Working memory and arithmetic impairments in children with FMR1 premutation and gray zone alleles

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Expansive mutations in familial mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene have been associated with different phenotypes. Full mutations are associated with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder; premutations are associated with math learning difficulties and working memory impairments. In gray zone, neuropsychological development has not yet been described. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the frequency of FMR1 premutation and gray zone alleles in a school population sample representing a broad spectrum of variation in math achievement and detail school achievement and cognitive performance in the children identified with FMR1 premutation or gray zone alleles. Methods: We described a two-phase study. In the first phase, 2,195 school-age children were screened for math achievement. In the second phase, 378 children with normal intelligence were neuropsychologically assessed and genotyped for FMR1. Of these, 121 children (61 girls) performed below percentile 25 in mathematics (MD group) and 257 children (146 girls) performed above percentile 25 (control group). Results: Four pupils presented expanded alleles, one premutation and three gray zone alleles. The girl with the premutation and one boy with a gray zone allele presented impairments in working memory and arithmetic performance below percentile 6, compatible with the diagnosis of developmental dyscalculia. These children’s difficulties were not associated with inaccuracy of nonsymbolic number representations or literacy impairments. Dyscalculia in these children seems to be associated mainly with working memory impairments. Conclusions: FMR1 expansions in the gray zone may contribute to dyscalculia in otherwise healthy and normally intelligent children.

Prototyping a Mobile Application for Children with Dyscalculia in Primary Education using Augmented Reality

“…In Latin America there are learning difficulties in children in such a way that the teaching of mathematics has a low performance of 49.9% to 70.3% and in this way the schools do not provide a good quality of teaching in their schools, considering a serious problem for dyscalculia to indicate the low preparation in education regarding mathematics is why children do not have highly trained teachers to provide good teaching [4]. In Brazil, which considers that dyscalculia impairs school performance and achievement in mathematical operations [5], it also considers that out of every 304 schoolchildren aged 7-12 years of both sexes are assessed and 22 children are diagnosed with dyscalculia [6].…”