Symbolic and Non-Symbolic Number Magnitude Processing in Children with Developmental Dyscalculia

Cañizares, Danilka Castro; Crespo, Vivian Reigosa; Alemañy, Eduardo González

doi:10.5209/rev_sjop.2012.v15.n3.39387

Cited by 14 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…Note the statistically significant and high correlations found between nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical comparison tasks and mental arithmetic remain, despite the contribution of domain-general cognitive processes to performance was controlled for. These results are consistent with previous reports on children with low math achievement exhibiting significant differences in basic numerical processing when compared to controls, even when controlling for working memory processes (Castro et al, 2012;Wong et al, 2015). Nevertheless it is worth mentioning the analysis controlling for the effect of verbal and visuospatial working memory processes in the sample presented here contributes new relevant evidence in typically developing children, not available in previous reliability/convergent validity studies, to the best of our knowledge.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Several studies involving children exhibiting typical development of numerical processing or children with arithmetic learning disabilities support in a similar way the relevance of nonsymbolic skills as predictors of subsequent arithmetic performance (Halberda et al, 2012;Libertus et al, 2011;Mussolin et al, 2010;Reigosa-Crespo et al, 2013;Wong, Ho, & Tang, 2015). In contrast, other studies highlight symbolic and mapping skills preponderant role as predictors of arithmetic success in children (Castro et al, 2012;De Smedt & Gilmore, 2011;Landerl & Kölle, 2009;Lonnemann et al, 2011;Rousselle & Noel, 2007;Sasanguie, Göbel, Moll, Smets, & Reynvoet, 2013).…”

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confidence: 93%

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Reliability and Validity of Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Comparison Tasks in School-Aged Children

et al. 2017

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Basic numerical processing has been regularly assessed using numerical nonsymbolic and symbolic comparison tasks. It has been assumed that these tasks index similar underlying processes. However, the evidence concerning the reliability and convergent validity across different versions of these tasks is inconclusive. We explored the reliability and convergent validity between two numerical comparison tasks (nonsymbolic vs. symbolic) in school-aged children. The relations between performance in both tasks and mental arithmetic were described and a developmental trajectories' analysis was also conducted. The influence of verbal and visuospatial working memory processes and age was controlled for in the analyses. Results show significant reliability (p < .001) between Block 1 and 2 for nonsymbolic task (global adjusted RT (adjRT): r = .78, global efficiency measures (EMs): r = .74) and, for symbolic task (adjRT: r = .86, EMs: r = .86). Also, significant convergent validity between tasks (p < .001) for both adjRT (r = .71) and EMs (r = .70) were found after controlling for working memory and age. Finally, it was found the relationship between nonsymbolic and symbolic efficiencies varies across the sample's age range. Overall, these findings suggest both tasks index the same underlying cognitive architecture and are appropriate to explore the Approximate Number System (ANS) characteristics. The evidence supports the central role of ANS in arithmetic efficiency and suggests there are differences across the age range assessed, concerning the extent to which efficiency in nonsymbolic and symbolic tasks reflects ANS acuity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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confidence: 93%

Reliability and Validity of Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Comparison Tasks in School-Aged Children

et al. 2017

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“…Previous findings about non-symbolic magnitude processing are inconclusive (Price et al, 2007; Mussolin et al, 2010b; Piazza et al, 2010; Kucian et al, 2011b; Castro Cañizares et al, 2012; Landerl, 2013; Skagerlund and Träff, 2014). In addition, it has been shown that numerosity is not processed independently from its continuous visual variables (diameter, total surface, density; Gebuis and Reynvoet, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Adolescents with Developmental Dyscalculia Do Not Have a Generalized Magnitude Deficit – Processing of Discrete and Continuous Magnitudes

McCaskey

Aster

Tuura

et al. 2017

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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The link between number and space has been discussed in the literature for some time, resulting in the theory that number, space and time might be part of a generalized magnitude system. To date, several behavioral and neuroimaging findings support the notion of a generalized magnitude system, although contradictory results showing a partial overlap or separate magnitude systems are also found. The possible existence of a generalized magnitude processing area leads to the question how individuals with developmental dyscalculia (DD), known for deficits in numerical-arithmetical abilities, process magnitudes. By means of neuropsychological tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we aimed to examine the relationship between number and space in typical and atypical development. Participants were 16 adolescents with DD (14.1 years) and 14 typically developing (TD) peers (13.8 years). In the fMRI paradigm participants had to perform discrete (arrays of dots) and continuous magnitude (angles) comparisons as well as a mental rotation task. In the neuropsychological tests, adolescents with dyscalculia performed significantly worse in numerical and complex visuo-spatial tasks. However, they showed similar results to TD peers when making discrete and continuous magnitude decisions during the neuropsychological tests and the fMRI paradigm. A conjunction analysis of the fMRI data revealed commonly activated higher order visual (inferior and middle occipital gyrus) and parietal (inferior and superior parietal lobe) magnitude areas for the discrete and continuous magnitude tasks. Moreover, no differences were found when contrasting both magnitude processing conditions, favoring the possibility of a generalized magnitude system. Group comparisons further revealed that dyscalculic subjects showed increased activation in domain general regions, whilst TD peers activate domain specific areas to a greater extent. In conclusion, our results point to the existence of a generalized magnitude system in the occipito-parietal stream in typical development. The detailed investigation of spatial and numerical magnitude abilities in DD reveals that the deficits in number processing and arithmetic cannot be explained with a general magnitude deficiency. Our results further indicate that multiple neuro-cognitive components might contribute to the explanation of DD.

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“…Previous studies also reported a low ANS acuity in dyscalculia, indexed by impairments in dot comparison tasks, where DD seem to have a 5 year-delay along the typical developmental trajectory [28][29][30][31][32]. These findings, however, are not undisputed, since using similar (but not identical) dots comparison tasks, some researchers did not find differences between DD and controls [33][34][35]. Moreover, there is an ongoing debate on the factors underlying the DD poor performance in this task: some reported evidence that it is determined by a non-specific deficit in a general inhibitory system [36], while others failed at replicating it [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Impaired large numerosity estimation and intact subitizing in developmental dyscalculia

Decarli

Paris²,

Tencati³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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It is believed that the approximate estimation of large sets and the exact quantification of small sets (subitizing) are supported by two different systems, the Approximate Number System (ANS) and Object Tracking System (OTS), respectively. It is a current matter of debate whether they are both impaired in developmental dyscalculia (DD), a specific learning disability in symbolic number processing and calculation. Here we tackled this question by asking 32 DD children and 32 controls to perform a series of tasks on visually presented sets, including exact enumeration of small sets as well as comparison of large, uncountable sets. In children with DD, we found poor sensitivity in processing large numerosities, but we failed to find impairments in the exact enumeration of sets within the subitizing range. We also observed deficits in visual short-term memory skills in children with dyscalculia that, however, did not account for their low ANS acuity. Taken together, these results point to a dissociation between quantification skills in dyscalculia, they highlight a link between DD and low ANS acuity and provide support for the notion that DD is a multifaceted disability that covers multiple cognitive skills.

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Symbolic and Non-Symbolic Number Magnitude Processing in Children with Developmental Dyscalculia

Cited by 14 publications

References 64 publications

Reliability and Validity of Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Comparison Tasks in School-Aged Children

Reliability and Validity of Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Comparison Tasks in School-Aged Children

Adolescents with Developmental Dyscalculia Do Not Have a Generalized Magnitude Deficit – Processing of Discrete and Continuous Magnitudes

Impaired large numerosity estimation and intact subitizing in developmental dyscalculia

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