmetic, magnitude processing, and visuospatial working memory. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6308-6325. [PMID: 37909347 PMCID: PMC10681641 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26495] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging serves as a tool to better understand the cerebral correlates of atypical behaviors, such as learning difficulties. While significant advances have been made in characterizing the neural correlates of reading difficulties (developmental dyslexia), comparatively little is known about the neurobiological correlates of mathematical learning difficulties, such as developmental dyscalculia (DD). Furthermore, the available neuroimaging studies of DD are characterized by small sample sizes and variable inclusion criteria, which make it problematic to compare across studies. In addition, studies to date have focused on identifying single deficits in neuronal processing among children with DD (e.g., mental arithmetic), rather than probing differences in brain function across different processing domains that are known to be affected in children with DD. Here, we seek to address the limitations of prior investigations. Specifically, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe brain differences between children with and without persistent DD; 68 children (8-10 years old, 30 with DD) participated in an fMRI study designed to investigate group differences in the functional neuroanatomy associated with commonly reported behavioral deficits in children with DD: basic number processing, mental arithmetic and visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM). Behavioral data revealed that children with DD were less accurate than their typically achieving (TA) peers for the basic number processing and arithmetic tasks. No behavioral differences were found for the tasks measuring VSWM. A pre-registered, whole-brain, voxelwise univariate analysis of the fMRI data from the entire sample of children (DD and TA) revealed areas commonly associated with the three tasks (basic number processing, mental arithmetic, and VSWM). However, the examination of differences in brain activation between children with and without DD revealed no consistent group differences in brain activation. In view of these null results, we ran exploratory, Bayesian analyses on the data to quantify the amount of evidence for no group differences. This analysis provides supporting evidence for no group differences across all three tasks. We present the largest fMRI study comparing children with and without persistent DD to date. We found no group differences in brain activation using univariate, frequentist analyses. Moreover, Bayesian analyses revealed evidence for the null hypothesis of no group differences. These findings contradict previous literature and reveal the need to investigate the neural basis of DD using multivariate and network-based approaches to brain imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu Yu Kwok
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of EducationNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore
- Macquarie School of EducationMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Eric D. Wilkey
- Brain and Mind InstituteWestern UniversityLondonOntarioCanada
- Vanderbilt Brain InstituteVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Psychology & Human DevelopmentPeabody College, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Lien Peters
- Brain and Mind InstituteWestern UniversityLondonOntarioCanada
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology Research in Developmental Disorders LabGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Ellyn Khiu
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of EducationNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore
| | - Rebecca Bull
- Macquarie School of EducationMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Kerry Lee
- Department of Early Childhood EducationThe Education University of Hong KongHong Kong
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of EducationNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore
- Brain and Mind InstituteWestern UniversityLondonOntarioCanada
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10
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Ikeda Y, Kita Y, Oi Y, Okuzumi H, Lanfranchi S, Pulina F, Mammarella IC, Allen K, Giofrè D. The Structure of Working Memory and Its Relationship with Intelligence in Japanese Children. J Intell 2023; 11:167. [PMID: 37623550 PMCID: PMC10455765 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11080167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a host of research on the structure of working memory (WM) and its relationship with intelligence in adults, but only a few studies have involved children. In this paper, several different WM models were tested on 170 Japanese school children (from 7 years and 5 months to 11 years and 6 months). Results showed that a model distinguishing between modalities (i.e., verbal and spatial WM) fitted the data well and was therefore selected. Notably, a bi-factor model distinguishing between modalities, but also including a common WM factor, presented with a very good fit, but was less parsimonious. Subsequently, we tested the predictive power of the verbal and spatial WM factors on fluid and crystallized intelligence. Results indicated that the shared contribution of WM explained the largest portion of variance of fluid intelligence, with verbal and spatial WM independently explaining a residual portion of the variance. Concerning crystallized intelligence, however, verbal WM explained the largest portion of the variance, with the joint contribution of verbal and spatial WM explaining the residual part. The distinction between verbal and spatial WM could be important in clinical settings (e.g., children with atypical development might struggle selectively on some WM components) and in school settings (e.g., verbal and spatial WM might be differently implicated in mathematical achievement).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ikeda
- Department of Special Needs Education, Joetsu University of Education, Niigata 943-8512, Japan;
| | - Yosuke Kita
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo 108-8345, Japan
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit (CBRU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yuhei Oi
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Aichi 470-0393, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okuzumi
- Faculty of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan
| | - Silvia Lanfranchi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Pulina
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Katie Allen
- School of Education, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - David Giofrè
- DISFOR, University of Genoa, 16121 Genova, Italy
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11
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Lunardon M, Decarli G, Sella F, Lanfranchi S, Gerola S, Cossu G, Zorzi M. Low discriminative power of WISC cognitive profile in developmental dyscalculia. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 136:104478. [PMID: 36933361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of domain-general cognitive abilities in the etiology of Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is a hotly debated issue. AIMS In the present study, we tested whether WISC-IV cognitive profiles can be useful to single out DD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Using a stringent 2-SD cutoff in a standardized numeracy battery, we identified children with DD (N = 43) within a clinical sample referred for assessment of learning disability and compared them in terms of WISC cognitive indexes to the remaining children without DD (N = 100) employing cross-validated logistic regression. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Both groups showed higher Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning than Working Memory and Processing Speed, and DD scores were generally lower. Predictive accuracy of WISC indexes in identifying DD individuals was low (AUC = 0.67) and it dropped to chance level in discriminating DD from selected controls (N = 43) with average math performance but matched on global IQ. The inclusion of a visuospatial memory score as an additional predictor did not improve classification accuracy. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These results demonstrate that cognitive profiles do not reliably discriminate DD from non-DD children, thereby weakening the appeal of domain-general accounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maristella Lunardon
- Neuroscience Area, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Gisella Decarli
- Department of General Psychology and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Francesco Sella
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, UK
| | - Silvia Lanfranchi
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Marco Zorzi
- Department of General Psychology and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy; IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice-Lido, Italy.
