Neural Correlates of Mental Rotation in Preschoolers With High or Low Working Memory Capacity: An fNIRS Study

Yang, Jinfeng; Wu, Dandan; Luo, Jiutong; Xie, Sha; Chang, Chunqi; Li, Hui

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568382

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Generally speaking, children have a problem with this skill (e.g., Mix et al, 2018;Newcombe et al, 2018). Our results on Mental Rotation tasks do not match the results on the same tasks for preschoolers in Yang et al (2020). However, the mixed findings about spatial scaling skill and mental rotation skill put us in a position of questioning.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 81%

Spatial skills of preschool children from Serbia and a possible model for the typology of children’s spatial skills

Đokić,

Vorkapić

2024

Front. Educ.

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IntroductionIn their study, the authors delve into the impact of preschool curriculum on the spatial abilities development of children. They specifically explore the significance of spatial understanding through Piaget’s primacy of topological concepts and the increasing emphasis on projective geometry. The research focuses on preschoolers in Serbia, aged 5.5–6.5, as they transition to primary school.MethodsThe study involves 103 children exposed to two distinct preschool curricula: The General Foundations of the Preschool Curriculum (GFPC) and The Foundations of the Preschool Curriculum – Years of Ascent (YA). Drawing on the typology of spatial tasks in the 2 × 2 matrix, the researchers conducted individual structured interviews comprising 8 tasks. These tasks were designed to assess children’s performance across four sub-domains: Intrinsic–Static, Extrinsic–Static, Intrinsic–Dynamic, and Extrinsic–Dynamic.ResultsThe findings reveal a general poor performance in solving spatial tasks among the children. Despite inconsistent results in the cognitive structures of spatial ability, the study indicates that the type of preschool program or gender does not significantly influence preschoolers’ spatial abilities in Serbia. Notably, differences were observed in the sub-domains of Static and Dynamic. However, the analysis suggests that the 2 × 2 model may not be an appropriate fit for the Serbian sample.DiscussionThe authors acknowledge the limitations of the 2 × 2 model and propose further exploration of alternative typologies to better characterize children’s spatial skills development in Serbia. They advocate for a model that accurately describes preschoolers’ spatial abilities and can inform curriculum creators in enriching mathematics education. The study underscores the importance of spatial reasoning for success in STEM fields, as supported by meta-analyses of children’s spatial abilities.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 81%

Spatial skills of preschool children from Serbia and a possible model for the typology of children’s spatial skills

Đokić,

Vorkapić

2024

Front. Educ.

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“…Studies have shown that fNIRS can effectively monitor cortical haemodynamics during spatial memory tasks 28 . The prefrontal lobes are significantly activated during spatial working memory tasks 29 . The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), among others, has been identified as a potential brain target for fNIRS neurofeedback to enhance spatial memory in humans 30 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the dynamics of prefrontal cortex in the interaction between orienteering experience and cognitive performance by fNIRS

Liu,

2024

Sci Rep

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Sporting experience plays a pivotal role in shaping exercise habits, with a mutually reinforcing relationship that enhances cognitive performance. The acknowledged plasticity of cognition driven by sports necessitates a comprehensive examination. Hence, this study delves into the dynamic intricacies of the prefrontal cortex, exploring the impact of orienteering experience on cognitive performance. Our findings contribute empirical evidence regarding the functional activation of specific brain regions bridging the nexus between experiential factors and cognitive capabilities. In this cross-sectional study, a cohort of forty-nine athletes was enrolled to meticulously examine behavioral variances and prefrontal cortex dynamics among orienteering athletes of varying experience levels across diverse non-specialized scenarios. These investigations involved the utilization of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to detect alterations in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2). The high-experience expert group exhibited neurological efficiency, demonstrating significantly diminished brain activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal, left ventral lateral prefrontal, and right orbitofrontal regions compared to the low-experience group. Within the low-experience novice group, superior performance in the spatial memory task was observed compared to the mental rotation task, with consistently lower reaction times across all conditions compared to the high-experience group. Notably, cerebral blood oxygenation activation exhibited a significant reduction in the high-experience expert group compared to the low-experience novice group, irrespective of task type. The dorsolateral prefrontal lobe exhibited activation upon task onset, irrespective of experience level. Correct rates in the spatial memory task were consistently higher than those in the mental rotation task, while brain region activation was significantly greater during the mental rotation task than the spatial memory task.” This study elucidates disparities in prefrontal cortex dynamics between highly seasoned experts and neophyte novices, showcasing a cognitive edge within the highly experienced cohort and a spatial memory advantage in the inexperienced group. Our findings contribute to the comprehension of the neural mechanisms that underlie the observed cognitive advantage and provide insights into the forebrain resources mobilized by orienteering experience during spatial cognitive tasks.”

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Mental rotation is supported by block play in boys and girls

Weber,

Bobrowicz,

Greiff

et al. 2024

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

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Neural Correlates of Mental Rotation in Preschoolers With High or Low Working Memory Capacity: An fNIRS Study

Cited by 6 publications

References 33 publications

Spatial skills of preschool children from Serbia and a possible model for the typology of children’s spatial skills

Spatial skills of preschool children from Serbia and a possible model for the typology of children’s spatial skills

Exploring the dynamics of prefrontal cortex in the interaction between orienteering experience and cognitive performance by fNIRS

Mental rotation is supported by block play in boys and girls

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