Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills

Stanford University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Developmental Disability; Cognitive Deficits, Mild; Dyscalculia; Behavior, Child; Specific Learning Disorder, With Impairment in Mathematics; Decision Making; Cognitive Change; Child Development; Learning Disabled; Cognition Disorder; Dyscalculia, Acquired; Dyscalculia, Primary; Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Math Learning Disability; Behavior; Learning Disabilities; Learning Curve; Cognitive Abnormality; Cognitive Delay, Mild; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cognition; Cognitive Orientation; Mathematics Disorder; Cognitive Impairment, Mild; Neuronal Plasticity; Cognitive Developmental Delay; Individuality; Neuroscience

Treatments: Other: Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Experimental; Other: Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Active Comparator

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05201534

SPO #42749 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

62479

2R01HD059205-11A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying response to intervention aimed at enhancing, and remediating weaknesses in, numerical skills in children, including those with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD).

Full description

The purpose of this study is to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying response to intervention aimed at enhancing, and remediating weaknesses in, numerical skills in children, including those with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD).

To achieve this goal, investigators will use a theoretically-motivated integrated symbolic/non-symbolic (iSNS) intervention with a randomized controlled design to enhance cross-format mapping between symbolic and nonsymbolic representations of quantities. The investigators will develop innovative computational models to investigate individual differences in latent cognitive processes and brain plasticity that contribute to learning, long-term retention, and transfer in children.

The investigators will assess performance in several areas and investigate cognitive and neural mechanisms that support numerical skill acquisition in children with differing levels of math learning abilities.

Enrollment: 180 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Elementary school aged children starting from first grade (6-12 years old)
2. IQ: Participants with a Full Scale IQ > 70 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scle of Intelligence (WASI-II).
3. Identification of Mathematical Learning Disabilities: Scores below the 35th percentile percentile on symbolic number processing test in Numeracy Screener and two or more Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-IV) math subtests
4. Identification of typically developing children: Scores at or above the 35th percentile percentile on symbolic number processing test in Numeracy Screener and all WIAT-IV math subtests
5. Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no hearing impairments
6. Inclusion in MRI scan session: Right-handed

Exclusion criteria

1. History of neurological or psychiatric disorder (i.e., schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.)
2. History of trauma involving head injury
3. Consistent psychiatric medications
4. Exclusion from MRI scan session: No major contraindication for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - braces, metal implants, pacemakers, vascular stents, metallic ear tubes, consistent exposure to metal, claustrophobia)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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180 participants in 2 patient groups

Integrative Symbolic Non-Symbolic (iSNS) Training

Experimental group

Description:

Integrative symbolic non-symbolic (iSNS) training: Over a period of 6 weeks, participants will complete activities that progressively strengthen the mapping of symbolic numerical representations to non-symbolic numerical quantities and enhance fluency in symbolic numerical skills.

Treatment:

Other: Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Experimental

Active Comparator: Active Control Intervention (Working Memory Training)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active control intervention: Over a period of 6 weeks, participants will complete activities that enhance short-term storage and maintenance of visuospatial or verbal information.

Treatment:

Other: Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Active Comparator