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12
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Macchitella L, Tosi G, Romano DL, Iaia M, Vizzi F, Mammarella IC, Angelelli P. Visuo-Spatial Working Memory and Mathematical Skills in Children: A Network Analysis Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13040294. [PMID: 37102808 PMCID: PMC10136205 DOI: 10.3390/bs13040294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Visuo-spatial working memory is one of the main domain-general cognitive mechanisms underlying mathematical abilities and their development in children. However, if visuo-spatial working memory involves different processes and components, then the term 'mathematics' refers to a broad concept that includes multiple domains and skills. The aim of this present study was to investigate the relationship between different visuo-spatial working memory components and several mathematical abilities in a sample of third- to fifth-grade Italian children. To assess the relationships between different visuo-spatial working memory components and different mathematical abilities, we relied on Network Analysis (NA). Results indicate that some but not all visuo-spatial working memory components are associated with some mathematical abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Macchitella
- Scientific Institute I.R.C.C.S. "E. Medea", Unit for Severe Disabilities in Developmental Age and Young Adults (Developmental Neurology and Neurorehabilitation), 72100 Brindisi, Italy
| | - Giorgia Tosi
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Luigi Romano
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of Human and Social Studies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Marika Iaia
- Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of Human and Social Studies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Francesca Vizzi
- Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of Human and Social Studies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
| | - Paola Angelelli
- Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of Human and Social Studies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
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13
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Medrano J, Prather RW. Rethinking Executive Functions in Mathematical Cognition. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2023.2172414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Josh Medrano
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Richard W. Prather
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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14
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Watkins S, Kemper AR, D'Ottavio A, Hoffman TM, Hartman RJ, Sang CJ, Sarno L, Paolillo J, Welke KF, Walsh MJ, Forestieri N, Li JS. Third-Grade Academic Performance and Episodes of Cardiac Care Among Children with Congenital Heart Defects. Pediatr Cardiol 2023; 44:472-478. [PMID: 36454266 DOI: 10.1007/s00246-022-03066-w] [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] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are at risk for poor academic performance. The degree to which receipt of health care services is associated with adverse academic outcomes is not known. We examined the association between episodes of cardiac care and third-grade performance in children with CHD. We identified subjects between 1/1/2008 and 4/30/2012 among 5 centers in North Carolina. We classified children by CHD type and linked subjects to the state educational records. Any inpatient or outpatient cardiac encounter on a date of service was considered an encounter. We calculated the number of encounters by adding the number of inpatient or outpatient cardiac visits prior to the date of the end-of-grade (EOG) tests. We estimated the odds of failing third-grade reading or math EOG tests by episodes of care stratified at the 50th percentile, controlling for CHD type, maternal education, sex, race/ethnicity, birth weight, and gestational age. A total of 184 children had third-grade EOG scores linked to health care records. The median number of episodes of care was 4 (range: 1-60). Those with visits ˃ 50th percentile (> 4 encounters/year over the 4.3 year observation period) had 2.09 (95% CI 1.04, 4.21) greater odds of failing the math EOG compared to those ≤ 50th percentile (1-4 encounters). The third-grade math score declined by 1.5 points (P < 0.008) for every 10 episodes of care. There was no association of episodes of care on third-grade reading performance. Children with CHD with > 4 episodes of cardiac care/year may be at risk for delays in third-grade academic performance. Strategies to minimize school absenteeism may improve academic success in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alex R Kemper
- Division of Primary Care Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Robert J Hartman
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Joseph Paolillo
- Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Karl F Welke
- Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Michael J Walsh
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Nina Forestieri
- Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer S Li
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. .,Duke University Medical Center, Box 3090, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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15
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Zhang Y, Tolmie A, Gordon R. The Relationship between Working Memory and Arithmetic in Primary School Children: A Meta-Analysis. Brain Sci 2022; 13:22. [PMID: 36672004 PMCID: PMC9856839 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) plays a crucial role in the development of arithmetic ability. However, research findings related to which factors influence the relationship between WM and arithmetic skills are inconsistent. The present meta-analysis aimed to examine the links between WM and arithmetic in primary school children and investigate whether this is dependent on WM domains (i.e., verbal, visual, spatial), child age, arithmetic operation type, and arithmetic task type. A total of 11,224 participants with an age range of 6- to 12 years, from 55 independent samples were included in the meta-analysis. Analysis of 46 studies with 187 effect sizes revealed an overall significant and medium correlation between WM and arithmetic. Heterogeneity analyses indicated that verbal WM showed a stronger correlation with arithmetic than visuospatial WM, and that correlations between verbal WM and arithmetic declined with age, whereas correlations between spatial-sequential, and spatial-simultaneous WM and arithmetic remained stable throughout development. Addition and subtraction were more involved in verbal WM than multiplication and division. Moreover, mental and written arithmetic showed comparable correlations with WM in all domains. These findings suggest moderation effects of WM domains, age, and operation types in the WM-arithmetic relationship and highlight the significant role of verbal WM in arithmetic ability in primary school children.
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16
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Silverman S, Ashkenazi S. The differential relationship between visual and spatial working memory in children's mathematics performance. Trends Neurosci Educ 2022; 29:100188. [PMID: 36470619 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100188] [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: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research suggests that visuospatial working memory (WM) is a unique predictor of mathematics. However, evidence from neuropsychology and cognitive studies suggests dissociations between visual and spatial WM. PROCEDURE We examined the differential relationships between visual and spatial WM with mathematics using a new task that 1) utilized the same paradigm across visual and spatial tasks and 2) required executive WM. MAIN FINDINGS We found that our new spatial WM task related to mathematics scores while visual WM did not. Spatial WM related to mathematics scores for fourth-graders and not second graders, consistent with previous findings on the relationship between spatial skills and mathematics as mathematics becomes more complex. No relationship was found between spatial WM and reading scores at either grade level. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the dynamic relationship between WM components and mathematics over the elementary school years and suggest that spatial WM is a unique predictor of mathematics starting from middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarit Silverman
- The Seymour Fox School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Mount Scopus.
| | - Sarit Ashkenazi
- The Seymour Fox School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Mount Scopus
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17
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Taking a Closer Look: The Relationship between Pre-School Domain General Cognition and School Mathematics Achievement When Controlling for Intelligence. J Intell 2022; 10:jintelligence10030070. [PMID: 36135611 PMCID: PMC9506253 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10030070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intelligence, as well as working memory and attention, affect the acquisition of mathematical competencies. This paper aimed to examine the influence of working memory and attention when taking different mathematical skills into account as a function of children’s intellectual ability. Overall, intelligence, working memory, attention and numerical skills were assessed twice in 1868 German pre-school children (t1, t2) and again at 2nd grade (t3). We defined three intellectual ability groups based on the results of intellectual assessment at t1 and t2. Group comparisons revealed significant differences between the three intellectual ability groups. Over time, children with low intellectual ability showed the lowest achievement in domain-general and numerical and mathematical skills compared to children of average intellectual ability. The highest achievement on the aforementioned variables was found for children of high intellectual ability. Additionally, path modelling revealed that, depending on the intellectual ability, different models of varying complexity could be generated. These models differed with regard to the relevance of the predictors (t2) and the future mathematical skills (t3). Causes and conclusions of these findings are discussed.
