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Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)
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Arithmetic skills and their cognitive correlates in children with acquired and congenital brain disorder

Lauren K Ayr1, Keith Owen Yeates, Benedicta G Enrile

  • 1Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA.

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
|May 17, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Children with myelomeningocele (MM) show poorer arithmetic skills compared to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and orthopedic injury (OI) groups. Cognitive abilities like processing speed and working memory significantly impact math performance across these groups.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Arithmetic difficulties are common in children with neurological conditions.
  • Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of math deficits is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Myelomeningocele (MM) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) can impact cognitive functions essential for mathematical reasoning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare arithmetic skills in children with myelomeningocele (MM), severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and orthopedic injuries (OI).
  • To investigate the relationship between specific cognitive abilities and arithmetic performance across these groups.
  • To identify distinct patterns of arithmetic deficits associated with congenital versus acquired brain disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Participants included 24 children with MM, 27 with TBI, and 26 with OI (average age 11.56 years).
  • Arithmetic skills were assessed using the WRAT-3 Arithmetic subtest and a subtraction task.
  • Cognitive measures included working memory, declarative memory, processing speed, planning, and visuospatial abilities.

Main Results:

  • The MM group demonstrated significantly poorer performance on arithmetic tasks compared to TBI and OI groups.
  • Groups did not differ in math fact or visuospatial errors, but the MM group made more procedural errors.
  • Processing speed, working memory, declarative memory, and planning uniquely explained variance in arithmetic performance.

Conclusions:

  • Congenital (MM) and acquired (TBI) brain disorders are associated with distinct arithmetic skill profiles.
  • Specific cognitive abilities are differentially related to arithmetic performance in children with brain injuries.
  • Cognitive correlates of arithmetic skills vary by condition and age, highlighting the need for individualized assessment and intervention.

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