Some children have a condition that makes them persistently struggle with math problem solving (developmental dyscalculia), yet behavioral and mechanistic details about this condition are lacking. New in JNeurosci , Oliver Lasnick and colleagues at Stanford University advanced understanding by exploring problem-solving strategy use and brain activity in children with developmental dyscalculia.
From a cohort of 68 children aged 8–10 years old, the researchers found that children with developmental dyscalculia were less efficient than other children at using a variety of math problem-solving strategies. Children with the condition took longer to switch between strategies, were less sensitive to changes in problem difficulty, and did not improve in selecting ideal strategies over time. Activity in a brain system was distinguishable between children with developmental dyscalculia and children who were more proficient at math strategies. This activity could even predict how well children counted and switched between math problem-solving strategies.
According to the researchers, this work shows that persistent childhood struggles with using problem-solving strategies and controlling attention, thinking, and memory may lead to the onset of developmental dyscalculia and points to altered brain activity that may drive these characteristic behaviors. Adds Lasnick, "Importantly, this study also emphasizes the individual variability observed in dyscalculia, further demonstrating that the disorder reflects cognitive and neural dysfunction across multiple processes."
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About JNeurosci
JNeurosci was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship.
About The Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.
JNeurosci
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2200-25.2026
People
Uncovering Latent Cognitive, Metacognitive, and Neural Bases of Problem-Solving Deficits in Children with Developmental Dyscalculia
21-Sep-2026
The authors declare no competing financial interests.