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18
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19
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Cognitive processing features of elementary school children with mathematical anxiety: Attentional control theory-based explanation. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 224:105513. [PMID: 35914332 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105513] [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: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests that mathematical anxiety (MA) seriously affects an individual's math achievement. However, few studies have focused on the cognitive mechanisms of MA in elementary school children. Based on attention control theory (ACT), this research aimed to explore the cognitive mechanism of MA in elementary school children using two studies. In Study 1, the dual-task paradigm of number memory and computation span was used to investigate the difference in processing efficiency between the high-mathematical anxiety (HMA) group and the low-mathematical anxiety (LMA) group. In total, 59 students with HMA and 54 students with LMA participated in Study 1. The results showed that students with HMA had lower processing efficiency in dealing with high-load math tasks. To further investigate the underlying mechanism of low processing efficiency for students with HMA, Study 2 explored the attention bias toward math-related stimuli of students with HMA using the Posner paradigm. In total, 48 students with HMA and 49 students with LMA participated in Study 2. The results showed that math trials put children with HMA in a state of heightened vigilance in general, which might be related to the low processing efficiency in dealing with high-load math tasks. These findings support the ACT and further reveal the mechanism of MA in elementary school children from a cognitive perspective.
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20
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Cardillo R, Lievore R, Mammarella IC. Do children with and without autism spectrum disorder use different visuospatial processing skills to perform the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test? Autism Res 2022; 15:1311-1323. [PMID: 35384343 PMCID: PMC9325558 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Visuospatial organization abilities are closely related to other visuospatial processing skills, such as visuomotor coordination, perceptual abilities, mental rotation, and working memory (WM). One task that enables visuospatial organization abilities to be investigated is the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCFT). When examining visuospatial functioning, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have proved capable of operating both locally and globally, depending on the sub-domain embraced, with a preference for a locally-oriented processing of visuospatial information. The present research aimed to establish whether different underlying visuospatial skills might account for performance in the ROCFT in children and adolescents with ASD, compared with typically developing (TD), by considering the role of local/global visuospatial processing. The study involved 39 participants who have ASD without intellectual disability, and 57 TD aged 8-16 years. The participants were administered tasks assessing visuospatial organization abilities, manual dexterity, visual perception, mental rotation, spatial-sequential, spatial-simultaneous WM, and visuospatial processing. Our results suggest that manual dexterity and visuospatial processing similarly explain performance in both groups, while differences in visuospatial WM account for the two groups' visuospatial organization abilities. Spatial-simultaneous WM predicted performance in copy and recall conditions in the TD group but not in the ASD group, while spatial-sequential WM only did so in the latter group, reinforcing the tendency of children with ASD towards local bias in the visuospatial organization domain. The implications of these findings are discussed. LAY SUMMARY: The visuospatial organization abilities of children and adolescents with and without autism were compared, considering their underlying visuospatial skills. Visuospatial organization impairments emerged for children with autism, who differed from typically developing children in the underlying visuospatial skills involved. Given the crucial role of visuospatial organization abilities in everyday life, our results could inspire practitioners to develop training interventions that take into account the strengths and weaknesses of individuals with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadova
| | - Rachele Lievore
- Department of Developmental and Social PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadova
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21
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Haberstroh S, Schulte-Körne G. The Cognitive Profile of Math Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis Based on Clinical Criteria. Front Psychol 2022; 13:842391. [PMID: 35360597 PMCID: PMC8962618 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Math difficulties (MD) manifest across various domain-specific and domain-general abilities. However, the existing cognitive profile of MD is incomplete and thus not applicable in typical settings such as schools or clinics. So far, no review has applied inclusion criteria according to DSM or ICD, summarized domain-specific abilities or examined the validity of response time scores for MD identification. Based upon stringent clinical criteria, the current meta-analysis included 34 studies which compared cognitive performances of a group with MD (n = 680) and a group without MD (n = 1565). Criteria according to DSM and ICD were applied to identify MD (percentile rank ≤ 16, age range 8-12 years, no comorbidities/low IQ). Effect sizes for 22 abilities were estimated and separated by their level and type of scoring (AC = accuracy, RT = response time). A cognitive profile of MD was identified, characterized by distinct weaknesses in: (a) computation (calculation [AC], fact retrieval [AC]), (b) number sense (quantity processing [AC], quantity-number linking [RT], numerical relations [AC]), and (c) visual-spatial short-term storage [AC]. No particular strength was found. Severity of MD, group differences in reading performance and IQ did not significantly moderate the results. Further analyses revealed that (a) effects are larger when dealing with numbers or number words than with quantities, (b) MD is not accompanied by any weakness in abilities typically assigned to reading, and (c) weaknesses in visual-spatial short-term storage emphasize the notion that number and space are interlinked. The need for high-quality studies investigating domain-general abilities is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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22
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De Vita C, Costa HM, Tomasetto C, Passolunghi MC. The contributions of working memory domains and processes to early mathematical knowledge between preschool and first grade. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 86:497-511. [PMID: 33677704 PMCID: PMC8885495 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Working Memory (WM) plays a crucial role in supporting children's mathematical learning. However, there is no consensus on the relative contributions of different WM domains (i.e., verbal, visuo-spatial, and numerical-verbal) and processes (i.e., low-control and high-control) to mathematical performance, specifically before and after the onset of formal education. This cross-sectional study examined the relations between WM domains and processes and early mathematical knowledge, comparing a group of children in the second year of preschool (N = 66) to a group of first graders (N = 110). Results of multigroup path analysis showed that whereas visuo-spatial low-control WM significantly predicted early mathematical knowledge only among preschoolers, verbal low-control WM was a significant predictor only among first graders. Instead, the contribution of visuo-spatial high-control WM emerged as significant for both age groups, as well as that of numerical-verbal WM, although the latter to a greater extent among preschoolers. These findings provide new insights into the WM domains and processes most involved in early mathematical knowledge at different developmental stages, with potential implications for the implementation of age-appropriate training interventions targeting specific WM skills before and after the onset of formal education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Vita
- Department of Life Sciences, Gaetano Kanizsa Psychology Unit, University of Trieste, via Weiss 21, 34128, Trieste, Italy
| | - Hiwet Mariam Costa
- Department of Life Sciences, Gaetano Kanizsa Psychology Unit, University of Trieste, via Weiss 21, 34128, Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Tomasetto
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Passolunghi
- Department of Life Sciences, Gaetano Kanizsa Psychology Unit, University of Trieste, via Weiss 21, 34128, Trieste, Italy.
