Intervention on Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills

NCT07778706 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 87897R01HD059205
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 160
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief 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.

Conditions

Math Learning Disability; Learning Disabilities; Learning Disabilities, Child; Dyscalculia; Child Development

Keywords

Mathematical Learning Disabilities; Numerical skills in children; Low math abilities; Early Intervention, Educational

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

• Change from baseline in arithmetic task performance (reaction time)

  Performance will be measured by children's reaction time (milliseconds) on arithmetic task

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in arithmetic task performance (accuracy)

  Performance will be measured by children's accuracy (% trials correct) on arithmetic task

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of arithmetic task performance (drift rate)

  Latent cognitive processing will be measured by drift rate from children's arithmetic task performance

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of arithmetic performance (post-error adjustment)

  Latent cognitive processing will be measured by post-error adjustment from children's arithmetic task performance

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in brain activation during arithmetic task performance

  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.

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in brain representation during arithmetic task performance

  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.

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in brain connectivity during arithmetic task performance

  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.

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change from baseline in untrained arithmetic task performance (reaction time)

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

• Change from baseline in untrained arithmetic task performance (accuracy)

  Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

Arithmetic strategy training

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: Arithmetic strategy training

Speeded practice training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

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.

Behavioral: Speeded practice training

Interventions

Speeded practice training BEHAVIORAL

Speeded practice training includes activities that focus solely on enhancing arithmetic fluency.

Speeded practice training

Arithmetic strategy training BEHAVIORAL

Arithmetic strategy training includes activities that progressively develop the efficient use of arithmetic problem-solving strategies.

Arithmetic strategy training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Elementary school-aged children starting from first grade (6-12 years old)
• Intelligence Quotient: Participants with a Full Scale Intelligence Quotient is greater than 70 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Quotient
• Identification of Mathematical Learning Disabilities: Scores below the 20th percentile on two or more Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition math subtests
• Identification of typically developing children: Scores at or above the 50th percentile on two or more Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition math subtests
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no hearing impairments

You may not qualify if:

• History of neurological or psychiatric disorder (i.e., schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• History of trauma involving head injury
• Consistent psychiatric medications

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University: lead
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Stanford University

Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dyscalculia; Learning Disabilities

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Specific Learning Disorder; Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Vinod Menon, Ph.D.

  Stanford University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 18, 2026
• First Posted: August 21, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2031
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2031
• Last Updated: August 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)