Math Disorders in Children with Genetic Syndromes


Michele Mazzocco, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA

Course Prerequisites:  

Graduate course in developmental psychology, educational psychology, or cognitive development.

Basic knowledge of learning disabilities.
 
Course Description:  

This course will be an overview of the study of math disorders, and of studies of genetic phenotypes associated with poor math achievement.  Primary topics will include:

1.    An overview of the field of math learning disability research:  points of consensus, controversy, and confusion.
2.    Cognitive correlates of math achievement and math disability: the notion of core deficits.
3.    Linguistic and spatial aspects of math ability.
4.    The role of working memory in math achievement.
4.    Studies of cognitive phenotypes: models of math learning disability subtypes?
5.    Math skills and the cognitive phenotype of fragile X syndrome.
6.    Math skills and the cognitive phenotype of Turner syndrome.
7.    Math skills and the cognitive phenotype of other disorders (e.g., Barth syndrome)
9.    Conclusion: the contributions of studies of genetic disorders to knowledge of math cognition.

Course Outline:

  Course Syllabus  doc

Reading List

To be updated as several "in press" articles are published

Berch, D.B.  Making sense of number sense: Implications for children with mathematical disabilities.


Bruandet, M. Molko, N., Cohen, L., Dehaene, S. (2004).  A cognitive characterization of dyscalculia in Turner syndrome.  Neuropsychologia, 42, 288-298.

Buchanan, L., Pavlovic, J., & Rovet., J. (1998). A re-examination of the visuospatial deficit in Turner syndrome:  Contributions of working memory. Developmental Neuropsychology, 14, 341-367.

Bull, Johnston, & Roy, (1999). Exploring the roles of the visual-spatial sketch pad and central executive in children’s arithmetic skills:  Views from cognition and developmental neuropsychology.  Developmental Neuropsychology, 15(3), 421-442. 

Bull, R., & Scerif, G. (2001). Executive functioning as a predictor of children's mathematics ability: Inhibition, switching, and working memory. Developmental Neuropsychology, 19(3), 273-293. 

Butterworth, B. (2005). Developmental dyscalculia.  In J. Campbell (ed) Handbook of Mathematical Cognition. New York: Psychology Press. Pp 455-467.

Cornish, K.M., Munir, F., Cross, G. (1998).  The nature of the spatial deficit in young females with Fragile-X syndrome: A neurological and molecular perspective.  Neuropsychologia, 36(11), 1239-1246.  


Cornish, K.M., Munir, F., Cross, G. (2001).  Differential impact of the fMRI-1 full mutation on memory and attention functioning: A neuropsychological perspective.  Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 13(1), 144-150.  


Cornoldi, C., Marconi, F., & Vecchi, T. (2001). Visuospatial working memory in Turner syndrome. Brain and Cognition, 46(1-2), 90-94.  

Dehaene, S., Piazza, M., Pinel, P., & Cohen, L. (2005). Three partial circuits for number processing. In J. Campbell (ed) Handbook of Mathematical Cognition. 

Geary, D. C. (1993). Mathematical disabilities: cognitive, neuropsychological, and genetic components. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 345-362.  

Geary, D. C. (2004). Mathematics and learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(1), 4-15. 

Gersten, Jordan, and Flojo (2005). Early identification and interventions for students with mathematics difficulties.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, in press.


Gross-Tsur, V., Manor, O. & Shalev, R. S. (1996).  Developmental dyscalculia: Prevalence and demographic features.  Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology.  38:25-33.

Haberecht, M.F., Menon, V., Warsofsky, I.S., et al. (2001).  Functional neuroanatomy of visuo-spatial working memory in Turner Syndrome.  Human Brain Mapping, 14, 96-107. 


Kirk, J., Mazzocco, M.M.M., & Kover, S. T.  (2005).  Differentiating aspects of executive dysfunction in girls with fragile X or Turner syndrome using the Contingency Naming Test.  Developmental Neuropsychology, in press.   


