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Research in Developmental Disabilities Dec 2021Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) often perform poorly in mathematics. It is not yet clear to what extent mathematics difficulties in this clinical condition are similar...
Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) often perform poorly in mathematics. It is not yet clear to what extent mathematics difficulties in this clinical condition are similar to those observed in developmental dyscalculia. To better elucidate this issue, we conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study with a sample of children and adolescents with congenital brain injuries and educational history of problems in Mathematics. Fifty students aged 7-15 years, of both genders (28 males) participated in the study, 31 with typical development (TD) and 19 of whom diagnosed with spastic CP. Nine had hemiplegia and ten diplegia. Assessment procedures included a neuropsychological battery covering numerical cognition (ZAREKI-R) and working memory (AWMA) skills, and a computerized task for comparing non-symbolic magnitudes as a measure of number sense. Despite average intelligence coefficient, participants with CP underperformed the TD in five of the 12 ZAREKI-R subtests, as well as in the number sense and working memory tasks. scores were lower among hemiplegic children compared to diplegic, numerical cognition was impaired in all CP group, unveiling a dyscalculia secondary to neurodevelopmental impairments. Therefore, we can consider that mathematical learning difficulties in CP as being heterogeneous and associated with the immaturity of neuropsychological functions, with consequences for the development of numerical cognition.
Topics: Adolescent; Cerebral Palsy; Child; Cognition; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyscalculia; Female; Humans; Male; Mathematics
PubMed: 34562825
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104086 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2021Impaired phonological processing is a leading symptom of multifactorial language and learning disorders suggesting a common biological basis. Here we evaluated studies...
Impaired phonological processing is a leading symptom of multifactorial language and learning disorders suggesting a common biological basis. Here we evaluated studies of dyslexia, dyscalculia, specific language impairment (SLI), and the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) seeking for shared risk genes in Broca's and Wernicke's regions, being key for phonological processing within the complex language network. The identified "phonology-related genes" from literature were functionally characterized using Atlas-based expression mapping (JuGEx) and gene set enrichment. Out of 643 publications from the last decade until now, we extracted 21 candidate genes of which 13 overlapped with dyslexia and SLI, six with dyslexia and dyscalculia, and two with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and SLI. No overlap was observed between the childhood disorders and the late-onset lvPPA often showing symptoms of learning disorders earlier in life. Multiple genes were enriched in Gene Ontology terms of the topics learning () and neuronal development (, , , , ). Twelve genes showed above-average expression across both regions indicating moderate-to-high gene activity in the investigated cortical part of the language network. Of these, three genes were differentially expressed suggesting potential regional specializations: was upregulated in Broca's region, while and were upregulated in Wernicke's region. encodes a magnesium-dependent calcium transporter which fits with reports about disturbed calcium and magnesium levels for dyslexia and other communication disorders. (formerly known as ) is involved in neuronal migration supporting the hypothesis of disturbed migration in dyslexia. is a transcription factor that regulates a number of genes involved in development of speech and language. Overall, our interdisciplinary and multi-tiered approach provided evidence that genetic and transcriptional variation of , , and may play a role in physiological and pathological aspects of phonological processing.
PubMed: 34539327
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.680762 -
Zhurnal Nevrologii I Psikhiatrii Imeni... 2023The review is devoted to one of the current problems of pediatric neurology - reading and writing disorders in children as part of a partial developmental disorder. With...
The review is devoted to one of the current problems of pediatric neurology - reading and writing disorders in children as part of a partial developmental disorder. With the development of neuroscience, the paradigm of «brain damage» in the understanding of a number of pathological conditions was replaced by the concept of «evolutionary neurology». The dominance of the ontogenetic approach caused the appearance of a new section in ICD-11 - «Neurodevelopmental disorders». Twenty-one genes associated with the acquisition of reading and writing skills have been identified. Modern studies demonstrate the connection of neuropsychological prerequisites for reading and writing, and clinical phenotypes of dyslexia with changes in specific loci. It is assumed that there are different molecular genetic bases for dyslexia and dysgraphia depending on ethnicity, orthographic features of language, including logographic features. Pleiotropy of genes is a cause of comorbidity of reading and writing disorders with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, specific speech articulation disorders, and dyscalculia. A key function of many of the identified genes is their involvement in the processes of neurogenesis. Their dysfunctions cause atypical neuronal migration, ectopic formation, inadequate axonal growth, and dendrite branching at the early stage of brain development. Morphological changes can distort the correct distribution and/or integration of linguistic stimuli in critical brain areas, leading to abnormalities in phonology, semantics, spelling, and general reading comprehension. The knowledge gained can form the basis for the development of risk models for dysgraphia and dyslexia formation and be used as a diagnostic and/or screening tool, which is important for evidence-based correction, optimization of academic performance, and mitigation of psychosocial consequences.
