Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 1
PD Dr. sc. nat. Karin Kucian
Center for MR-Research
University Children‘s Hospital Zurich
Neuroscience of Dyscalculia
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 2
Outline
Typical Development of Neural Networks
for Numerical Cognition
Neuronal Correlates of Developmental Dyscalculia
Intervention
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 3
Outline
Typical Development of Neural Networks
for Numerical Cognition
Neuronal Correlates of Developmental Dyscalculia
Intervention
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 4
Numerical Cognition
Numerical Cognition
Cognitive processes related to the understanding und processing of
numbers as well as calculation.
Many competencies necessary
Number system
2 1transcoding
„two“ 2
magnitudes
Fact knowledge1 x 1
procedures
written
calculations
concepts
3 ∙ 3
3 + 3 + 3
Basic Compentencies
(Number Processing)
Calculation Compentencies
(Arithmetic)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 5
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
Counting,
Number words Number acuity &
mental number line
Arabic
Numbersnumber processing
Development of numerical cognition
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
number processing
after McCaskey 2015
Finger
calculation
Fact retrieval
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 6
Discrimination of
numerosity in 6-month-olds Hyde et al. 2010
Development of numerical cognition
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
number processing
after McCaskey 2015
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
number processing
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 7
Number processing in 4 to
14-year-oldsEmerson & Cantlon 2014, Vogel et al. 2015
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
Counting,
Number words Number acuity &
mental number line
Arabic
Numbersnumber processing
Development of numerical cognition
after McCaskey 2015
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 8
Developmental shift Rivera et al. 2005, Kucian et al. 2008
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
Counting,
Number words Number acuity &
mental number line
Arabic
Numbersnumber processing
Finger
calculation
Fact retrieval
Development of numerical cognition
after McCaskey 2015
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 9
Typical development (cross-sectional)functional magnetic resonance imaging
calculation
processes get
automatized
Functional specialization of task related areas
Higher working
memory and
attentional load
Kucian et al. (2008)
brain development
childhood adulthood
Stronger frontal activation Stronger parietal activation
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 10
Typical development (longitudinal)functional magnetic resonance imaging
calculation
processes get
automatized
Focussing of neuronal representation
Higher working
memory and
attentional load
McCaskey (submitted)
brain development
childhood adolesence
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 11
Domain-general factors:
working memory, reasoning, attention, visuo-spatial abilities
infancyadulthood
Discrimination
of numerosity
schooling
Counting,
Number words Number acuity &
mental number line
Arabic
Numbersnumber processing
Finger
calculation
Fact retrieval
Development of numerical cognition
after McCaskey 2015
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 12
Neuronal network for calculation
Kucian (2016)
anteriorposterior
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 13
Summary I
Typical Development of Neural Networks
for Numerical Cognition
1. Key area = intraparietal sulcus (IPS)
2. Right Left
Left parietal areas become more important for symbolic
number processing
3. Fronto Parietal
Decreased supporting functions (frontal)
Cortical specialization and automatization (parietal)
3. Complex fronto-parietal network for numerical cognition
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 14
Outline
Typical Development of Neural Networks
for Numerical Cognition
Neuronal Correlates of Developmental Dyscalculia
Intervention
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 15
Developmental Dyscalculia
Specific impairment in acquisition
of numerical-arithmetical skills (WHO 2010)
Prevalence of 3-7% (von Aster et al. 2007)
Persisting character (Shalev et al. 2005,
Geary et al. 2013)
Comorbid disorders (von Aster et al. 2007)
Dyslexia (17-60%)
ADHD (26-42%)
Secondary consequences as
math-anxiety and school refusal (Auerbach et al. 2008)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 16
Domain-general factors:working memory, reasoning, attention, visuo-spatial abilities
infancyadulthood
Discrimination of numerosity
schooling
Counting, Number words Number acuity &
mental number line
Arabic Numbers
number processing
Finger calculation
Fact retrieval
Deficits in developmental dyscalculia
after McCaskey 2015
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 17
Neuronal correlates of dyscalculia
Does the brain look
different?
Do they activate
different brain regions
during calculation?
Are their brain regions
differently connected?Does brain
development differ?
Can I use brain
images for
diagnosis?
