Brain Bases of Reading and Math in Children with Learning Disability

数学和阅读障碍（MD和RD）是普遍存在的学习障碍（LD），通常会影响学业，社会和职业成功。这些LD的儿童往往在STEM相关科目中挣扎，因为这些领域的数字和书面材料很重要。这些LD通常同时出现（MD+RD），甚至只有RD的儿童在数学的某些方面表现出受损。到目前为止，还不清楚这些疾病是如何相互关联的，以及它们是否具有相似或不同的神经生物学基础。该项目旨在使用干预（辅导）方法结合脑成像来揭示这些LD的神经基础。研究人员将收集32名MD儿童的行为、结构和功能磁共振成像（MRI）数据。这些孩子将在单独的数学和阅读干预之前和之后进行扫描，以检查表现增益的神经相关性。MD儿童还将与RD和MD+RD儿童的现有数据进行比较，以了解这些相应群体中阅读和算术活动的共同特征和区别特征。这项工作将为基于大脑的LD模型提供信息，并阐明数学和阅读在教学环境中的交互性。ECR计划强调基础STEM教育研究，产生该领域的基础知识。投资是在关键领域是必不可少的，广泛的和持久的：干学习和干学习环境，扩大参与干，干劳动力发展。该计划支持积累强有力的证据，为理解、建立理论解释、提出干预和创新建议，以应对STEM兴趣、教育、学习和参与方面的持续挑战提供信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Math and reading disabilities (MD and RD) are prevalent learning disabilities (LDs) that often interfere with academic, social, and vocational success. Children with these LDs often struggle in STEM related subjects due to the importance of numerical and written materials in these fields. These LDs often co-occur together (MD+RD), and even children with RD-only show impaired performance on some aspects of mathematics. To date, it is unclear how these disorders are related to each other and whether they have similar or distinct neurobiological underpinnings. This project intends to uncover the neural bases of these LDs using an intervention (tutoring) approach combined with brain imaging. The investigators will collect behavioral, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 32 children with MD. These children will be scanned prior to and following separate math and reading interventions, to examine the neural correlates of performance gains. The MD children will also be compared with existing data from RD and MD+RD children to understand the shared and distinguishing features of activity underlying reading and arithmetic in these respective groups. Together this work will inform brain-based models of LDs and shed light on the interactive nature of math and reading in the context of instruction.This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. The program supports the accumulation of robust evidence to inform efforts to understand, build theory to explain, and suggest intervention and innovations to address persistent challenges in STEM interest, education, learning and participation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.