Numerical cognition in children with cerebral palsy

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Neurology

Background:

• Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) frequently exhibit mathematical deficits.
• The precise nature of these mathematical difficulties in CP, and their relation to developmental dyscalculia, remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the characteristics of mathematical learning difficulties in children with CP.
• To compare numerical cognition, working memory, and number sense in children with CP versus typically developing (TD) children.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory cross-sectional study involving 50 children and adolescents (7-15 years) with congenital brain injuries and math problems.
• Participants included 19 with spastic CP (9 hemiplegia, 10 diplegia) and 31 TD controls.
• Assessments comprised a neuropsychological battery (ZAREKI-R, AWMA) and a computerized number sense task.

Main Results:

• Children with CP underperformed TD children in several numerical cognition subtests, number sense, and working memory tasks, despite average intelligence.
• Numerical cognition was impaired across the CP group, indicating secondary dyscalculia.
• Hemiplegic children showed lower scores than diplegic children.

Conclusions:

• Mathematical learning difficulties in CP are heterogeneous and linked to immature neuropsychological functions.
• These impairments significantly impact the development of numerical cognition in children with CP.
• CP-associated mathematical deficits warrant targeted interventions addressing underlying cognitive functions.