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Frontiers in Psychology 2022This paper summarizes a theory of cognitive development and elaborates on its educational implications. The theory postulates that development occurs in cycles along...
This paper summarizes a theory of cognitive development and elaborates on its educational implications. The theory postulates that development occurs in cycles along multiple fronts. Cognitive competence in each cycle comprises a different profile of executive, inferential, and awareness processes, reflecting changes in developmental priorities in each cycle. Changes reflect varying needs in representing, understanding, and interacting with the world. Interaction control dominates episodic representation in infancy; attention control and perceptual awareness dominate in realistic representations in preschool; inferential control and awareness dominate rule-based representation in primary school; truth and validity control and precise self-evaluation dominate in principle-based thought in adolescence. We demonstrate that the best predictors of school learning in each cycle are the cycle's cognitive priorities. Also learning in different domains, e.g., language and mathematics, depends on an interaction between the general cognitive processes dominating in each cycle and the state of the representational systems associated with each domain. When a representational system is deficient, specific learning difficulties may emerge, e.g., dyslexia and dyscalculia. We also discuss the educational implications for evaluation and learning at school.
PubMed: 36248549
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.954971 -
Zhurnal Nevrologii I Psikhiatrii Imeni... 2022The article presents an overview of scientific publications devoted to the study of dyscalculia. Present-day data on the prevalence of this pathology, the features of...
The article presents an overview of scientific publications devoted to the study of dyscalculia. Present-day data on the prevalence of this pathology, the features of the clinical picture, and theories of neurocognitive deficit underlying the disorder in the processing of numerical information are presented. The results of neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies devoted to the study of the features of the functional activity of various brain structures in dyscalculia are considered.
Topics: Brain; Child; Developmental Disabilities; Dyscalculia; Humans; Neuroimaging
PubMed: 36170101
DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202212209262 -
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 -
Quarterly Journal of Experimental... Aug 2023The processing of Arabic digits is a core difficulty of children suffering from mathematical learning disability (MLD). Dominant accounts assume a semantic impairment...
The processing of Arabic digits is a core difficulty of children suffering from mathematical learning disability (MLD). Dominant accounts assume a semantic impairment affecting either the magnitude representation or its access from numerical symbols. But recent data have raised the hypothesis that the impaired processing of Arabic digits may be explained by a selective deficit of digit visual recognition (i.e., recognising a symbol as one of the digits, no matter its identity or numerical meaning). This study aims at testing whether the difficulty to process Arabic digits remains prevalent in adults with MLD and whether it is effectively associated with a digit visual recognition deficit. To do so, we compared 19 adults with MLD to 19 matched controls in an task that required to identify the largest of two digits, and in an task that required to decide whether a visual stimulus is a digit or not. The results showed that MLD participants took more time than control participants to perform the comparison task. In contrast, their performance in the digit lexical decision task was within the range of the control participants. Overall, this finding indicates that adults with MLD continue to experience difficulties to process the magnitude of Arabic digits efficiently, and this cannot be explained by a visual recognition deficit for Arabic digits. We conclude that their difficulties are best explained by an impaired representation of number magnitude or by an impaired access to this representation.
Topics: Child; Humans; Adult; Reaction Time; Learning Disabilities; Mathematics; Recognition, Psychology
PubMed: 36113204
DOI: 10.1177/17470218221128498 -
STAR Protocols Dec 2022Number perception is among the basic cognitive abilities necessary to understand our environment. Here, we present a protocol to examine the neural underpinnings of...
Number perception is among the basic cognitive abilities necessary to understand our environment. Here, we present a protocol to examine the neural underpinnings of numerosity comparison regarding symbolic and non-symbolic stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This protocol gives instructions for screening participants, followed by steps to perform an event-related fMRI experiment and data analysis with SPM12. This protocol will be informative for investigating numerical cognition in various groups including children with dyscalculia or people at different developmental stages. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Üstün et al. (2021) and Vatansever et al. (2020).
Topics: Child; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain Mapping; Brain; Cognition; Data Analysis
PubMed: 36103304
DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101673 -
Yonago Acta Medica Aug 2022Mathematical learning difficulty (MLD) during school years results from several factors, including dyscalculia. Traditional diagnostic tests for dyscalculia are time...
BACKGROUND
Mathematical learning difficulty (MLD) during school years results from several factors, including dyscalculia. Traditional diagnostic tests for dyscalculia are time intensive and require skilled specialists. This prospective cohort study aimed to reveal that the less time intensive Fundamental Calculative Ability Test (FCAT), administered in first grade, can predict the outcome of mathematical school achievement, which was measured with the curriculum-based mathematical test for second grade (1.2 years after FCAT).
METHODS
A total of 362 Japanese first- and second-grade children participated. A new quick test measuring fundamental calculative abilities, the FCAT, ordinal, radix, addition, and subtraction, was conducted for the first graders (mean age: 7.1 years). Mathematical school achievement was measured during the tests [mathematics curriculum-based test in Tottori Prefecture (MCBT)] for first (MCBT-1, mean age: 7.3 years) and second graders (MCBT-2, mean age: 8.3 years). We analyzed the associations between FCAT and MCBT-1 and 2 using univariate regression analysis, and cutoff values for mathematical learning difficulty (MLD) at MCBT-2 using the rating operation curve and Youden index. MLD was set as a score of lower than 20% on the MCBT.
RESULTS
The FCAT score was significantly associated with the MCBT-1 (regression coefficient: 0.67, < 0.001) and MCBT-2 scores (regression coefficient: 0.50, < 0.001). A cutoff value of 47 points (deviation score: 47) at the FCAT score predicted MLD at MCBT-2 (sensitivity: 0.77, specificity: 0.73). For 62 participants with MLD at MCBT-1 score, FCAT scores below the cutoff value of 40 points (deviation score: 35) were at high risk of MLD at MCBT-2 (odds ratio: 6.2).