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23
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Domain-General Cognitive Skills in Children with Mathematical Difficulties and Dyscalculia: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020239. [PMID: 35204002 PMCID: PMC8870543 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical performance implies a series of numerical and mathematical skills (both innate and derived from formal training) as well as certain general cognitive abilities that, if inadequate, can have a cascading effect on mathematics learning. These latter skills were the focus of the present systematic review. Method: The reviewing process was conducted according to the PRISMA statement. We included 46 studies comparing school-aged children’s performance with and without math difficulties in the following cognitive domains: processing speed, phonological awareness, short- and long-term memory, executive functions, and attention. Results: The results showed that some general cognitive domains were compromised in children with mathematical difficulties (i.e., executive functions, attention, and processing speed). Conclusions: These cognitive functions should be evaluated during the diagnostic process in order to better understand the child’s profile and propose individually tailored interventions. However, further studies should investigate the role of skills that have been poorly investigated to date (e.g., long-term memory and phonological awareness).
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24
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The distinct contribution of verbal and visuospatial short-term memory abilities to arithmetic development. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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Zhang Y, Liu S, Shang X. An MRI Study on Effects of Math Education on Brain Development Using Multi-Instance Contrastive Learning. Front Psychol 2021; 12:765754. [PMID: 34899510 PMCID: PMC8652258 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper explores whether mathematical education has effects on brain development from the perspective of brain MRIs. While biochemical changes in the left middle front gyrus region of the brain have been investigated, we proposed to classify students by using MRIs from the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) region that was left untouched in the previous study. On the cropped IPS regions, the proposed model developed popular contrastive learning (CL) to solve the problem of multi-instance representation learning. The resulted data representations were then fed into a linear neural network to identify whether students were in the math group or the non-math group. Experiments were conducted on 123 adolescent students, including 72 math students and 51 non-math students. The proposed model achieved an accuracy of 90.24 % for student classification, gaining more than 5% improvements compared to the classical CL frame. Our study provides not only a multi-instance extension to CL and but also an MRI insight into the impact of mathematical studying on brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupei Zhang
- School of Computer Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Big Data Storage and Management, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuhui Liu
- School of Computer Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Big Data Storage and Management, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuequn Shang
- School of Computer Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Big Data Storage and Management, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xi'an, China
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26
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Castaldi E, Piazza M, Eger E. Resources Underlying Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Enable Veridical Large Numerosity Perception. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:751098. [PMID: 34867244 PMCID: PMC8634845 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.751098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can quickly approximate how many objects are in a visual image, but no clear consensus has been achieved on the cognitive resources underlying this ability. Previous work has lent support to the notion that mechanisms which explicitly represent the locations of multiple objects in the visual scene within a mental map are critical for both visuo-spatial working memory and enumeration (at least for relatively small numbers of items). Regarding the cognitive underpinnings of large numerosity perception, an issue currently subject to much controversy is why numerosity estimates are often non-veridical (i.e., susceptible to biases from non-numerical quantities). Such biases have been found to be particularly pronounced in individuals with developmental dyscalculia (DD), a learning disability affecting the acquisition of arithmetic skills. Motivated by findings showing that DD individuals are also often impaired in visuo-spatial working memory, we hypothesized that resources supporting this type of working memory, which allow for the simultaneous identification of multiple objects, might also be critical for precise and unbiased perception of larger numerosities. We therefore tested whether loading working memory of healthy adult participants during discrimination of large numerosities would lead to increased interference from non-numerical quantities. Participants performed a numerosity discrimination task on multi-item arrays in which numerical and non-numerical stimulus dimensions varied congruently or incongruently relative to each other, either in isolation or in the context of a concurrent visuo-spatial or verbal working memory task. During performance of the visuo-spatial, but not verbal, working memory task, precision in numerosity discrimination decreased, participants' choices became strongly biased by item size, and the strength of this bias correlated with measures of arithmetical skills. Moreover, the interference between numerosity and working memory tasks was bidirectional, with number discrimination impacting visuo-spatial (but not verbal) performance. Overall, these results suggest that representing visual numerosity in a way that is unbiased by non-numerical quantities relies on processes which explicitly segregate/identify the locations of multiple objects that are shared with visuo-spatial (but not verbal) working memory. This shared resource may potentially be impaired in DD, explaining the observed co-occurrence of working memory and numerosity discrimination deficits in this clinical population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Castaldi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Manuela Piazza
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Evelyn Eger
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA DRF/JOLIOT, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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27
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Retzler J, Johnson S, Groom MJ, Cragg L. A comparison of simultaneous and sequential visuo-spatial memory in children born very preterm. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 28:496-509. [PMID: 34720055 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1993808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Research suggests that children born very preterm (≤32 weeks' gestation) are at greater risk of impairments in information processing (particularly when information is presented simultaneously rather than sequentially) and visuo-spatial short-term and working memory relative to children born at term. This study compared the performance of children born very preterm with their term-born peers to elucidate the nature of group differences in these areas. 113 children (65 very preterm; 48 term-born) aged 8-to-11 years completed four visuo-spatial recall tasks. Tasks varied by presentation type (simultaneous or sequential) and memory type (short-term or working memory). Both groups recalled more locations in simultaneous than sequential tasks, and in short-term than working memory tasks. In short-term memory tasks, children born at term recalled more locations than children born very preterm for the sequential task, but groups did not differ on the simultaneous task. The opposite pattern was observed in the working memory tasks, with no group differences on the sequential task, but better performance on the simultaneous task for children born at term. Our findings indicate that simultaneous processing may not be impaired in children born very preterm per se, with poorer performance observed only under high cognitive demand. This interaction suggests very preterm birth may affect the level of cognitive resources available during feature integration, the consequences of which become apparent when resources are already stretched. The impact of interactions with cognitive demand in this population should be an important consideration for educational support strategies, and for assessment in research and clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Retzler
