Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics BM-PROMA
Published on: August 28, 2021
Cognitive tutoring induces widespread neuroplasticity and remediates brain function in children with mathematical
Teresa Iuculano1, Miriam Rosenberg-Lee1, Jennifer Richardson1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Abstract:
Competency with numbers is essential in today's society; yet, up to 20% of children exhibit moderate to severe mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). Behavioural intervention can be effective, but the neurobiological mechanisms underlying successful intervention are unknown. Here we demonstrate that eight weeks of 1:1 cognitive tutoring not only remediates poor performance in children with MLD, but also induces widespread changes in brain activity. Neuroplasticity manifests as normalization of aberrant functional responses in a distributed network of parietal, prefrontal and ventral temporal-occipital areas that support successful numerical problem solving, and is correlated with performance gains. Remarkably, machine learning algorithms show that brain activity patterns in children with MLD are significantly discriminable from neurotypical peers before, but not after, tutoring, suggesting that behavioural gains are not due to compensatory mechanisms. Our study identifies functional brain mechanisms underlying effective intervention in children with MLD and provides novel metrics for assessing response to intervention.
More Related Videos
08:29Standardized Induction and Assessment of Long-term Potentiation-like Cortical Plasticity Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: November 7, 2025
07:20Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Neuroplasticity
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Long-term Potentiation
Long-term Potentiation
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...
Information Processing Approach