Intervention on Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills

NCT07778706 — Not applicable, Not yet recruiting, 160 participants, Stanford University

ClinicalTrials Daily · Areas · Conditions · Drugs · Sponsors ·

Interventions in Math Learning Disabilities: Cognitive and Neural Correlates

Registry	NCT07778706
Status	Not yet recruiting
Phase	Not applicable
Study type	Interventional; randomized, parallel, masking: none, treatment
Enrollment	160 (Estimated)
Sponsor	Stanford University (Other); collaborators: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Conditions	Math Learning Disability, Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Child, Dyscalculia, Child Development
Interventions	Speeded practice training, Arithmetic strategy training (Behavioral)
Dates	start 2026-09-01 (estimated), primary completion 2031-09-01 (estimated), completion 2031-09-01 (estimated), first posted 2026-08-21, last updated 2026-08-24
Locations	1 site in United States

-Summary

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

Expand all sections · Collapse all

+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
Arithmetic strategy training	Experimental	Behavioral: Arithmetic strategy training	Participants complete 6 weeks of activities, 1-hour hybrid sessions daily for 3 days per week (in total 18 sessions), that progressively develop the efficient use of arithmetic problem-solving strategies. Before and after training, participants complete arithmetic problem-solving tasks during neuroimaging sessions.
Speeded practice training	Active comparator	Behavioral: Speeded practice training	Participants complete 6 weeks of activities, 1-hour hybrid sessions daily for 3 days per week (in total 18 sessions), that focus solely on enhancing arithmetic fluency. Before and after training, participants complete arithmetic problem-solving tasks during neuroimaging sessions.

Speeded practice training (Behavioral): Speeded practice training includes activities that focus solely on enhancing arithmetic fluency.
Arithmetic strategy training (Behavioral): Arithmetic strategy training includes activities that progressively develop the efficient use of arithmetic problem-solving strategies.

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

Change from baseline in arithmetic task performance (reaction time) [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Performance will be measured by children's reaction time (milliseconds) on arithmetic task
Change from baseline in arithmetic task performance (accuracy) [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Performance will be measured by children's accuracy (% trials correct) on arithmetic task
Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of arithmetic task performance (drift rate) [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Latent cognitive processing will be measured by drift rate from children's arithmetic task performance
Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of arithmetic performance (post-error adjustment) [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Latent cognitive processing will be measured by post-error adjustment from children's arithmetic task performance
Change from baseline in brain activation during arithmetic task performance [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Neural activity will be measured during a functional magnetic resonance imaging arithmetic task. Data will consist of beta values from individual-subject contrast maps for the Small vs. Large contrast in the whole-brain general linear modeling functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis.
Change from baseline in brain representation during arithmetic task performance [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Neural activity will be measured during the functional magnetic resonance imaging arithmetic task. Data will consist of spatial correlations of voxel-wise brain activation between Trained vs. Rest and Untrained vs. Rest contrasts for individual subjects.
Change from baseline in brain connectivity during arithmetic task performance [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Neural activity will be measured during the functional magnetic resonance imaging arithmetic task. Data will consist of generalized psychophysiological interaction beta values from individual subject contrast maps for Small vs. Large contrast.

Secondary outcomes

Change from baseline in untrained arithmetic task performance (reaction time) [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Performance will be measured by children's reaction time (milliseconds) on untrained arithmetic task
Change from baseline in untrained arithmetic task performance (accuracy) [Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)]: Performance will be measured by children's accuracy (% trials correct) on untrained arithmetic task

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 6 Years to 12 Years, accepts healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Elementary school-aged children starting from first grade (6-12 years old)
2. Intelligence Quotient: Participants with a Full Scale Intelligence Quotient is greater than 70 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Quotient
3. Identification of Mathematical Learning Disabilities: Scores below the 20th percentile on two or more Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition math subtests
4. Identification of typically developing children: Scores at or above the 50th percentile on two or more Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition 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 magnetic resonance imaging scan session: No major contraindication for magnetic resonance imaging (braces, metal implants, pacemakers, vascular stents, metallic ear tubes, consistent exposure to metal, or claustrophobia)

+Locations (1)

Facility	City	Country	Status
Stanford University	Palo Alto, California	United States

+Investigators

Vinod Menon, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Stanford University

+Funding

NIH grants: R01HD059205