- Department of Psychology, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.,School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Madeleine J Groom
- Division of Psychiatry & Applied Psychology, Institute of Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lucy Cragg
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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28
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Nelwan M, Friso-van den Bos I, Vissers C, Kroesbergen E. The relation between working memory, number sense, and mathematics throughout primary education in children with and without mathematical difficulties. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 28:143-170. [PMID: 34340649 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1959905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Number sense and working memory contribute to mathematical development throughout primary school. However, it is still unclear how the contributions of each of these predictors may change across development and whether the cognitive contribution is the same for children with and without mathematical difficulties. The aim of the two studies in this paper was to shed light on these topics. In a cross-sectional design, a typically developing group of children (study 1; N = 459, Grades 1-4) and a group with mathematical difficulties (study 2; N = 61, Grades 4-6) completed a battery of number sense and working memory tests, as well as a measure of arithmetic competence. Results of study 1 indicated that number sense was important in first grade, while working memory gained importance in second grade, before predictive value of both predictors waned. Number sense and working memory supported mathematics development independently from one another from Grade 1. Analysis of task demands showed that typically developing children rely on comprehension and visualization of quantity-to-number associations in early development. Later in development, pupils rely on comparing larger numerals and working memory until automatization. Children with mathematical difficulties were less able to employ number sense during mathematical operations, and thus might remain dependent on their working memory resources during arithmetic tasks. This suggests that children with mathematical difficulties need aid to employ working memory for mathematics from an early age to be able to automatize mathematical abilities later in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Nelwan
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Erasmus MC -Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Constance Vissers
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Kentalis Academy, Royal Dutch Kentalis, Sint-Michielsgestel, The Netherlands
| | - Evelyn Kroesbergen
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Matejko AA, Ansari D. Shared Neural Circuits for Visuospatial Working Memory and Arithmetic in Children and Adults. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1003-1019. [PMID: 33656397 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) plays an important role in arithmetic problem solving, and the relationship between these two skills is thought to change over development. Even though neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that VSWM and arithmetic both recruit frontoparietal networks, inferences about common neural substrates have largely been made by comparisons across studies. Little work has examined how brain activation for VSWM and arithmetic converge within the same participants and whether there are age-related changes in the overlap of these neural networks. In this study, we examined how brain activity for VSWM and arithmetic overlap in 38 children and 26 adults. Although both children and adults recruited the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) for VSWM and arithmetic, children showed more focal activation within the right IPS, whereas adults recruited the bilateral IPS, superior frontal sulcus/middle frontal gyrus, and right insula. A comparison of the two groups revealed that adults recruited a more left-lateralized network of frontoparietal regions for VSWM and arithmetic compared with children. Together, these findings suggest possible neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the strong relationship between VSWM and arithmetic and provide evidence that the association between VSWM and arithmetic networks changes with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Matejko
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC.,Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Cárdenas SY, Silva-Pereyra J, Prieto-Corona B, Castro-Chavira SA, Fernández T. Arithmetic processing in children with dyscalculia: an event-related potential study. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10489. [PMID: 33569247 PMCID: PMC7847199 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder affecting the ability to learn certain math processes, such as arithmetic data recovery. The group of children with dyscalculia is very heterogeneous, in part due to variability in their working memory (WM) deficits. To assess the brain response to arithmetic data recovery, we applied an arithmetic verification task during an event-related potential (ERP) recording. Two effects have been reported: the N400 effect (higher negative amplitude for incongruent than for congruent condition), associated with arithmetic incongruency and caused by the arithmetic priming effect, and the LPC effect (higher positive amplitude for the incongruent compared to the congruent condition), associated with a reevaluation process and modulated by the plausibility of the presented condition. This study aimed to (a) compare arithmetic processing between children with dyscalculia and children with good academic performance (GAP) using ERPs during an addition verification task and (b) explore, among children with dyscalculia, the relationship between WM and ERP effects. Materials and Methods EEGs of 22 children with dyscalculia (DYS group) and 22 children with GAP (GAP group) were recorded during the performance of an addition verification task. ERPs synchronized with the probe stimulus were computed separately for the congruent and incongruent probes, and included only epochs with correct answers. Mixed 2-way ANOVAs for response times and correct answers were conducted. Comparisons between groups and correlation analyses using ERP amplitude data were carried out through multivariate nonparametric permutation tests. Results The GAP group obtained more correct answers than the DYS group. An arithmetic N400 effect was observed in the GAP group but not in the DYS group. Both groups displayed an LPC effect. The larger the LPC amplitude was, the higher the WM index. Two subgroups were found within the DYS group: one with an average WM index and the other with a lower than average WM index. These subgroups displayed different ERPs patterns. Discussion The results indicated that the group of children with dyscalculia was very heterogeneous and therefore failed to show a robust LPC effect. Some of these children had WM deficits. When WM deficits were considered together with dyscalculia, an atypical ERP pattern that reflected their processing difficulties emerged. Their lack of the arithmetic N400 effect suggested that the processing in this step was not useful enough to produce an answer; thus, it was necessary to reevaluate the arithmetic-calculation process (LPC) in order to deliver a correct answer. Conclusion Given that dyscalculia is a very heterogeneous deficit, studies examining dyscalculia should consider exploring deficits in WM because the whole group of children with dyscalculia seems to contain at least two subpopulations that differ in their calculation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Y Cárdenas
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
| | - Juan Silva-Pereyra
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México
| | - Belén Prieto-Corona
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México
| | - Susana A Castro-Chavira
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
| | - Thalía Fernández
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
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Crisci G, Caviola S, Cardillo R, Mammarella IC. Executive Functions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Comorbidity Overlaps Between Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorders. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:594234. [PMID: 33732121 PMCID: PMC7958764 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.594234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examines the comorbidity between specific learning disorders (SLD) and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by comparing the neuropsychological profiles of children with and without this comorbidity. Ninety-seven schoolchildren from 8 to 14 years old were tested: a clinical sample of 49 children with ADHD (n = 18), SLD (n = 18) or SLD in comorbidity with ADHD (n = 13), and 48 typically-developing (TD) children matched for age and intelligence. Participants were administered tasks and questionnaires to confirm their initial diagnosis, and a battery of executive function (EF) tasks testing inhibition, shifting, and verbal and visuospatial updating. Using one-way ANOVAs, our results showed that all children in the clinical samples exhibited impairments on EF measures (inhibition and shifting tasks) when compared with TD children. A more specific pattern only emerged for the updating tasks. Only children with SLD had significant impairment in verbal updating, whereas children with ADHD, and those with SLD in comorbidity with ADHD, had the worst performance in visuospatial updating. The clinical and educational implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Crisci
