Domain-General Cognitive Skills in Children with Mathematical Difficulties and Dyscalculia: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The effect of a 2-month abacus training on students with developmental dyscalculia

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a specific mathematics learning disorder, characterized by the atypical development of number sense, arithmetic calculation, and atypical development of brain structures and brain activations in core brain regions for number processing. The current study examined the intervention effect of a 2-month abacus training on DD students. Results showed that compared with the non-trained control group, the DD students with abacus training showed higher scores in number sense, calculation, and sustained attention abilities. Additionally, a larger percentage of students in the abacus group showed improvements in the DD screening tasks compared to the control group. The current finding indicated that abacus training or abacus courses can be used as a tool for further DD intervention.

Early identification and enhanced assessment of learning disabilities: A review

Learning disabilities (LD) affect a significant portion of the global population, presenting tremendous emotional, social, and academic challenges. The multifaceted nature of LD necessitates early and objective identification focusing on educational and cognitive factors. This survey systematically reviews pen-paper and technology-based approaches for identifying LD, employing the PRISMA protocol to ensure a comprehensive and rigorous meta-analysis. A total of 3,783 papers were initially identified during the search process, of which 160 articles met the inclusion criteria. The study explores the various aspects of the identification and intervention of LD, intending to reduce long-term impacts. The essential skills required to recognize different types of LD were identified and classified, underscoring the importance of a set of fundamental skills for accurate differentiation. In addition, this research underscores the importance of objective assessments by integrating emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, which improves the precision and efficiency of LD identification. The paper also discusses the critical role of early LD identification and addresses associated challenges. It advocates for a comprehensive approach through interdisciplinary collaboration and systemic reforms, ultimately promoting greater inclusivity and equity in education and society.

Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions

Introduction

Since early research on Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), their relationship with emotional issues have been recognized, although emotional factors have received less attention compared to the cognitive processes related with academic achievement.

Methods

This study aimed to investigate mechanisms that may increase vulnerability to generalized and social anxiety in youth with SLD, compared to their non-diagnosed peers. We examined cognitive factors (inhibitory control), personality traits (self-oriented, socially prescribed perfectionism), and self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt). The sample included 134 individuals aged 10 to 16, divided into two groups: 67 with SLD and 67 without diagnoses, matched by age, sex, and IQ. Participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, perfectionism, and selfconscious emotions, alongside an inhibitory control task.

Results

Findings revealed that those with SLD reported higher generalized and social anxiety, poorer inhibitory control, greater socially prescribed perfectionism, and more shame than nondiagnosed peers. Socially prescribed perfectionism was found to increase the risk of generalized anxiety in participants with SLD, while both socially prescribed perfectionism and shame were predictors of social anxiety across both groups. Finally, self-oriented perfectionism seemed to be associated with lower social anxiety in the SLD group.

Discussion

These findings suggest that interventions should address risk and protective factors, focusing on reducing anxiety and fostering adaptive self-regulation strategies.

Current virtual reality-based rehabilitation interventions in neuro-developmental disorders at developmental ages

This mini-review examines the available papers about virtual reality (VR) as a tool for the diagnosis or therapy of neurodevelopmental disorders, focusing on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). Through a search on literature, we selected 62 studies published between 1998 and 2024. After exclusion criteria, our synoptic table includes 32 studies on ADHD (17 were on diagnostic evaluation and 15 were on therapeutic interventions), 2 on pure ASD, and 2 on pure SLD. These cover a total of 8,139 participants with ADHD (ages 3-19), 458 with ASD (ages 4-19), and 162 with SLD (ages 7-11). Results show that VR offers high ecological validity and enables improvements in cognitive and social skills. Specifically, in individuals with ADHD, VR showed benefits in attention and executive function, with optimal results when combined with pharmacological treatments. For ASD kids, VR proved effective in enhancing social skills and emotional regulation through personalized virtual scenarios. However, the literature on SLD remains limited, suggesting an evolving area of research. Despite limitations related to small sample sizes and technology costs, VR presents a promising outlook for clinical intervention in neuro-developmental disorders, supporting enhanced skills in a safe and controlled environment. We conclude that both immersive and non-immersive VR represents a valuable supplement to traditional therapies, allowing for personalized approaches.

Dimensional versus categorical approach: A comparative study of mathematical cognition

BACKGROUND

Researchers have employed two distinct methods to understand the cognitive underpinnings of mathematical ability: categorical and dimensional. These two methods have different underlying assumptions. However, to the best of our knowledge, research to date has not empirically tested which method can better predict variance in mathematical ability.

