Behavioral and Neurocognitive Evaluation of a Web-Platform for Game-Based Learning of Orthography and Numeracy

Soltanlou, Mojtaba; Jung, Stefanie; Roesch, Stephanie; Ninaus, Manuel; Brandelik, Katharina; Heller, Jürgen; Grust, Torsten; Nuerk, Hans‐Christoph; Moeller, Korbinian

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-64274-1_7

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…[ 83 ]). On the other hand, the difference between simple and complex blocks in the present study might be too minor to be detected on the neural level, due to design specifications including a balanced problem size, the mix of carry/borrow and no-carry/borrow problems in complex blocks in addition and subtraction, as well as overlapping ranges of the problem size in multiplication and division (different from [ 33 , 72 ]). Altogether, the specific design as well as properties of the stimulus material seem to have a crucial impact on the dependence of fronto-parietal activation on arithmetic complexity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Considering the role of the AG in the default mode network [ 67 ], deactivation in the AG most likely reflects increased task demands for arithmetic processing [ 68 – 70 ]. The same task may therefore become less demanding during development—similar to the way that task demands (and deactivation in the left AG) decline with increasing math competence in adults ([ 70 – 72 ]; for a review see [ 73 ]). Although behavioral improvement was only found for simple addition but not multiplication, the grade-related activation change in the AG/MTG might be related to the maturation of arithmetic fact retrieval processes [ 4 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, surprisingly, increased arithmetic complexity was not found to be associated with increased frontal or parietal activation as previously observed (cf. [ 17 , 30 , 33 , 72 ]). On the one hand, the self-paced block design might obscure these effects because activation may have increased not only due to difficulty in complex blocks but also due to the larger number of solved problems in simple blocks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The neural correlates of mental arithmetic in adolescents: a longitudinal fNIRS study

et al. 2018

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BackgroundArithmetic processing in adults is known to rely on a frontal-parietal network. However, neurocognitive research focusing on the neural and behavioral correlates of arithmetic development has been scarce, even though the acquisition of arithmetic skills is accompanied by changes within the fronto-parietal network of the developing brain. Furthermore, experimental procedures are typically adjusted to constraints of functional magnetic resonance imaging, which may not reflect natural settings in which children and adolescents actually perform arithmetic. Therefore, we investigated the longitudinal neurocognitive development of processes involved in performing the four basic arithmetic operations in 19 adolescents. By using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we were able to use an ecologically valid task, i.e., a written production paradigm.ResultsA common pattern of activation in the bilateral fronto-parietal network for arithmetic processing was found for all basic arithmetic operations. Moreover, evidence was obtained for decreasing activation during subtraction over the course of 1 year in middle and inferior frontal gyri, and increased activation during addition and multiplication in angular and middle temporal gyri. In the self-paced block design, parietal activation in multiplication and left angular and temporal activation in addition were observed to be higher for simple than for complex blocks, reflecting an inverse effect of arithmetic complexity.ConclusionsIn general, the findings suggest that the brain network for arithmetic processing is already established in 12–14 year-old adolescents, but still undergoes developmental changes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12993-018-0137-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The neural correlates of mental arithmetic in adolescents: a longitudinal fNIRS study

et al. 2018

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“…Rapid constant technical improvement of fNIRS might bring us closer to bridging the gap between education and neuroscience (Ansari and Coch, 2006 ). FNIRS can provide novel insight into the neural basis of numerical cognition and of language acquisition or production by studying these processes in natural academic settings (Soltanlou et al, 2017a , b ), where most other neuroimaging techniques, such as fMRI, are unsuitable. Furthermore, fNIRS can trace changes on the neural level during development (Artemenko et al, 2018b ) and eventually the life span (Wilcox and Biondi, 2015 ; Gallagher et al, 2016 ) to understand how particular brain structures stay constant or change with maturation, experience, and learning (Gervain et al, 2011 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, the findings are in line with neuroimaging studies of prefrontal activation: when the level of task complexity increases, the activation may increase correspondingly (Kuroda et al, 2009 ; see also Mücke et al, 2018 ). Again, the possibility of testing in a natural setting let them measure brain activities during tangram puzzle solving (see also Soltanlou et al, 2017b ), which cannot be done in an fMRI scanner.…”

Section: Application Of Fnirs To the Investigation Of Mathematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in Studying Cognitive Development: The Case of Mathematics and Language

et al. 2018

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In this review, we aim to highlight the application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a useful neuroimaging technique for the investigation of cognitive development. We focus on brain activation changes during the development of mathematics and language skills in schoolchildren. We discuss how technical limitations of common neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have resulted in our limited understanding of neural changes during development, while fNIRS would be a suitable and child-friendly method to examine cognitive development. Moreover, this technique enables us to go to schools to collect large samples of data from children in ecologically valid settings. Furthermore, we report findings of fNIRS studies in the fields of mathematics and language, followed by a discussion of the outlook of fNIRS in these fields. We suggest fNIRS as an additional technique to track brain activation changes in the field of educational neuroscience.

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Training causes activation increase in temporo-parietal and parietal regions in children with mathematical disabilities

et al. 2022

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While arithmetic training reduces fronto-temporo-parietal activation related to domain-general processes in typically developing (TD) children, we know very little about the training-related neurocognitive changes in children with mathematical disabilities (MD), who seek evidenced-based educational interventions. In a within-participant design, a group of 20 children (age range = 10–15 years old) with MD underwent 2 weeks of arithmetic training. Brain activation was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) before and after training to assess training-related changes. Two weeks of training led to both behavioral and brain changes. Training-specific change for trained versus untrained (control) simple multiplication solving was observed as activation increase in the bilateral temporo-parietal region including angular gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. Training-specific change for trained versus untrained (control) complex multiplication solving was observed as activation increase in the bilateral parietal region including intraparietal sulcus, superior parietal lobule, and supramarginal gyrus. Unlike the findings of a similar study in TD children, 2 weeks of multiplication training led to brain activation increase in the fronto-parietal network in children with MD. Interestingly, these brain activation differences between the current findings and a recent similar study in TD children underlie a rather similar behavioral improvement as regards response time and accuracy after 2 weeks of training. This finding provides valuable insights into underlying mechanisms of mathematics learning in special samples and suggests that the findings in TD children may not be readily generalized to children with MD.

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Behavioral and Neurocognitive Evaluation of a Web-Platform for Game-Based Learning of Orthography and Numeracy

Cited by 6 publications

References 99 publications

The neural correlates of mental arithmetic in adolescents: a longitudinal fNIRS study

The neural correlates of mental arithmetic in adolescents: a longitudinal fNIRS study

Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in Studying Cognitive Development: The Case of Mathematics and Language

Training causes activation increase in temporo-parietal and parietal regions in children with mathematical disabilities

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