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Scientific Reports Apr 2022When asked to estimate the number of items in the visual field, neurotypical adults are more precise and rapid if the items are clustered into subgroups compared to when...
When asked to estimate the number of items in the visual field, neurotypical adults are more precise and rapid if the items are clustered into subgroups compared to when they are randomly distributed. It has been suggested that this phenomenon, termed "groupitizing", relies on the recruitment of arithmetical calculation strategies and subitizing. Here the role of arithmetical skills in groupitizing was investigated by measuring the groupitizing effect (or advantage) in a sample of children and adolescents with and without math learning disability (dyscalculia). The results showed that when items were grouped, both groups of participants showed a similar advantage on sensory precision and response time in numerosity estimates. Correlational analyses confirmed a lack of covariation between groupitizing advantage and math scores. Bayesian statistics on sensory precision sustained the frequentist analyses providing decisive evidence in favor of no groups difference on groupitizing advantage magnitude (LBF = - 0.44) and no correlation with math scores (LBF = - 0.57). The results on response times, although less decisive, were again in favor of the null hypothesis. Overall, the results suggest that the link between groupitizing and mathematical abilities cannot be taken for granted, calling for further investigations on the factors underlying this perceptual phenomenon.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aptitude; Bayes Theorem; Child; Developmental Disabilities; Dyscalculia; Humans; Mathematics
PubMed: 35379895
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09709-5 -
Journal of Experimental Psychology.... Jun 2021Can children solve Bayesian problems, given that these pose great difficulties even for most adults? We present an ecological framework in which emerge from a match...
Can children solve Bayesian problems, given that these pose great difficulties even for most adults? We present an ecological framework in which emerge from a match between children's numerical competencies and external representations of numerosity. Bayesian intuition is defined here as the ability to determine the exact Bayesian posterior probability by minds untutored in probability theory or in Bayes' rule. As we show, Bayesian intuitions do not require processing of probabilities or Arabic numbers, but basically the ability to count tokens in icon arrays and to understand what to count. A series of experiments demonstrates for the first time that icon arrays elicited Bayesian intuitions in children as young as second-graders for 22% to 32% of all problems; fourth-graders achieved 50% to 60%. Most surprisingly, icon arrays elicited Bayesian intuitions in children with dyscalculia, a specific learning disorder that has been attributed to genetic causes. These children could solve an impressive 50% of Bayesian problems, a level similar to that of children without dyscalculia. By seventh grade, children solved about two thirds of Bayesian problems with natural frequencies alone, without the additional help of icon arrays. We identify four non-Bayesian rules. On the basis of these results, we propose a common solution for the phylogenetic, the ontogenetic, and the 1970s puzzles in the Bayesian literature and argue for a revision of how to teach statistical thinking. In accordance with recent work on infants' numerical abilities, these findings indicate that children have more numerical ability than previously assumed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adult; Bayes Theorem; Child; Humans; Infant; Intuition; Mathematics; Phylogeny; Probability Theory
PubMed: 33119349
DOI: 10.1037/xge0000979 -
Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna,... Mar 2023Vision has a crucial role to play in human development and functioning. It is, therefore, not surprising that vision plays a fundamental role in the development of the... (Review)
Review
Vision has a crucial role to play in human development and functioning. It is, therefore, not surprising that vision plays a fundamental role in the development of the child. As a consequence, an alteration in visual function is, therefore, likely to hinder the child's development. Although ocular disorders are well known, diagnosed and taken into account, cerebral visual impairments (CVI) resulting from post-chiasmatic damage are largely underdiagnosed. However, among the disorders resulting from an episode of perinatal asphyxia and/or associated with prematurity, or neonatal hypoglycaemia, CVIs are prominent. In this article, we focus on the role of the possible effects of CVI on a child's learning abilities, leading to major difficulty in disentangling the consequences of CVI from other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although we focus here on the possible overlap between children with CVI and children with other NDD, De Witt et al. (Wit et al. Ear Hear 39:1-19, 2018) have raised exactly the same question regarding children with auditory processing disorders (the equivalent of CVI in the auditory modality). We underline how motor, social and cognitive development as well as academic success can be impaired by CVI and raise the question of the need for systematic evaluation for disorders of vision, visual perception and cognition in all children presenting with a NDD and/or previously born under adverse neurological conditions.
