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Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology :... May 2021Patients with aphasia can present a type of acalculia referred to as aphasic acalculia.
BACKGROUND
Patients with aphasia can present a type of acalculia referred to as aphasic acalculia.
AIMS
To investigate the correlation and to test regression models for one- and two-digit calculation skills using verbal and nonverbal predictors.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
We selected an aphasia sample of 119 men and 81 women with a mean age of 57.37 years (SD = 15.56) and an average level of education of 13.52 years (SD = 4.08). Spanish versions of the Western Aphasia Battery and Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, plus a Written Calculation test, were individually administered. The calculation section of the Western Aphasia Battery and the Written Calculation tests were used to pinpoint calculation difficulties.
OUTCOMES AND RESULTS
Calculation difficulties were more severe in Global and Mixed non-fluent aphasia; they were very similar in Broca, Conduction, and Amnesic Aphasia. All correlations between the two calculation subtests and the other subtests of the Western Aphasia Battery were statistically significant. Calculation subtests correlated negatively with age and positively with schooling. Sex and time post-onset did not show any correlation with the calculation scores. Education, Reading, Block Design, and Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices were significant predictors of Western Aphasia Battery Calculation. Writing was the only significant predictor of the Written Calculation scores.
CONCLUSIONS
Nonverbal abilities were predictors of calculation tests, whereas agraphia defects were predictors of the Written Calculation test. Therefore, calculation abilities can be regarded both as written language-dependent and verbal language-independent.
Topics: Aphasia; Dyscalculia; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Language; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests
PubMed: 32978628
DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acaa072 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2020Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a developmental learning disability that manifests as a persistent difficulty in comprehending even the most basic numeric and... (Review)
Review
Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a developmental learning disability that manifests as a persistent difficulty in comprehending even the most basic numeric and arithmetic concepts, despite normal intelligence and schooling opportunities. Given the predominant use of numbers in modern society, this condition can pose major challenges in the sufferer's everyday life, both in personal and professional development. Since, to date, we still lack a universally recognized and psychometrically driven definition of DD, its diagnosis has been applied to a wide variety of cognitive profiles. In this chapter, we review the behavioral and neural characterization of DD as well as the different neurocognitive and etiologic accounts of this neurodevelopmental disorder. We underline the multicomponential nature of this heterogeneous disability: different aspects of mathematical competence can be affected by both the suboptimal recruitment of general cognitive functions supporting mathematical cognition (such as attention, memory, and cognitive control) and specific deficits in mastering numeric concepts and operations. Accordingly, both intervention paradigms focused on core numeric abilities and more comprehensive protocols targeting multiple neurocognitive systems have provided evidence for effective positive outcomes.
Topics: Attention; Cognition; Developmental Disabilities; Dyscalculia; Humans; Memory
PubMed: 32977896
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-64148-9.00005-3 -
Journal of Child Psychology and... Jun 2021Difficulties with learning mathematics and learning to read have for a long time been categorised into diagnostic categories like dyscalculia and dyslexia. This...
Difficulties with learning mathematics and learning to read have for a long time been categorised into diagnostic categories like dyscalculia and dyslexia. This categorization has been based on ideas that some core deficits underlie and cause the difficulties. However, no clear and sufficient core deficit has been found for these difficulties and no qualitative differences has been identified distinguishing those assigned to the diagnoses from people not assigned to the diagnoses - thus, the diagnostic cut-offs are arbitrary. In addition, several of the factors associated with one disorder are also associated with other disorders. These issues favour a multi-factored view of the diagnoses that have implication for both clinical practice and research.