Kwon, H., Menon, V., Eliez, S., et al.  (2001). Functional neuroanatomy of visuo-spatial working memory  in Fragile X syndrome: Relation to behavioral and molecular measures.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 1040-1051. 


Landerl, K., Bevan, A., & Butterworth, B. (2004). Developmental dyscalculia and basic numerical capacities: A study of 8-9 year old students. Cognition, 92(2), 99-125. 

Mazzocco, M. M. M. (2000). Advances in research on the fragile X syndrome. Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 6(2), 96-106. 


Mazzocco, M. M. M. (2001).  Math learning disability and math LD subtypes: Evidence from studies of Turner syndrome fragile X syndrome, and neurofibromatosis type 1.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34(6): 520-533. 

Mazzocco, M. M. M., & Gerner, G. G. (2004). Genetic disorders and learning disabilities.  Perspectives, 30(3): 18-23. 

Mazzocco, M. M. M., & McCloskey, M. (2005).  Math performance in girls with Turner or fragile X syndrome. In J. Campbell (ed) Handbook of Mathematical Cognition Psychology Press (2005). 

Mazzocco, M. M. M., & Myers, G. F. (2003). Complexities in identifying and defining mathematics learning disability in the primary school age years. Annals of Dyslexia, 53, 218-253.  

Passolunghi, M.C., Siegel, L.S. (2004).  Working memory and access to numerical information in children with disability in mathematics.  Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 88, 348-367. 


Plomin & Walker (2003).  Genetics and educational psychology.  British Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 3-14.  


Rivera, S.M., Menon, V., White, C.D., Glaser, B., Reiss, A.L. (2002).  Functional brain activation during arithmetic processing in females with Fragile X syndrome is related to fMRI protein expression.  Human Brain Mapping, 16, 206-218. 


Rovet, J.F.  (1993).  The psychoeducational characteristics of children with Turner syndrome.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26(5), 333-341. 


Rovet, J., Szekely, C., & Hockenberry, M. N. (1994). Specific arithmetic calculation deficits in children with Turner syndrome. Journal of Clinical Experimental Neuropsychology, 16, 820-839.


Rovet, J. (2004).  Turner syndrome: Genetic and hormonal factors contributing to a specific learning disability profile.  Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 19(3), 133-145.

Shalev, R. S., & Gross-Tsur, V. (2001). Developmental dyscalculia. Pediatric Neurology, 24(5), 337-342. 

Shalev, Manor, Gross-Tsur (2005). Developmental Dyscalculia:  a prospective six-year follow up. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 47, 121-125. 


Simon, J.A., Keenan, J.M., Pennington, B.F. et al. (2001).  Disclosure processing in women with Fragile X syndrome: Evidence for a deficit establishing coherence.  Cognitive Neuropsychology, 18(1), 1-18. 


Tamm, L., Menon, V., Reiss, A.L. (2003).  Abnormal prefrontal cortex function during response inhibition in Turner syndrome: Functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence.  Society of Biological Psychiatry, 53, 107-111. 


Temple, C.M. (2002). Oral fluency and narrative production in children with Turner’s syndrome.  Neuropsychologia, 40, 1419-1427. 


Temple, C. M., & Carney, R. A. (1995). Patterns of spatial functioning in Turner's syndrome. Cortex, 31, 109-118.

 

Temple, C. M., Carney, R. A., & Mullarkey, S. (1996). Frontal lobe function and executive skills in children with Turner's syndrome. Developmental Neuropsychology, 12(3), 343-363.


Venneri, A., Cornoldi, C., & Garuti, M. (2003). Arithmetic difficulties in children with visuospatial learning disability (vld), Child Neuropsychology, 9, 175-183. 


Waber, D.P. (1979). Neuropsychological aspects or Turner's syndrome.  Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 21, 58-70.