CONCLUSION
The FCAT is easily conducted in a short time during regular schools and can predict mathematical school achievement. It can be used for the early diagnosis of children with mathematical problems.
PubMed: 36061580
DOI: 10.33160/yam.2022.08.010 -
Cortex; a Journal Devoted To the Study... Oct 2022When Gerstmann published the case report which later became known as the first case of Gerstmann syndrome, he did not claim the discovery of a new syndrome. It was only...
When Gerstmann published the case report which later became known as the first case of Gerstmann syndrome, he did not claim the discovery of a new syndrome. It was only a few years later, after reporting on another two similar cases, that he isolated the famous tetrad of symptoms (finger agnosia, right-left disorientation, agraphia and acalculia) as a meaningful cluster with both localising and functional value. In this article, we provide the translation of key-excerpts of the second of Gerstmann's reports (Gerstmann, 1927) and a synoptic description of the symptoms as reported in the three original cases, which were later identified as cases of Gerstmann syndrome. The descriptions appear highly consistent across cases. Among symptoms, finger agnosia stands out for its pervasiveness, which may explain why Gerstmann considered this as the core symptom and speculated it could subtend all symptoms. However, no common functional denominator emerges from the original descriptions.
Topics: Agnosia; Dyscalculia; Gerstmann Syndrome; Humans; Male; Translations
PubMed: 35998548
DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.07.002 -
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Jan 2023The number line estimation task is an often-used measure of numerical magnitude understanding. The task also correlates substantially with broader measures of...
The number line estimation task is an often-used measure of numerical magnitude understanding. The task also correlates substantially with broader measures of mathematical achievement. This raises the question of whether the task would be a useful component of mathematical achievement tests and instruments to diagnose dyscalculia or mathematical giftedness and whether a stand-alone version of the task can serve as a short screener for mathematical achievement. Previous studies on the relation between number line estimation accuracy and broader mathematical achievement were limited in that they used relatively small nonrepresentative samples and usually did not account for potentially confounding variables. To close this research gap, we report findings from a population-level study with nearly all Luxembourgish ninth-graders (N = 6484). We used multilevel regressions to test how a standardized mathematical achievement test relates to the accuracy in number line estimation on bounded number lines with whole numbers and fractions. We also investigated how these relations were moderated by classroom characteristics, person characteristics, and trial characteristics. Mathematical achievement and number line estimation accuracy were associated even after controlling for potentially confounding variables. Subpopulations of students showed meaningful differences in estimation accuracy, which can serve as benchmarks in future studies. Compared with the number line estimation task with whole numbers, the number line estimation task with fractions was more strongly related to mathematical achievement in students across the entire mathematical achievement spectrum. These results show that the number line estimation task is a valid and useful tool for diagnosing and monitoring mathematical achievement.
Topics: Achievement; Cognition; Humans; Language; Luxembourg; Mathematics
PubMed: 35973280
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105521 -
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Oct 2023Acalculia, an acquired disability following a brain injury, involves difficulty processing numerical information and/or calculations. Acalculia is not routinely screened...
Acalculia, an acquired disability following a brain injury, involves difficulty processing numerical information and/or calculations. Acalculia is not routinely screened for, and as a result there is a lack of understanding about the nature and prevalence and the impact of the condition. This qualitative study was initiated by stroke survivors with a strong interest in acalculia. Sixteen stroke/brain injury survivors with acalculia and seven carers were interviewed using semi-structured online interviews. Participants ranged in age, gender, time post-onset, country of residence and numeracy level prior to brain injury. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: Awareness and Diagnosis; Emotional and Practical Impact (independence); Support, Coping Strategies and Self-training. Participants and carers repeatedly referred to the lack of awareness and treatment for acalculia and the impact acalculia has had on their lives and independence. Practical impacts included managing money, making appointments, using timetables, organizing social activities and employment, and managing medication. Our results highlight the urgent need to develop suitable assessments and interventions for acalculia and the scope for this to be Patient, Carer and Public involvement (PCPI)-led. The data also reveal useful strategies and suggestions regarding effective timing, targets and approaches for intervention.
Topics: Humans; Dyscalculia; Stroke; Brain Injuries; Stroke Rehabilitation; Qualitative Research; Caregivers
PubMed: 35959752
DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2022.2108065 -
Applied Neuropsychology. Child 2023Dyscalculia is a specific difficulty in learning mathematics that strongly influences activities of daily living that require skills such as counting and simple...
Dyscalculia is a specific difficulty in learning mathematics that strongly influences activities of daily living that require skills such as counting and simple mathematical operations. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of negative emotions on mathematical performance in children with and without developmental dyscalculia using psychosocial tests, a quality of life test, an anxiety test and the Zareki-R mathematical performance test. This pilot study was realized on a sample of 20 children in the first year of secondary school (a group of 10 dyscalculic children and another group of 10 control children with an average age of 12.65 years). Descriptive statistics showed that dyscalculic children had low scores on all Zareki-R subtests. The Mann Whitney analysis revealed a significant difference between dyscalculic children and typically developing children on the Zareki-R subtests and the quality of life test, but no significance was found for the anxiety test. Analysis of the ANOVA by gender revealed no significant differences for the three tests, and the opposite for the ANOVA by age ( = 3.86, dll = 2, ˂ 0.05). Using multiple linear regression, the subtests of physical quality of life, emotional quality of life and academic quality of life were significantly different for the two groups. In conclusion, the psychosocial quality of life and the high level of anxiety in dyscalculic children strongly influence their performance in mathematics.
PubMed: 35917565
DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2022.2105146