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Human Brain Mapping Dec 2023Functional neuroimaging serves as a tool to better understand the cerebral correlates of atypical behaviors, such as learning difficulties. While significant advances...
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.
Topics: Child; Humans; Memory, Short-Term; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Dyscalculia; Bayes Theorem; Brain
PubMed: 37909347
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26495 -
Journal of Learning Disabilities 2024Children with mathematical difficulties need to spend more time than typically achieving children on solving even simple equations. Since these tasks already require a...
Children with mathematical difficulties need to spend more time than typically achieving children on solving even simple equations. Since these tasks already require a larger share of their cognitive resources, additional demands imposed by the need to switch between tasks may lead to a greater decline of performance in children with mathematical difficulties. We explored differential task switch costs with respect to switching between addition versus subtraction with a tablet-based arithmetic verification task and additional standardized tests in German elementary school children in Grades 1 to 4. Two independent studies were conducted. In Study 1, we assessed the validity of a newly constructed tablet-based arithmetic verification task in a controlled classroom-setting ( = 165). Then, effects of switching between different types of arithmetic operations on accuracy and response latency were analyzed through generalized linear mixed models in an online-based testing (Study 2; = 3,409). Children with mathematical difficulties needed more time and worked less accurately overall. They also exhibited a stronger performance decline when working in a task-switching condition, when working on subtraction (vs. addition) items and in operations with two-digit (vs. one-digit) operations. These results underline the value of process data in the context of assessing mathematical difficulties.
Topics: Humans; Child; Male; Female; Dyscalculia; Executive Function; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics
PubMed: 37905535
DOI: 10.1177/00222194231204619 -
Neurological Sciences : Official... Apr 2024Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is typically asymmetric. Case reports suggest that left-hemisphere CBS (lhCBS) is associated with major language impairment, and...
BACKGROUND
Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is typically asymmetric. Case reports suggest that left-hemisphere CBS (lhCBS) is associated with major language impairment, and right-hemisphere CBS (rhCBS) is associated with major visuospatial deficits, but no group study has ever verified these observations. In our study, we enrolled 49 patients with CBS, classified them as lhCBS or rhCBS based on asymmetry of hypometabolism on brain FDG-PET and compared their cognitive and behavioural profiles.
METHODS
We defined asymmetry of hypometabolism upon visual inspection of qualitative PET images and confirmed it through paired comparison of left- and right-hemisphere FDG uptake values. The two groups were also matched for severity of hypometabolism within the more affected and more preserved hemispheres, to unravel differences in the cognitive profiles ascribable specifically to each hemisphere's functional specializations. All patients were assessed for memory, language, executive and visuospatial deficits, apraxia, neglect, dyscalculia, agraphia and behavioural disturbances.
RESULTS
LhCBS (n. 26) and rhCBS (n. 23) patients did not differ for demographics, disease duration and severity of global cognitive impairment. The two cognitive profiles were largely overlapping, with two exceptions: Digit span forward was poorer in lhCBS, and visual neglect was more frequent in rhCBS.
CONCLUSIONS
After balancing out patients for hemispheric hypometabolism, we did not confirm worse language or visuospatial deficits in, respectively, lhCBS and rhCBS. However, verbal short-term memory was more impaired in lhCBS, and spatial attention was more impaired in rhCBS. Both of these functions reflect the functional specialization of the left and right fronto-parietal pathways, i.e. of the main loci of neurodegeneration in CBS.
Topics: Humans; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Corticobasal Degeneration; Research Design; Brain; Positron-Emission Tomography; Cognition
PubMed: 37889380
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07148-2 -
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2023Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder specific to arithmetic learning even with normal intelligence and age-appropriate education. Difficulties...
Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder specific to arithmetic learning even with normal intelligence and age-appropriate education. Difficulties often persist from childhood through adulthood lowering the individual's quality of life. However, the neural correlates of developmental dyscalculia are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify brain structural connectivity alterations in developmental dyscalculia. All participants were recruited from a large scale, non-referred population sample in a longitudinal design. We studied 10 children with developmental dyscalculia (11.3 ± 0.7 years) and 16 typically developing peers (11.2 ± 0.6 years) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. We assessed white matter microstructure with tract-based spatial statistics in regions-of-interest tracts that had previously been related to math ability in children. Then we used global probabilistic tractography for the first time to measure and compare tract length between developmental dyscalculia and typically developing groups. The high angular resolution diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and crossing-fiber probabilistic tractography allowed us to evaluate the length of the pathways compared to previous studies. The major findings of our study were reduced white matter coherence and shorter tract length of the left superior longitudinal/arcuate fasciculus and left anterior thalamic radiation in the developmental dyscalculia group. Furthermore, the lower white matter coherence and shorter pathways tended to be associated with the lower math performance. These results from the regional analyses indicate that learning, memory and language-related pathways in the left hemisphere might be related to developmental dyscalculia in children.
