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Deficits in Approximate Number System Acuity and Mathematical Abilities in 6.5-Year-Old Children Born Extremely

Melissa E Libertus1, Lea Forsman2, Ulrika Adén2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, United States.

Frontiers in Psychology
|July 27, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm children show lower approximate number system (ANS) acuity compared to term-born peers. This difference in intuitive number sense may contribute to math difficulties in preterm populations.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm children often experience academic challenges, particularly in mathematics.
  • The approximate number system (ANS) is crucial for innate numerical understanding and math skills.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in ANS acuity between extremely preterm and term-born children.
  • To explore the relationship between ANS acuity and math abilities in preterm children.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of ANS acuity using a non-symbolic number task in 6.5-year-old extremely preterm (gestation <27 weeks) and term-born children.
  • Assessment of math abilities using a standardized math test.
  • Control for verbal IQ, working memory, attention, and visuo-spatial skills.

Main Results:

  • Extremely preterm children exhibited significantly lower ANS acuity than term-born children.
  • These ANS differences persisted even when visuo-spatial and attention demands were minimized.
  • ANS acuity was found to be linked with math ability in extremely preterm children.

Conclusions:

  • Deficits in the approximate number system may underlie mathematical difficulties observed in extremely preterm children.
  • ANS acuity is a potential target for interventions aimed at improving math outcomes in this population.

Keywords:
approximate number systemattentionextreme preterm birthmath abilitypreterm childrenvisuo-spatial skills

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