METHOD

104 children from Indian public schools in the 3rd and 4th grades completed a mathematical ability test. For the categorical approach, participants were categorized into two groups: mathematical learning difficulty and high math achieving. For the dimensional approach, the data of all participants were considered. The cognitive abilities measured included approximate number system, working memory, inhibitory control, and spatial ability.

RESULTS

Mixed factorial ANOVA and hierarchical regressions revealed that the dimensional approach demonstrated better predictive power for mathematical ability than the categorical approach.

CONCLUSIONS

The dimensional approach offers a more comprehensive insight into mathematical cognition, enabling greater control over the predictors.

Cognitive heterogeneity in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Implications for maths

This study investigated whether cognitive function better predicted maths test performance than a clinical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Forty-four drug naïve children (Mage = 101.34 months, SD = 19.39; 30% girls) were recruited from clinical ADHD referral waiting lists. Children underwent assessment of Executive Functions (EF), lower-level cognitive processes, and maths performance. Children were grouped using a categorical approach comprising (1) children with a clinical ADHD diagnosis and (2) children without a diagnosis (i.e., subthreshold ADHD). Secondly, hierarchical cluster analysis generated subgroups of children using EF scores. Children were compared on cognition, maths, and parent-rated symptoms of ADHD and co-occurring difficulties. Children's diagnostic outcomes did not differentiate maths performance. By contrast, EF subgroups generated meaningful cognitive clusters which differentiated maths test scores. This suggests that cognitive patterns of performance, rather than children's diagnostic outcomes, are more informative for identifying meaningful groups with variable maths performance which has implications for remedial support.

Hot and cool executive function and theory of mind in children with and without specific learning disorders

Executive function (EF) in specific learning disorders (SLD) has been investigated using mainly cool EF tasks, whilst less is known about hot EF and theory of mind (ToM) in this population. The aim of this study was to examine group differences in hot and cool EF and ToM in school-aged children with SLD relative to typically developing peers. It also attempted to investigate whether EF measures are significant predictors of ToM in SLD and typical development. Cross-sectional data were collected from 135 school-aged children with and without SLD (8-10 years old), tested on measures of cool & hot EF and ToM. Significant group differences were observed in EFs inhibition (p= .04), working memory (p= .04) and delay of gratification (p < .001), as well as ToM mental state/emotion recognition (p = .019). Inhibition and planning contributed to 22% of the explained variance of ToM mental state/emotion recognition, but not false belief overall. Results suggest that cool EF may be a crucial predictor of ToM in children with and without SLD. Finally, stepwise logistic regression analysis identified specific hot EF and ToM measures contributing to group differentiation, specifically delay of gratification (odds ratio=.995, 95% CI [.993-.998]) and mental state/emotion recognition (odds ratio= .89, 95% CI [.796-.995]). This study contributes to our understanding of cognitive deficits and socio-cognitive impairment in children with SLD, which hold promise for informing interventions aimed at addressing these cognitive challenges.

Executive functioning skills and (low) math achievement in primary and secondary school

Schoolchildren with better executive functioning skills achieve better mathematics results. It is less clear how inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory combine to predict mathematics achievement and difficulty throughout primary and secondary school. This study aimed to find the best combination of executive function measures for predicting mathematical achievement in Grades 2, 6, and 10 and to test whether this combination predicts the probability of having mathematical difficulties across school grades even when fluid intelligence and processing speed were included in the models. A total of 426 students-141 2nd graders (72 girls), 143 6th graders (72 girls), and 142 10th graders (79 girls)-were cross-sectionally assessed with 12 executive tasks, one standardized mathematical task, and a standardized test of intelligence. Bayesian regression analyses found various combinations of executive predictors of mathematical achievement for each school grade spanning Grade 2 to measures of cognitive inhibition (negative priming) and cognitive flexibility (verbal fluency); Grade 6 to measures of inhibition: resistance to distractor interference (receptive attention), cognitive flexibility (local-global), and working memory (counting span); and Grade 10 to measures of inhibition: resistance to distractor interference (receptive attention) and prepotent response inhibition (stop signal) and working memory (reading span). Logistic regression showed that the executive models derived from the Bayesian analyses had a similar ability to classify students with mathematical difficulty and their peers with typical achievement to broader cognitive models that included fluid intelligence and processing speed. Measures of processing speed, cognitive flexibility (local-global), and prepotent response inhibition (stop signal) were the main risk factors in Grades 2, 6, and 10, respectively. Cognitive flexibility (verbal fluency) in Grade 2 and fluid intelligence, which was more stable in all three grades, acted as protective factors against mathematical difficulty. These findings inform practical considerations for establishing preventive and intervention proposals.