Topics: Humans; Agraphia; Dyslexia; Genetic Background; Brain; Language
PubMed: 37315241
DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202312305148 -
PeerJ 2021Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder affecting the ability to learn certain math processes, such as arithmetic data recovery. The group of children with...
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.
PubMed: 33569247
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10489 -
Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences 2020Dealing with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia symptoms is a major challenge for teachers and school psychologists while addressing students' issues. The present...
OBJECTIVE
Dealing with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia symptoms is a major challenge for teachers and school psychologists while addressing students' issues. The present study was designed to examine the prevalence and comorbidity of specific learning disabilities (SLD) symptoms such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia in public and private schools of Lahore, Pakistan.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted in four schools of Lahore from June, 2019 to December 2019. We examined 666 participants (boys= 384, girls= 282) from two public (n=409) and two private (n=257) schools of Lahore with a mean age of 13 years (SD±1.44). Participants were assessed on Learning Disabilities Checklist (LDC) along with a demographic sheet. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential analyses of Chi Square test of association and Cohen's Kappa by using SPSS version 24.
RESULTS
Findings indicated that 39% participants showed SLD symptoms, 33% dyslexia, 48% dysgraphia and 45% dyscalculia symptoms. Significant co-morbidities were seen, such as 30% for dyslexia and dysgraphia symptoms, dyslexia and dyscalculia 26% and dysgraphia and dyscalculia as 36%. Variations in SLD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia symptoms were also seen across gender and schools with significant higher prevalence in public schools.
CONCLUSION
High prevalence of SLD symptoms and comorbidity in students was found which is alarming, particularly in public sector schools in Pakistan. SLD and dyslexia were higher for boys, whereas girls scored high on dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Therefore, there is great need of introducing screening measure of assessment of SLD and management strategies to deal with these issues.
PubMed: 33235593
DOI: 10.12669/pjms.36.7.2486 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023Different research over the years has shown how the executive processes of Working Memory are a fundamental area that allows the performance of complex cognitive tasks...
INTRODUCTION
Different research over the years has shown how the executive processes of Working Memory are a fundamental area that allows the performance of complex cognitive tasks such as language comprehension, reading, mathematical skills, learning or reasoning. Therefore, scientific evidence shows that they are altered in people with dyslexia and dyscalculia. The aim of this research was to study the relationship between semantic updating ability and reading comprehension depending on whether or not the information content had a mathematical character between the two disorders.
METHODS
A Pilot Case Study was carried out for this purpose. The sample consisted of 40 participants aged 6 to 11 years, 20 of them with a diagnosis of dyslexia and the remaining 20 with a diagnosis of dyscalculia. The results indicate that people with dyslexia show more difficulties in all those tasks that require reading.
RESULTS
People with dyscalculia obtain worse results in the tasks of stimulus integration and reading comprehension of texts with mathematical content. Furthermore, the correlation between the different areas evaluated shows that people with dyslexia and dyscalculia develop different cognitive processes.
DISCUSSION
Therefore, it is necessary to continue insisting on the importance of explicit work on working memory, since it is a determining and fundamental area in the development of written language comprehension.
PubMed: 37529304
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1191304 -
American Journal of Medical Genetics.... Jun 2020Sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA) are associated with an increased risk for specific learning disorders (SLD). Individuals with Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) show an... (Review)
Review
Sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA) are associated with an increased risk for specific learning disorders (SLD). Individuals with Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) show an increased incidence of developmental dyslexia and individuals with Turner Syndrome (TS) are often affected by developmental dyscalculia. Accordingly, KS frequently coincides with verbal deficits, and TS with visual-spatial impairments. Though neurocognitive profiles of KS and TS are well-established, little is known about the neurobiology underling learning in SCA. This review summarizes current structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in KS and TS related to literacy and mathematical skills. It includes studies that focus on correlates between brain anatomy and cognition in SCA and on functional brain responses during learning-related tasks and at rest. We highlight important neural circuits that are related to domain-specific skills of literacy and mathematics. We discuss how identifying neuroendophenotypes of learning in SCA might contribute to developing a novel framework for SLD that accounts for potential genetic effects on learning, and from the X and Y chromosomes specifically. Future research directions are considered to establish clear brain-behavior relationships that might ultimately improve the treatment of SLD in SCA across development.