Topics: Vision, Ocular; Cognition; Child Development; Humans; Child; Vision Disorders; Learning Disabilities; Visual Perception; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Visual Cortex
PubMed: 36547695
DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02572-8 -
Applied Neuropsychology. Child 2022The study of dyscalculia requires an analysis of the current developed hypotheses which describe the cognitive mechanisms involved in this neurodevelopmental disorder.... (Review)
Review
The study of dyscalculia requires an analysis of the current developed hypotheses which describe the cognitive mechanisms involved in this neurodevelopmental disorder. The objective of our review is to determine any progress in modeling developmental dyscalculia. The first hypothesis suggests that dyscalculia is the consequence of a specific deficit level number on the precise number system and the approximate system. Then, the second hypothesis states that developmental dyscalculia is linked to a failure to process non-symbolic representations of numbers. On the other hand, the third suggests that dyscalculia is caused by a lack of access to numerical quantities from symbols. However, the last hypothesis asserts that developmental dyscalculia is linked to general deficits. All these hypotheses are compatible with recent neuroimaging results and raise new horizons for experimentation, which will allow the development of precise diagnostic tools and the improvement of intervention strategies and the remediation of developmental dyscalculia.
Topics: Child; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Developmental Disabilities; Dyscalculia; Humans; Mathematics
PubMed: 34320331
DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2021.1955679 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023Language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) refers to a spectrum of neurodevelopmental-associated disorders that are characterized by cognitive and behavioral...
INTRODUCTION
Language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) refers to a spectrum of neurodevelopmental-associated disorders that are characterized by cognitive and behavioral differences in comprehending, processing and utilizing spoken and/or written language. The focus of this work was on identifying early predictors of three main specific LBLD including dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia.
METHODS
The Web of Science (WoS) was searched for literature related to (neurocognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging) measurements used to identify early predictors of LBLD from 1991 to 25 October 2021. A retrospective bibliometric analysis was performed to analyze collaboration among countries, institutions, authors, publishing journals, reference co-citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and burst keywords using Biblioanalytics software.
RESULTS
In total, 921 publications related to the identification of LBLD using (neurocognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging) modalities were included. The data analysis shows a slow growth in research on the topic in the 90s and early 2000 and growing trend in recent years. The most prolific and cited journal is Neuroimage, followed by Neuropsychologia. The United States and Finland's Universities Jyvaskyla and Helsinki are the leading country and institution in this field, respectively. "Neuroimaging," "brain," "fMRI," "cognitive predictor," "comorbidity," "cortical thickness" were identified as hotspots and trends of (neurocognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging) modalities in the identification of LBLD.
DISCUSSION
Early predictors of LBLDs would be useful as targets for specific prevention and intervention programs to be implemented at very young ages, which could have a significant clinical impact. A novel finding of neuroimaging predictors combined with neurocognitive and neuropsychological batteries may have implications for future research.
PubMed: 38111620
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1229580 -
Disability and Rehabilitation.... May 2023This article reviews the instructional strategies used by assistive technologies and maps their problem manifestation and effectiveness for children with learning... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
This article reviews the instructional strategies used by assistive technologies and maps their problem manifestation and effectiveness for children with learning disabilities. The objective of this article is to investigate the most common types of assistive tools used in learning to study their attributes, limited to the needs of learners with the condition of dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.
REVIEW METHODS
It studies currently available low, mid and high-level assistive learning technologies available to deal with problems faced by these learners. Assistive tools studied in this article range from simple hardware tools to multi-sensory software. A simple analytical framework by interlinking, Problem Manifestation, Underpinned Implication, Instructional Strategy and Cognitive Strength Developed (PISC) is formulated to examine the tools.
RESULTS
Five assistive tools types (non-electronic products, low-tech products, mid-tech products, high-tech products apps and learning software) for each learning disability are identified, analysed and associated learning implication is studied under PISC framework. This helps to map the problems and learning style of learning disabled and analyses the underpinned implication along with the corresponding development of skills (cognitive, affective or psychomotor) by these assistive technologies.
CONCLUSION
Performance of identified assistive tool types using PISC framework is analysed. Findings are reported and discussed. Implications for RehabilitationAvailable assistive tools are not learning disability specific. So, in order to differentiate the learning path of a Learning Disabled learner from that of a Non-Learning Disabled learner, study is conducted under four attributes of PISC framework: Problem Manifestation, Underpinned Implication, Instructional Strategy and Cognitive Strength.Available assistive tools in the field of remedial education are found to be problem centric and only able in dealing with single academic learning need of a learner with specific learning difficulty.The mapping of the available assistive technologies under PISC framework provides a detailed structure for the selection of most suited assistive tool as per learning requirement of a learner with learning disability.This study also conclude the non- availability of the High-tech assistive tools and Educational Software specifically designed for learners with learning disability.