PubMed: 37868699
DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1147352 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023
PubMed: 37829073
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1288388 -
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 -
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary... Aug 2023Specific learning disability (SLD) is a cognitive neurobiological disorder caused by atypical brain functioning. SLD is recognized when the individual's achievement in...
BACKGROUND
Specific learning disability (SLD) is a cognitive neurobiological disorder caused by atypical brain functioning. SLD is recognized when the individual's achievement in school is below that expected for age, schooling, and level of intelligence. Screening millions of students with SLD by health personnel is a logistical impossibility. Awareness and knowledge about learning disorders among schoolteachers may play a major role in the early identification and management of children with these disorders. Therefore, the assessment of teachers' knowledge and perceptions about learning disabilities (LDs) is relevant.
METHOD
A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among teachers in government/government-aided and private schools in Vellore, India. The participants were selected by a simple random sampling method. There was a total of 80 teachers included in the study. Data capture was done using a questionnaire. A Chi-square test was done to test the association and the odds ratio test helped determine the strength of the association. A value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
RESULTS
The majority of the teachers (70%) had adequate general knowledge regarding LDs. When analyzed separately, 82.5% of government/aided teachers and only 57.5% of teachers were having adequate general knowledge regarding LDs. There was a significant association between the type of school and general knowledge regarding LDs. Government/aided teachers had better general knowledge regarding LDs and dyslexia than private teachers.
CONCLUSIONS
Among 80 teachers, 70% (56) of them had adequate general knowledge regarding LDs. When analyzed separately, 82.5% (33) of government/aided teachers and only 57.5% (23) teachers were having adequate general knowledge regarding LDs. The government/aided schoolteachers had significantly higher levels of knowledge in most domains of the general knowledge section as compared to private schoolteachers. If teachers are having adequate knowledge regarding LDs, it will significantly increase the chances of children with LDs getting detected early and undergoing the treatment they require. Teacher education programs and workshops are needed to be conducted at regular intervals to improve the knowledge regarding SLDs among teachers.
PubMed: 37767410
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2018_22 -
Rand Health Quarterly Sep 2023National security organizations need highly skilled and intellectually creative individuals who are eager to apply their talents to address the nation's most pressing...
National security organizations need highly skilled and intellectually creative individuals who are eager to apply their talents to address the nation's most pressing challenges. In public and private discussions, officials and experts addressed the need for in the national security community. They described missions that are too important and too difficult to be left to those who use their brains only in ways. is an umbrella term that covers a variety of cognitive diagnoses, including (but not exclusive to) autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyscalculia, and Tourette's syndrome. Neurodivergent individuals are already part of the national security workforce. The purpose of this study is to understand the benefits that people with neurodivergence bring to national security; the challenges in recruiting, working with, and managing a neurodiverse workforce; and the barriers in national security workplaces that prevent agencies from realizing the full benefits of neurodiversity. To carry out this research, the authors conducted a review of primary, secondary, and commercial literature; they conducted semistructured interviews and held discussions with government officials, researchers and advocates for the interests of neurodivergent populations, and representatives from large organizations that have neurodiversity employment programs; and they synthesized findings from across these tasks to describe the complex landscape for neurodiversity in large organizations in general and in national security specifically.
PubMed: 37720075
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ Neurology Open 2023IRF2BPL (interferon regulatory factor 2-binding protein-like) gene is an intronless gene present ubiquitously in the human body, including the brain. Pathogenic variants...
BACKGROUND
IRF2BPL (interferon regulatory factor 2-binding protein-like) gene is an intronless gene present ubiquitously in the human body, including the brain. Pathogenic variants lead to neurodegeneration and present with phenotypic features of a neurological disorder, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, epilepsy, dystonia, neurodevelopmental regression, loss of motor skills and cerebellar ataxia.
CASE
We present a case of a 9-year-old boy who was brought to the emergency department with generalised tonic-clonic seizures and mild hypotonia. A history included neurological regression. After insignificant lab and imaging results, the patient underwent genetic testing, revealing a novel pathogenic mutation in the IRF2BPL gene (heterozygous variant), which had never been reported in the literature before. An autosomal dominant loss of function mutation was demonstrated, denoting in DNA as NM_0 24 496 c.911 C>T, which results in premature protein termination (p.Glu494).
CONCLUSION
Our case highlights the importance of early recognition of the neurological symptoms associated with various IRF2BPL gene mutations so that a timely multidisciplinary management approach can be provided.
PubMed: 37649702
DOI: 10.1136/bmjno-2023-000459 -
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