Mathematics development and difficulties: The role of visual-spatial perception and other cognitive skills

Barnes, Marcia A.; Raghubar, Kimberly P.

doi:10.1002/pbc.24909

Cited by 31 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…For example, spatial neglect after right parietal stroke appears to result from a combination of specific impairments in spatial processing in addition to impaired sustained attention (Husain et al, 1997;Malhotra et al, 2009;Corbetta & Shulman, 2011;Langner & Eickhoff, 2013). In addition, attentional measures correlate with arithmetic performance in healthy children, and attentional deficits have been demonstrated in patients with developmental dyscalculia, previously considered a syndrome of pure dyscalculia (Askenazi & Henik, 2010;Anobile et al, 2013;Barnes & Raghubar, 2014). Sustained attention can be measured by assessing vigilance level, that is the 'intensity' of attention at a particular time (Robertson et al, 1997;Sarter et al, 2001;Alexander et al, 2005;Bonnelle et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of oppositional parietal transcranial direct current stimulation on lateralized brain functions

Leech

Scott

et al. 2015

Eur J of Neuroscience

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Cognitive functions such as numerical processing and spatial attention show varying degrees of lateralization. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to investigate how modulating cortical excitability affects performance of these tasks. This study investigated the effect of bi-parietal tDCS on numerical processing, spatial and sustained attention. It was hypothesized that tDCS would have distinct effects on these tasks because of varying lateralization (numerical processing left, spatial attention right) and that these effects are partly mediated by modulation of sustained attention. A single-blinded, crossover, sham-controlled study was performed. Eighteen healthy right-handed participants performed cognitive tasks during three sessions of oppositional parietal tDCS stimulation: sham; right anodal with left cathodal (RA/LC); and right cathodal with left anodal (RC/LA). Participants performed a number comparison task, a modified Posner task, a choice reaction task (CRT) and the rapid visual processing task (RVP). RA/LC tDCS impaired number comparison performance compared with sham, with slower responses to numerically close numbers pairs. RA/LC and RC/LA tDCS had distinct effects on CRT performance, specifically affecting vigilance level during the final block of the task. No effect of stimulation on the Posner task or RVP was found. It was demonstrated that oppositional parietal tDCS affected both numerical performance and vigilance level in a polarity-dependent manner. The effect of tDCS on numerical processing may partly be due to attentional effects. The behavioural effects of tDCS were specifically observed under high task demands, demonstrating the consequences of an interaction between stimulation type and cognitive load.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of oppositional parietal transcranial direct current stimulation on lateralized brain functions

Leech

Scott

et al. 2015

Eur J of Neuroscience

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“…Visual-motor/visual-spatial abilities are implicated in mathematical ability among children with neurodevelopmental disorders including children treated for cancer (for a review see 34 ). Possible explanations include that for some math tasks including estimation and operations (e.g., subtraction) children use a mental number line dependent on visual spatial processing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additional visual aids could be a useful strategy when working on mathematical concepts, rather than relying on mental images. Further, fine motor and finger abilities, such as those measured with the Purdue Pegboard Test, are linked to math achievement in early grades 34 . Visual-motor/visual-spatial and fine motor skills uniquely predicted object-based quantity manipulation related to adding and subtracting 35 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurocognitive Predictors of Academic Outcomes Among Childhood Leukemia Survivors

et al. 2016

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Background Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer and survival approaches 90%. ALL survivors are more likely than healthy peers or siblings to experience academic underachievement yet little is known about neurocognitive predictors of academic outcomes. Objective Objectives were to compare neurocognitive abilities to age-adjusted standardized norms; to examine change over time in neurocognitive abilities; and to establish neurocognitive predictors of academic outcomes. Methods Seventy-one children were followed over the course of therapy. Cognitive abilities were assessed during Induction when the child was in remission (Baseline) and annually for 3 years (Year 1, Year 2, Year 3). Reading and mathematics abilities were assessed at Year 3. Results Fine motor dexterity was significantly below age-adjusted norms at all data points, but showed improvement over time. Baseline visual-motor integration was within the normal range but significantly declined by Year 3, and mean scores at Years 2 and 3 were significantly below age-adjusted norms. Verbal short-term memory was significantly below age-adjusted norms at all assessments. Visual-motor integration predicted reading and mathematic abilities. Verbal short-term memory predicted reading abilities, and visual short-term memory predicted mathematic abilities. Conclusions CNS-directed therapy is associated with specific neurocognitive problems. Visual spatial skills, verbal and visual short term memory predict academic outcomes. Implications for practice Early assessment of visual spatial perception and short-term memory can identify children at risk for academic problems. Children who are at risk for academic problems could benefit from a school based Individual Educational Program and/or educational intervention.

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“…The tasks were selected considering the cognitive factors frequently associated with mathematical performance: visuospatial and phonological working memory (Raghubar et al, 2010), visuospatial and visuoconstructional skills (Barnes & Raghubar, 2014), and non-symbolic and symbolic number representation accuracy (Schneider et al, 2016). Intelligence and performance on the single digit operation tasks of addition, subtraction and multiplication (Costa et al, 2011) were used as external criteria to examine the validity of the emerging clusters.…”

Section: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive heterogeneity of math difficulties: A bottom-up classification approach

et al. 2019

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Math learning difficulties (MD) correspond to math achievement below the 25th percentile and are cognitively heterogeneous. It is not known precisely how cognitive mechanisms underlie distinct subtypes of MD. A bottom-up, cluster-analytic strategy, based on visuoconstructional, visuospatial and phonological working memory, and non-symbolic and symbolic magnitude processing accuracy, was used to form subgroups of children from 3rd to 5th grades according to their math achievement. All children had nonverbal intelligence above the 20th percentile and presented a broad spectrum of variation in math ability. External validity of subgroups was examined considering intelligence and math achievement. Groups did not differ in age. Two groups with a high incidence of MD were associated, respectively, with low visuospatial/visuoconstructional and low magnitude processing accuracy. One group with average cognitive performance also presented above average intelligence and a small incidence of MD. A fourth group with high cognitive performance presented high math performance and high intelligence. Phonological working memory was associated with high but not with low math achievement. MD may be related to complex patterns of associations and dissociations between intelligence and specific cognitive abilities in distinct subgroups. Consistency and stability of these subgroups must be further characterized. However, a bottom-up classification strategy contributes to reducing the cognitive complexity of MD.

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Mathematics development and difficulties: The role of visual-spatial perception and other cognitive skills

Cited by 31 publications

References 71 publications

The effect of oppositional parietal transcranial direct current stimulation on lateralized brain functions

The effect of oppositional parietal transcranial direct current stimulation on lateralized brain functions

Neurocognitive Predictors of Academic Outcomes Among Childhood Leukemia Survivors

Cognitive heterogeneity of math difficulties: A bottom-up classification approach

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