Topics: Child; Humans; Learning Disabilities; Software; Dyslexia; Learning; Self-Help Devices
PubMed: 33449814
DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1864669 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Aug 2023: Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a complex neurobiological disorder characterized by a persistent difficult in reading (dyslexia), written expression (dysgraphia),...
: Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a complex neurobiological disorder characterized by a persistent difficult in reading (dyslexia), written expression (dysgraphia), and mathematics (dyscalculia). The hereditary and genetic component is one of the underlying causes of SLD, but the relationship between genes and the environment should be considered. Several genetic studies were performed in different populations to identify causative genes. : Here, we show the analysis of 9 multiplex families with at least 2 individuals diagnosed with SLD per family, with a total of 37 persons, 21 of whom are young subjects with SLD, by means of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to identify possible causative mutations in a panel of 15 candidate genes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . We detected, in eight families out nine, SNP variants in the , , , and genes, even if in silico analysis did not show any causative effect on this behavioral condition. In all cases, the mutation was transmitted by one of the two parents, thus excluding the case of de novo mutation. Moreover, the parent carrying the allelic variant transmitted to the children, in six out of seven families, reports language difficulties. : Although the present results cannot be considered conclusive due to the limited sample size, the identification of genetic variants in the above genes can provide input for further research on the same, as well as on other genes/mutations, to better understand the genetic basis of this disorder, and from this perspective, to better understand also the neuropsychological and social aspects connected to this disorder, which affects an increasing number of young people.
Topics: Child; Humans; Adolescent; Specific Learning Disorder; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Receptors, Immunologic; Alleles; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Microtubule-Associated Proteins
PubMed: 37629793
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59081503 -
Trends in Neuroscience and Education Dec 2023Misconceptions about how the brain works (neuromyths) are shown to be common among educators, but little is known about neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) neuromyths....
Misconceptions about how the brain works (neuromyths) are shown to be common among educators, but little is known about neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) neuromyths. Here, we explored the prevalence of both general and neurodevelopmental disorders neuromyths in Chilean teachers and other educational professionals. One hundred forty-four participants answered an online neuroscience knowledge, interest, and training questionnaire. Regression analysis showed that both teachers and non-teachers endorsed more neuromyths related to NDDs compared to general neuromyths and that familiarity with the NDDs but not necessarily neuroscience training or interest plays an important role in the endorsement of these neuromyths. The findings indicate that dyscalculia is the least known neurodevelopmental disorder. Although inclusion politics demand training for all educational actors, the current findings suggest effective translational efforts between neuroscience and education fields should continue.
Topics: Humans; Chile; Neurosciences; Educational Personnel; Brain; Neurodevelopmental Disorders
PubMed: 38049290
DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2023.100218 -
Brain Sciences Sep 2022Neurofeedback (NF) is a type of biofeedback in which an individual's brain activity is measured and presented to them to support self-regulation of ongoing brain... (Review)
Review
Neurofeedback (NF) is a type of biofeedback in which an individual's brain activity is measured and presented to them to support self-regulation of ongoing brain oscillations and achieve specific behavioral and neurophysiological outcomes. NF training induces changes in neurophysiological circuits that are associated with behavioral changes. Recent evidence suggests that the NF technique can be used to train electrical brain activity and facilitate learning among children with learning disorders. Toward this aim, this review first presents a generalized model for NF systems, and then studies involving NF training for children with disorders such as dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other specific learning disorders such as dyscalculia and dysgraphia are reviewed. The discussion elaborates on the potential for translational applications of NF in educational and learning settings with details. This review also addresses some issues concerning the role of NF in education, and it concludes with some solutions and future directions. In order to provide the best learning environment for children with ADHD and other learning disorders, it is critical to better understand the role of NF in educational settings. The review provides the potential challenges of the current systems to aid in highlighting the issues undermining the efficacy of current systems and identifying solutions to address them. The review focuses on the use of NF technology in education for the development of adaptive teaching methods and the best learning environment for children with learning disabilities.
PubMed: 36138974
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091238