Topics: Child; Developmental Disabilities; Dyscalculia; Dyslexia; Humans; Mathematics
PubMed: 34008198
DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13434 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Mar 2024Numerical abilities are complex cognitive skills essential for dealing with requirements of the modern world. Although the brain structures and functions underlying... (Review)
Review
Numerical abilities are complex cognitive skills essential for dealing with requirements of the modern world. Although the brain structures and functions underlying numerical cognition in different species have long been appreciated, genetic and molecular techniques have more recently expanded the knowledge about the mechanisms underlying numerical learning. In this review, we discuss the status of the research related to the neurobiological bases of numerical abilities. We consider how genetic factors have been associated with mathematical capacities and how these link to the current knowledge of brain regions underlying these capacities in human and non-human animals. We further discuss the extent to which significant variations in the levels of specific neurotransmitters may be used as potential markers of individual performance and learning difficulties and take into consideration the therapeutic potential of brain stimulation methods to modulate learning and improve interventional outcomes. The implications of this research for formulating a more comprehensive view of the neural basis of mathematical learning are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Learning; Cognition; Brain; Mathematics; Neurobiology
PubMed: 38220032
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105545 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023
PubMed: 37829073
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1288388 -
Trends in Neuroscience and Education Dec 2019Specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, are frequently studied to inform our understanding of cognitive development, genetic mechanisms and brain... (Review)
Review
Specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, are frequently studied to inform our understanding of cognitive development, genetic mechanisms and brain function. In this Opinion Paper, we discuss limitations of this research approach, including the use of arbitrary criteria to select groups of children, heterogeneity within groups and overlap between domains of learning. By drawing on evidence from cognitive science, neuroscience and genetics, we propose an alternative, dimensional framework. We argue that we need to overcome the problems associated with a categorical approach by taking into account interacting factors at multiple levels of analysis that are associated with overlapping rather than entirely distinct domains of learning. We conclude that this research strategy will allow for a richer understanding of learning and development.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Cognition; Developmental Disabilities; Dyscalculia; Dyslexia; Humans; Learning Disabilities; Specific Learning Disorder
PubMed: 31685130
DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2019.100115 -
Brain Sciences Dec 2021Dyslexia, a specific reading disability, is a common (up to 10% of children) and highly heritable (~70%) neurodevelopmental disorder. Behavioral and molecular genetic... (Review)
Review
Dyslexia, a specific reading disability, is a common (up to 10% of children) and highly heritable (~70%) neurodevelopmental disorder. Behavioral and molecular genetic approaches are aimed towards dissecting its significant genetic component. In the proposed review, we will summarize advances in twin and molecular genetic research from the past 20 years. First, we will briefly outline the clinical and educational presentation and epidemiology of dyslexia. Next, we will summarize results from twin studies, followed by molecular genetic research (e.g., genome-wide association studies (GWASs)). In particular, we will highlight converging key insights from genetic research. (1) Dyslexia is a highly polygenic neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex genetic architecture. (2) Dyslexia categories share a large proportion of genetics with continuously distributed measures of reading skills, with shared genetic risks also seen across development. (3) Dyslexia genetic risks are shared with those implicated in many other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., developmental language disorder and dyscalculia). Finally, we will discuss the implications and future directions. As the diversity of genetic studies continues to increase through international collaborate efforts, we will highlight the challenges in advances of genetics discoveries in this field.
PubMed: 35053771
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010027 -
American Family Physician Nov 2019Academic underachievement, such as failing a class and the threat of being held back because of academic issues, is common. Family physicians can provide support and... (Review)
Review
Academic underachievement, such as failing a class and the threat of being held back because of academic issues, is common. Family physicians can provide support and guidance for families as they approach their child's unique academic challenges. Specific learning disabilities are a group of learning disorders (e.g., dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia) that impede a child's ability to learn. Understanding standard educational terms; looking for medical, family, and social risk factors associated with academic underachievement; and investigating the medical differential for academic underachievement can help direct the family to appropriate care. The physician can provide medical documentation to support an individualized education program evaluation and address risk factors that schools may not be aware of or cannot assess. The family physician can support children and families by understanding the connection between risk factors, medical and educational evaluations, and educational resources.
Topics: Child; Family Relations; Humans; Learning Disabilities; Physician's Role; Physicians, Family; Risk Factors; Schools
PubMed: 31730315
DOI: No ID Found -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023Research on typically developing children and adults and people with developmental and acquired dyscalculia converges in indicating that arithmetical ability is not... (Review)
Review
Research on typically developing children and adults and people with developmental and acquired dyscalculia converges in indicating that arithmetical ability is not unitary but is made up of many different components. Categories of components include non-symbolic quantity representation and processing; symbolic quantity representation and processing; counting procedures and principles; arithmetic operations; arithmetical knowledge and understanding; multiple forms and applications of conceptual knowledge of arithmetic; and domain-general abilities such as attention, executive functions and working memory. There is much evidence that different components can and often do show considerable functional independence, not only in developmental and acquired dyscalculia, but in typically achieving children and adults. At the same time, it is possible to find complex interactions and bidirectional relationships between the different components, including between domain-specific and apparently domain-general abilities. There is a great deal that still needs to be discovered. In particular, we need to learn more about the origins in infancy of subitizing and approximate magnitude comparison, the extent to which these interact, the extent to which they may be further divisible, and the extent and ways in which they themselves may develop with age and the extent to which they may influence later-developing components. There also needs to be a lot more research on exactly how domain-general and domain-specific abilities contribute to mathematical development, and how they interact with one another.
PubMed: 37780151
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1188271