Neural Foundations of Number Sense and Dyscalculia

Abstract

The ability to understand and process numerical quantities is called number sense. It has been showed that infants have a congenital ability which allows them to discriminate quantities approximately. Animal studies revealed that certain animal species have a similar numerical ability. It is known as the core number system and another system called symbolic representation system build on this foundation with education. Symbolic representation system allows us to associate and process the numerical words and numerical symbols with their quantity. The complex arithmetical ability builds on top of these two basic number system with education. The difficulty in the acquisition of mathematical skills is the definition of dyscalculia. There are two main theories about the origin of dyscalculia. One of them suggests that defect of the basic numerical sense causes dyscalculia while the other theory argues that problem with the processing of numerical symbols could cause dyscalculia. Even though the neural foundations of dyscalculia is still unknown, it was shown that intraparietal sulcus being in the first place, frontoparietal networks were disrupted in dyscalculia. Functional and anatomical studies were revealed consistent changes in frontal and parietal areas, connectivity studies revealed differentiation in the pathways between these areas. The aim of this review is to put up an integrative perspective about the number sense and dyscalculia with gathering theoretical approaches and neuroimaging studies.

Keywords

• Connectivity
• Dyscalculia
• Frontoparietal Network
• Mathematical Ability
• Number Sense

Sayı Algısı ve Diskalkulinin Nöral Temelleri

Abstract

Sayısal çoklukları anlayıp işlemleyebilme yeteneği, sayı algısı olarak tanımlanmaktadır. İnsanlarda doğumdan itibaren çoklukları yaklaşık olarak ayırt etmeye yarayan temel bir sayı algısı olduğu gösterilmiştir. Yapılan hayvan çalışmalarında, benzer bir sayısal sezginin bazı hayvan türlerinde de görüldüğü ortaya konulmuştur. Çekirdek sayı sistemi denen bu temel sayı algısı sistemi üzerine eğitim ile sembole erişim sistemi eklenmektedir. Bu sistem, sayı kelimelerinin (iki, üç vb.) ve sayısal sembollerin (2,3 vb.) karşılık geldiği çokluklarla (••, ••• vb.) ilişkilendirilmesine ve işlemlenmesine olanak sağlamaktadır. Kompleks matematik yetenekleri yine eğitimle birlikte bu sistemlerin üzerine kurulmaktadır. Matematik yeteneklerinin kazanımında zorluk ile karakterize gelişimsel matematik öğrenme güçlüğü (diskalkuli), bir özgül öğrenme güçlüğüdür. Diskalkulinin nedenleri ile ilişkili ortaya atılan iki temel teori bulunmaktadır. Teorilerden biri çoklukların temel olarak algılanmasında yaşanan güçlüğün diskalkuliye neden olduğunu ileri sürerken; diğer teoriye göre sayısal sembollerin düzgün bir şekilde işlemlenememesi diskalkuliye yol açmaktadır. Diskalkulinin nöral temelleri tam olarak açıklanamamış olmasına karşın, sayı algısı ile ilgili olduğu bilinen İPS başta olmak üzere frontoparyetal devrelerin diskalkuliklerde farklılaştığı gösterilmiştir. Yapısal ve fonksiyonel görüntüleme çalışmaları da tutarlı olarak frontal ve paryetal bölgelerde değişimler göstermiş; bağlantısallık çalışmaları da bu bölgeleri birbirine bağlayan yolaklarda farklılaşmalar ortaya koymuştur. Sunulan derleme çalışması, sayı algısı ve diskalkuli ile ilgili teorik yaklaşımları ve yapılan nörogörüntüleme çalışmalarını bir araya getirerek sayı algısı ve diskalkulinin beyindeki temsiline ilişkin bütüncül bir perspektif oluşturmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Bağlantısallık
• Diskalkuli
• Frontoparyetal Devre
• Matematik Yeteneği
• Sayı Algısı

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