Domain-general and domain-specific cognitive correlates of developmental dyscalculia: a systematic review of the last two decades' literature

Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, influencing the learning of mathematics in developing children. In the last two decades, continuous growth of research has helped in the advancement of the state of knowledge of dyscalculia. This upsurge in the number of studies makes it relevant to conduct a systematic review, covering all the empirical evidence, but there is a dearth of review studies synthesizing findings of the studies in the recent past. Therefore, the current study aims to systematically review studies investigating the underlying cognitive causal factors associated with developmental dyscalculia in the last two decades. To investigate the underlying cognitive factors associated with dyscalculia, two prominent approaches have been used: domain-general and domain-specific. While the domain-general approach argues for the deficit in general cognitive abilities, the domain-specific approach argues for the deficit in core numerical abilities. In the present review, the PRISMA method is followed. Articles were searched using two methods: firstly, through database sources of Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, 1738 abstracts were screened, of which 46 articles met the specific inclusion criteria; and secondly, through recently published systematic reviews and meta-analyses, 29 studies were included. A total of 75 studies, 48 studies from domain-general and 27 studies from domain-specific approaches, have been selected. This review discusses domain-general and domain-specific approaches of developmental dyscalculia, along with specific theories associated with both approaches. Based on the discussed findings, visuospatial working memory and symbolic number processing abilities emerged as the best predictor of math ability in children with dyscalculia.

Executive functions in children with specific learning disorders: Shedding light on a complex profile through teleassessment

Executive Functions (EFs) are high-order cognitive processes relevant to learning and adaptation and frequently impaired in children with specific learning disorders (SLDs). This study aimed to investigate EFs in children with SLD and explore the role of specific EF-related subprocesses, such as stimuli processing and processing speed. Fifty-seven SLD and 114 typically developing (TD) children, matched for gender and age, completed four tasks measuring response inhibition, interference control, shifting, and updating on a web-based teleassessment platform. The results show that SLD children performed lower in all EF tasks than TD children, regardless of stimulus type and condition. Mediation analyses suggested that differences between the SLD and TD groups are mediated by EF-related subprocesses, offering an interpretative model of EF deficits in children with SLD.

The componential nature of arithmetical cognition: some important questions

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.

Working memory capacity and text comprehension performance in children with dyslexia and dyscalculia: a pilot study

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.

Challenges in Understanding Numerical Learning: Editorial for Brain Sciences Special Issue “Neurocognitive Signatures of Math (Learning) across the Lifespan and Their Interrelation with Other Aspects of Cognition and Emotion”

Living in our information- and technology-driven society at the beginning of the 21st century requires the ability to understand and handle numbers not only for a successful career but also for coping with everyday life tasks [...]

Math difficulties in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not originate from the visual number sense

There is ample evidence from literature and clinical practice indicating mathematical difficulties in individuals with ADHD, even when there is no concomitant diagnosis of developmental dyscalculia. What factors underlie these difficulties is still an open question. Research on dyscalculia and neurotypical development suggests visual perception of numerosity (the number sense) as a building block for math learning. Participants with lower numerosity estimation thresholds (higher precision) are often those with higher math capabilities. Strangely, the role of numerosity perception in math skills in ADHD has been neglected, leaving open the question whether math difficulties in ADHD also originate from a deficitary visual number sense. In the current study we psychophysically measured numerosity thresholds and accuracy in a sample of children/adolescents with ADHD, but not concomitant dyscalculia (N = 20, 8-16 years). Math abilities were also measured by tasks indexing different mathematical competences. Numerosity performance and math scores were then compared to those obtained from an age-matched control group (N = 20). Bayesian statistics indicated no difference between ADHD and controls on numerosity perception, despite many of the symbolic math tasks being impaired in participants with ADHD. Moreover, the math deficits showed by the group with ADHD remained substantial even when numerosity thresholds were statistically regressed out. Overall, these results indicate that math difficulties in ADHD are unlikely to originate from an impaired visual number sense.