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 18
Does the brain look different?Brain structure
GM WM CSF
Medium frontal gyrus, bilateral
Inferior frontal gyrus, left
Anterior cingulate, bilateral
Intraparietal sulcus, right
Reduced grey matter in dyscalculia:
Rotzer & Kucian et al. 2008
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 19
Does the brain look different?Brain structure
Medium frontal gyrus, bilateral
Inferior frontal gyrus, left
Anterior cingulate, bilateral
Intraparietal sulcus, right
Reduced grey matter in dyscalculia:
Structural neuronal
correlate of number
processing
Affected working
memory and
attentionional areas
Rotzer & Kucian et al. 2008
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 20
Does the brain look different?Brain structure
Reduced
amygdala
volume
Kucian et al. (in preparation)
Increased volume of
ventro medial prefrontal
cortex (vmPFC)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 21
Brain activation
Dyscalculics show
increased activation in
supporting frontal areas
Dyscalculics show
reduced activation in
numerical key areas
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 22
Brain activationnon-symbolic numerical distance effect
Kucian et al. (2011)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 23
Atypical development (longitudinal)of brain activation
calculation
processes get
automatized
Increased activation in entire network
delayed development?
Still right lateralized
network
McCaskey et al. (submitted)
brain development
childhood adolescence
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 24
Are their brain regions differentlyconnected?
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 25
Fibre connections
A superior longitudinal Fasciculus, close to IPS
B superior longitudinal Fasciculus
C superior longitudinal Fasciculus
anterior SLFposterior SLF
inferior SLF
Kucian et al. (2013)
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Children with DD show alterations in the SLF, a fibre tract connecting
parietal, temporal and frontal areas.
Fast and accurate exchange between
frontal- and parietal lobes are important
for many higher cognitive functions.
Unterschiede im SLF
Kucian et al. (2013)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 27
Summary II
Neuronal Correlates of Developmental Dyscalculia
1. Does the brain look different?a. Yes, reduced grey matter volume in key areas (IPS) and
supporting brain regions (frontal)
b. Math anxiety leads to alterations of brain structures
2. Do dyscalculics activate different brain regions?a. No, but reduced activation in parietal areas and increased
supporting activations (frontal)
3. Does brain development differ of dyscalculics?a. Yes, might be delayed
4. Are their brain regions differently connected?a. Weaker connections between parietal and frontal lobes
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 28
Outline
Typical Development of Neural Networks
for Numerical Cognition
Neuronal Correlates of Developmental Dyscalculia
Intervention
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 29
Intervention for children with DD
White matter (DTI)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 30
Computer-based intervention for DD
Rescue Calcularis Dybuster Calcularis
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 31
Intervention: Rescue Calcularis
Computer-based number line training
5 weeks
5 days a week
20 min a day
Children with developmental dyscalculia
Typical achieving children
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 32
* p < .05
** p < .01
Behavioural training effects
Number line test Addition & Subtraction
Kucian et al. (2011)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 33
After training, less supporting neuronal
recourses are needed (working memory,
executive functions, attention)
Reduced brain
activation
Increased
brain
activationIncreased IPS activation after 5-
weeks of consolidation
Neuronal training effects
Kucian et al. (2011)
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 34
Intervention: Dybuster Calcularis
Computer-based training of numerical cognition
6-12 weeks
5 days a week
20 min a day
Children with developmental dyscalculia
Typical achieving children
Evaluation in 2 studies:
• Pilot study (Zurich) N = 35 (Käser et al. 2013)
• Multicenter study (Berlin, Potsdam, Zurich) N = 135 (Rauscher et al. 2016)
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Intervention: Dybuster Calcularis
Highly adaptiv: Bayes network Error library
What is trained? subitizing
estimation
numbers (verbal, Arabic, concrete)
transcoding (verbal Arabic concrete)
number line
bigger / smaller
relations
concept of operations
addition / subtraction
multiplication / division
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Intervention: Dybuster Calcularis
Increase motivation
Decrease stress
Home & school version
Anytime & everywhere
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Trainingseffekte – Dybuster Calcularis
Rauscher et al. (2016) & Käser et al. (2013)
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Summary III
Intervention
1. Specific and adaptive computer based intervention are
helpful, but have to be seen as supplement to therapy
2. Behavioural improvements on trained subject (number line)
as well as transfer to other numerical domains (arithmetic)
3. Positive modulation of brain activation after training
4. Dybuster Calcularis is a highly adaptive and sofisticated
computer-based intervention which improves numerical
skills and reduces math anxiety
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 39
Conclusions
Typical brain development
Hierarchical development of
number processing and
arithmetic
Left parietal regions get more
important when symbolic
numbers are processed
Ontogenetic shift from frontal to
parietal regions
Complex fronto-parietal
network for calculation
Developmental Dyscalculia
Structural and functional
neuronal differences mainly in
parietal areas
Intervention
Behavioural improvements and
neuroplastic changes after
specific training
Karin Kucian, 5th All European Dyslexia Conference, Modena 2016 - 40
PD Dr. Ruth O’Gorman
Prof. Michael von Aster
PD Dr. sc. nat. Karin Kucian
Dr. Ursina McCaskey
Thank you for your attention! [email protected]
http://www.kispi.uzh.ch