Topics: Aneuploidy; Brain; Female; Humans; Klinefelter Syndrome; Literacy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mathematics; Sex Chromosome Aberrations; Sex Chromosomes; Specific Learning Disorder; Turner Syndrome
PubMed: 32463563
DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31801 -
The European Journal of Neuroscience Jan 2021The left and right distribution of a set of twenty-six genes in the zebrafish pallium was examined by RT-qPCR experiments. The analysis comprised four general pallial...
The left and right distribution of a set of twenty-six genes in the zebrafish pallium was examined by RT-qPCR experiments. The analysis comprised four general pallial markers (eomesa, emx2, emx3 and prox1); eight genes, dapper1, htr3a, htr3b, htr4, id2, ndr2, pkcβ and lmo4, that have been described as asymmetric distributed in the brain of mammals (human and mouse); six genes, arrb2, auts2, baiap2, fez1, gap43 and robo1, asymmetrically distributed in the mammalian cortex, that have been associated with autism in humans; and, eight genes, baz1b, fzd9, limk1, tubgcp5, cyfip1, grik1a, nipa1 and nipa2, which have been associated with developmental dyscalculia, a brain disability linked to brain laterality in humans. We found a leftward bias in the expression of 10 genes (dapper1, htr3a, htr3b, htr4, id2, ndr2, pkcß, auts2, baiap2 and grik1a) and a rightward bias for 5 genes (lmo4, arrb2, fez1, gap43, robo1) in agreement with the data reported in mammals. We also found a rightward lateralization for nipa1 and nipa2, whereas the remaining genes (eomesa, emx2, emx3, prox1, baz1b, cyfip1, fzd9, limk1 and tubgpc5) were bilaterally distributed. These findings suggest a basic homology in the asymmetric expression of several pallial vertebrate genes.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Receptors, Immunologic; Zebrafish; Zebrafish Proteins
PubMed: 32692463
DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14914 -
Child Neuropsychology : a Journal on... Feb 2024This study analyses the specific neuropsychological profiles of children with dyslexia and/or dyscalculia, in particular concerning phonological awareness, lexical...
This study analyses the specific neuropsychological profiles of children with dyslexia and/or dyscalculia, in particular concerning phonological awareness, lexical access, working memory and numerical processing. Four groups were selected, through a screening process that used strict criteria, from 1568 7-10-year-old children: 90 with typical development, 61 with dyslexia, 13 with dyscalculia, and 14 with dyslexia + dyscalculia. Children with dyslexia show a deficit in phonological processing, lexical access, and verbal working memory, especially with alphabetic stimuli. Children with developmental dyscalculia show a deficit of phonological processing, verbal working memory with digits and visual-spatial working memory. They also show an impairment in spatial representation of numbers and in the automatic access to numerical semantics to a greater extent than those with double disturbance. Children with dyslexia + dyscalculia show a profile generally characterized by the summation of the deficits of the two disorders, although they have a lower deficit in access to numerical semantics and mental representation of numbers.
Topics: Child; Humans; Dyscalculia; Developmental Disabilities; Dyslexia; Memory, Short-Term; Semantics
PubMed: 36715348
DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2170997 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022Research in Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has had a clear focus on treatment and the dysfunction in specific situation associated with the condition....
Research in Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has had a clear focus on treatment and the dysfunction in specific situation associated with the condition. However, self-report, observational and anecdotal evidence indicates that there are also positive aspects associated with ADHD. Research on the potential positive features in individuals with an ADHD diagnosis is still limited, especially studies with larger representative samples. Here we performed qualitative research to identify positive aspects and strengths associated with ADHD in a large convenience sample from the Dutch organization for people with ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia. We sent out open-ended questionnaires to the members of the organization, asking what they consider to be positive aspects of their ADHD. From the responses of individuals with ADHD ( = 206), we extracted 116 codes, which were assigned to thirteen subthemes, which in turn led to five themes. These themes were: , and . Core symptoms of ADHD such as impulsivity and hyperactivity were also considered positive aspects of ADHD by a minority of participants. After showing our results to a group of additional individuals with ADHD (focus group) they confirmed the identified positive aspects of ADHD. They also helped us with the interpretation of our findings and mentioned certain positive aspects to be a consequence of living with ADHD (being open minded and being honest). In conclusion, experiencing positive aspects seems to be common in ADHD as almost all participants reported positive aspect of ADHD, these aspects cover many different domains. Awareness about ADHD's strengths might help individuals with ADHD and their environment to better cope with, accept or embrace their diagnosis and for example make educational or occupational choices that fit them well. To incorporate these positive aspects in the understanding of ADHD, future research should focus on quantifying strengths in ADHD, and on investigating the link between these aspects and clinical characteristics and how this new knowledge can be implemented in psychoeducation and find its way to education and occupational settings.
PubMed: 36311492
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.922788