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Sara Caviola
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Irene C. Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Attout L, Noël MP, Rousselle L. Toward an integrative model accounting for typical and atypical development of visuospatial short-term memory. Child Neuropsychol 2020; 27:37-62. [PMID: 32703062 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2020.1793923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The origin of visuospatial short-term memory (STM) impairment is poorly investigated and is generally considered to be the result of a more global visuospatial deficit. However, previous studies suggest an important influence of two elements on performance in visuospatial STM tasks, the mode of presentation (i.e., simultaneous and sequential), and the visuospatial arrangement (structured vs. unstructured). With regards to a recent proposal, the aim of this study was to examine the development of the two modes of presentation and the visuospatial arrangement of visuospatial information in STM in a hundred typically developing participants aged from 4 years old to adults. Moreover, we also examined how the model explains the pattern of visuospatial STM deficit in two neurodevelopmental syndromes with different profiles in terms of STM abilities, namely Williams syndrome and Down syndrome. We found distinct performance for sequential and simultaneous presentation only from 11 years old with better performance in simultaneous than in sequential presentation mode and a sensitivity to visuospatial arrangement that increases with age. Both syndromes presented deficits at different levels, people with Williams syndrome for visuospatial arrangement and with Down syndrome for simultaneous visuospatial information in STM. The results demonstrate the importance to consider the influence of preexisting visuospatial knowledge on STM abilities. A two processing route model of STM is an interesting framework to interpret the different results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Attout
- Research Unit "Enfances", University of Liège , Liège, Belgium
| | - Marie-Pascale Noël
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Catholic University of Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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33
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Allen K, Giofrè D, Higgins S, Adams J. Using working memory performance to predict mathematics performance 2 years on. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 85:1986-1996. [PMID: 32651687 PMCID: PMC8289789 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01382-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A number of previous studies have used working memory components to predict mathematical performance in a variety of ways; however, there is no consideration of the contributions of the subcomponents of visuospatial working memory to this prediction. In this paper we conducted a 2-year follow-up to the data presented in Allen et al. (Q J Exp Psychol 73(2):239–248, 2020b) to ascertain how these subcomponents of visuospatial working memory related to later mathematical performance. 159 children (M age = 115.48 months) completed the maths test for this second wave of the study. Results show a shift from spatial–simultaneous influence to spatial–sequential influence, whilst verbal involvement remained relatively stable. Results are discussed in terms of their potential for education and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Allen
- School of Education, University of Durham, Durham, UK.
| | - David Giofrè
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione (DISFOR), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Steve Higgins
- School of Education, University of Durham, Durham, UK
| | - John Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Durham, UK
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Cardillo R, Erbì C, Mammarella IC. Spatial Perspective-Taking in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Predictive Role of Visuospatial and Motor Abilities. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:208. [PMID: 32581750 PMCID: PMC7286568 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its impact on everyday functioning, spatial perspective-taking has rarely been investigated in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and previous findings are surprisingly sparse and inconsistent. In the present study, we aimed to investigate spatial perspective-taking abilities in children and adolescents with ASD without intellectual disabilities, comparing them with a group of typically developing (TD) peers. Our objectives were: (i) to test similarities and differences between these groups in a spatial perspective-taking task; and (ii) to see whether similar or different underlying processes (i.e., fine and gross motor skills, and visuospatial abilities) might account for the groups’ performance in the spatial perspective-taking task. A group of children with ASD (N = 36) was compared with a TD group (N = 39), aged from 8 to 16 years. Participants were administered tasks assessing spatial perspective-taking, fine and gross motor skills, visuo-constructive abilities, visuospatial working memory, visual imagery, and mental rotation. Our results revealed that the ASD group had more difficulty with the spatial perspective-taking task than the TD group. The two groups also had some shared and some different processes that predicted their perspective-taking performance: a significant predictive effect of fine motor skills and visuospatial working memory emerged for both groups, while gross motor skills (i.e., walking heel-to-toe) and visuospatial imagery only revealed a role in the TD group. These findings suggest that different abilities might account for the two groups’ performance in the spatial perspective-taking task. Gross motor skills and complex visuospatial abilities seem to be more important in sustaining spatial perspective-taking ability in typical development than in the event of ASD. Some of the clinical and educational implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Cristiana Erbì
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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35
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Caviola S, Colling LJ, Mammarella IC, Szűcs D. Predictors of mathematics in primary school: Magnitude comparison, verbal and spatial working memory measures. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12957. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Caviola
- School of Psychology University of Leeds Leeds UK
- Department of Psychology Centre for Neuroscience in Education University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Lincoln J. Colling
- Department of Psychology Centre for Neuroscience in Education University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- School of Psychology University of Sussex Brighton UK
| | | | - Dénes Szűcs
- Department of Psychology Centre for Neuroscience in Education University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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36
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Träff U, Olsson L, Östergren R, Skagerlund K. Development of early domain-specific and domain-general cognitive precursors of high and low math achievers in grade 6. Child Neuropsychol 2020; 26:1065-1090. [PMID: 32193970 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2020.1739259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated from a longitudinal retrospective perspective what characterizes and predicts 6th graders (Mage = 12.95, SD = 0.27) with low (LMA) or high (HMA) math achievement concerning the development of early domain-specific and domain-general cognitive abilities. They were examined and compared to average achievers (n = 88) at four-time points from kindergarten (Mage = 6.58, SD = 0.36) to third grade (Mage = 9.53, SD = 0.33). The LMA (n = 27) or HMA (n = 41) children exhibited persistent multi-weakness and multi-strength profiles, respectively, present already prior to formal schooling. The cognitive profiles of the two groups, and their development, were mostly qualitatively similar, but there were also important qualitative differences. Logistic regression analyzes showed that superior verbal arithmetic, logical reasoning, and executive functions are vital for developing superior mathematical skills while inferior verbal arithmetic, logical reasoning, and spatial processing ability constitute unique potential risk factors for low mathematical skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Träff
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
| | - Linda Olsson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rickard Östergren
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kenny Skagerlund
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
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Allen K, Giofrè D, Higgins S, Adams J. Working memory predictors of mathematics across the middle primary school years. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 90:848-869. [PMID: 31999851 PMCID: PMC7496726 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12339] [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: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Work surrounding the relationship between visuospatial working memory (WM) and mathematics performance is gaining significant traction as a result of a focus on improving academic attainment. AIMS This study examined the relative contributions of verbal and visuospatial simple and complex WM measures to mathematics in primary school children aged 6-10 years. SAMPLE A sample of 111 children in years 2-5 were assessed (Mage = 100.06 months, SD = 14.47). METHOD Children were tested individually on all memory measures, followed by a separate mathematics testing session as a class group in the same assessment wave. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Results revealed an age-dependent relationship, with a move towards visuospatial influence in older children. Further analyses demonstrated that backward word span and backward matrices contributed unique portions of variance of mathematics, regardless of the regression model specified. We discuss possible explanations for our preliminary findings in relation to the existing literature alongside their implications for educators and further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Allen
- School of Education, University of Durham, UK
| | - David Giofrè
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione (DISFOR), University of Genoa, Italy
| | | | - John Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Durham, UK
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Provazza S, Adams AM, Giofrè D, Roberts DJ. Double Trouble: Visual and Phonological Impairments in English Dyslexic Readers. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2725. [PMID: 31920790 PMCID: PMC6927912 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia is a reading disorder characterized by problems in accurate or fluent reading. A deficiency in phonological processing is thought to underpin the reading difficulties of individuals with developmental dyslexia and a variety of explanations have been proposed including deficits in phonological awareness and verbal memory. Recent investigations have begun to suggest that developmental deficits in the acquisition of reading may also co-occur with visual processing deficits, which are particularly salient for visually complex stimuli, yet these deficits have received relatively little attention from researchers. To further explore the nature of phonological and visual processing in developmental dyslexia, we administered a series of non-reading tasks tapping both domains. Unsurprisingly, individuals with developmental dyslexia performed worse than typically developing readers in phonological tasks. More intriguingly, they also struggled with visual tasks, specifically when discriminating between novel visual patterns, and in visuo-spatial working memory, which requires greater attentional control. These findings highlight that individuals with developmental dyslexia present not only with phonological impairments but also difficulties in processing visual materials. This aspect has received limited attention in previous literature and represents an aspect of novelty of this study. The dual phonological and visual impairments suggest that developmental dyslexia is a complex disorder characterized by deficits in different cognitive mechanisms that underpin reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Provazza
- Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Anne-Marie Adams
- Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - David Giofrè
- Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniel John Roberts
- Division of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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Fanari R, Meloni C, Massidda D. Visual and Spatial Working Memory Abilities Predict Early Math Skills: A Longitudinal Study. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2460. [PMID: 31780987 PMCID: PMC6852704 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the influence of the visuospatial active working memory subcomponents on early math skills in young children, followed longitudinally along the first 2 years of primary school. We administered tests investigating visual active working memory (jigsaw puzzle), spatial active working memory (backward Corsi), and math tasks to 43 children at the beginning of first grade (T1), at the end of first grade (T2), and at the end of second grade (T3). Math tasks were selected according to the children’s age and their levels of formal education: the “Battery for the evaluation of numerical intelligence from 4 to 6 years of age” (BIN 4–6) at T1 to test early numerical competence and the “Test for the evaluation of calculating and problem-solving abilities” (AC-MT 6–11) to test math skills at T2 and T3. Three regression models, in which the predictors were identified through a backward selection based on the use of the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) index, were performed to study the relationship between visual and spatial working memory and math ability at the three points in time. The results show that spatial working memory influences early numerical performance at T1, while early numerical performance is the unique predictor of math performance at T2. At the end of the second grade, the regression model reveals a relationship between math performance and both visual and spatial working memory and the attenuation of the importance of domain-specific predictors. The study depicts the different implications of visual and spatial working memory predictors over the children’s development periods and brings additional evidence to the debate on the relationship between visuospatial working memory and math ability in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Fanari
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carla Meloni
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Massidda
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Allen K, Giofrè D, Higgins S, Adams J. Working memory predictors of written mathematics in 7- to 8-year-old children. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2019; 73:239-248. [PMID: 31390931 DOI: 10.1177/1747021819871243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive evidence for the involvement of working memory in mathematical attainment. This study aims to identify the relative contributions of verbal, spatial-simultaneous, and spatial-sequential working memory measures in written mathematics. Year 3 children (7-8 years of age, n = 214) in the United Kingdom were administered a battery of working memory tasks alongside a standardised test of mathematics. Confirmatory factor analyses and variance partitioning were then performed on the data to identify the unique variance accounted for by verbal, spatial-simultaneous, and spatial-sequential measures. Results revealed the largest individual contribution was that of verbal working memory, followed by spatial-simultaneous factors. This suggests the components of working memory underpinning mathematical performance at this age are those concerning verbal-numeric and spatial-simultaneous working memory. Implications for educators and further research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Allen
- School of Education, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - David Giofrè
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - John Adams
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
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Lee Swanson H, Kong JE, Petcu SD. Individual differences in math problem solving and executive processing among emerging bilingual children. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 187:104653. [PMID: 31377651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study identified cognitive processes that underlie individual differences in working memory (WM) and mathematical problem-solving accuracy in emerging bilingual children (English learners). A battery of tests was administered in both English and Spanish that assessed problem solving, achievement, and cognitive processing in children in first grade (n = 155), second grade (n = 129), and third grade (n = 110). The results were that (a) the executive component of WM predicted solution accuracy of word problems independent of first language and second language measures of vocabulary, reading, domain-specific knowledge (e.g., calculation, estimation), and short-term memory and (b) first language (Spanish) measures of the executive component of WM and magnitude comparisons were major predictors of math problem-solving accuracy in both languages. The results support the notion that the executive system of WM is a unique predictor of emerging bilingual children's math problem-solving accuracy in both languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Lee Swanson
- University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
| | - Jennifer E Kong
- University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Donolato E, Giofrè D, Mammarella IC. Working memory, negative affect and personal assets: How do they relate to mathematics and reading literacy? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218921. [PMID: 31246987 PMCID: PMC6597163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Research has recently focused on the relationships between working memory, negative affect (e.g., general anxiety, depressive symptoms) and personal assets (e.g., self-concept, academic and competence dimensions, and ego-resiliency), and their influence on mathematics and reading literacy. Although these variables have been amply explored, previous research has usually considered each of these aspects in isolation. Method In the present study, 143 schoolchildren in sixth to eighth grade were tested on general anxiety, depressive symptoms, working memory, self-concept (academic and competence scales), ego-resiliency, and mathematics and reading literacy. Results Variance partitioning showed that all predictors, i.e., working memory, negative affect (i.e., general anxiety and depressive symptoms), and personal assets (i.e., self-concept, academic and competence dimensions, and ego-resiliency) explained a unique and shared portion of the variance in mathematics and reading literacy. Conclusions Our findings point to the importance of investigating the relationship between these factors. Underlying implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Donolato
- Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - David Giofrè
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Haberstroh S, Schulte-Körne G. The Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyscalculia. DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 116:107-114. [PMID: 30905334 PMCID: PMC6440373 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2019.0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 3-7% of all children, adolescents, and adults suffer from dyscalculia. Severe, persistent difficulty performing arithmetical calculations leads to marked impairment in school, at work, and in everyday life and elevates the risk of comorbid mental disorders. The state of the evidence underlying various methods of diagnosing and treating this condition is unclear. METHODS Systematic literature searches were carried out from April 2015 to June 2016 in the PsycInfo, PSYNDEX, MEDLINE, ProQuest, ERIC, Cochrane Library, ICTRP, and MathEduc databases. The main search terms on dyscalculia were the German terms "Rechenstörung," "Rechenschwäche," and "Dyskalkulie" and the English terms "dyscalculia," "math disorder, and "math disability." The data from the retrieved studies were evaluated in a meta-analysis, and corresponding recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of dyscalculia were jointly issued by the 20 societies and associations that participated in the creation of this guideline. RESULTS The diagnosis of dyscalculia should only be made if the person in question displays below-average mathematical performance when seen in the context of relevant information from the individual history, test findings, clinical examination, and further psychosocial assessment. The treatment should be directed toward the individual mathematical problem areas. The mean effect size found across all intervention trials was 0.52 (95% confidence interval [0.42; 0.62]). Treatment should be initiated early on in the primary-school years and carried out by trained specialists in an individual setting; comorbid symptoms and disorders should also receive attention. Persons with dyscalculia are at elevated risk of having dyslexia as well (odds ratio [OR]: 12.25); the same holds for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and for other mental disorders, both internalizing (such as anxiety and depression) and externalizing (e.g., disorders characterized by aggression and rule-breaking). CONCLUSION Symptom-specific interventions involving the training of specific mathematical content yield the best results. There is still a need for high-quality intervention trials and for suitable tests and learning programs for older adolescents and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Haberstroh
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich
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Allen K, Higgins S, Adams J. The Relationship between Visuospatial Working Memory and Mathematical Performance in School-Aged Children: a Systematic Review. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10648-019-09470-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Sangani A, Jangi P, Ramak N, Ahmadi A. Identification of difference of working memory and sensory processing styles in boys and girls with writing-learning disorder. JOURNAL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.4103/jnms.jnms_12_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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The contributions of executive functions to mathematical learning difficulties and mathematical talent during adolescence. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209267. [PMID: 30543713 PMCID: PMC6292664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Are mathematical learning difficulties caused by impairment of the abilities that underlie mathematical talent? Or are mathematical difficulties and talent qualitatively different? The main goal of this study was to determine whether mathematical learning difficulties are explained by the same executive functions as mathematical talent. We screened a pool of 2,682 first-year high school students and selected 48 for evaluation, dividing them into three groups: those with mathematical learning difficulties (n = 16), those with typical performance (n = 16), and those with mathematical talent (n = 16). Adolescents from the learning difficulties and talented groups had age, reading skills, and verbal and non-verbal intelligence that were similar to those of the typical performance group. Participants were administered a suite of tasks to evaluate verbal and visual short-term memory and executive functions of inhibition, shifting, and updating. Different executive functions showed different contributions at the two ends of the math ability continuum: lower levels of performance in updating visual information were related to mathematical learning difficulties, while greater shifting abilities were related to mathematical talent. Effect sizes for the differences in performance between groups were large (Hedges' g > 0.8). These results suggest that different executive functions are associated with mathematical learning difficulties and mathematical talent. We discuss how these differences in executive functions could be related to the different types of mathematical abilities that distinguish the three groups.
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Skeide MA, Evans TM, Mei EZ, Abrams DA, Menon V. Neural signatures of co-occurring reading and mathematical difficulties. Dev Sci 2018; 21:e12680. [PMID: 29920856 PMCID: PMC6347422 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Impaired abilities in multiple domains is common in children with learning difficulties. Co-occurrence of low reading and mathematical abilities (LRLM) appears in almost every second child with learning difficulties. However, little is known regarding the neural bases of this combination. Leveraging a unique and tightly controlled sample including children with LRLM, isolated low reading ability (LR), and isolated low mathematical ability (LM), we uncover a distinct neural signature in children with co-occurring low reading and mathematical abilities differentiable from LR and LM. Specifically, we show that LRLM is neuroanatomically distinct from both LR and LM based on reduced cortical folding of the right parahippocampal gyrus, a medial temporal lobe region implicated in visual associative learning. LRLM children were further distinguished from LR and LM by patterns of intrinsic functional connectivity between parahippocampal gyrus and brain circuitry underlying reading and numerical quantity processing. Our results critically inform cognitive and neural models of LRLM by implicating aberrations in both domain-specific and domain-general brain regions involved in reading and mathematics. More generally, our results provide the first evidence for distinct multimodal neural signatures associated with LRLM, and suggest that this population displays an independent phenotype of learning difficulty that cannot be explained simply as a combination of isolated low reading and mathematical abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Skeide
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tanya M. Evans
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Edward Z. Mei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Daniel A. Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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