Topic 3. Impairment and restoration of counting in local brain lesions.

Learn more about diseases starting with the letter “A”: Abdominal migraine, Absence, Brain abscess, Abuse headache, Agnosia, Pituitary adenoma, Adrenoleukodystrophy, Acalculia, Akathisia, Alternating syndromes, Amaurotic idiocy, Werdnig-Hoffmann amyotrophy, Kugelberg-Welander amyotrophy, Amnesia, Angioneurosis, Cerebral aneurysms, Anomalies of brain development, Chiari anomaly, Kimerli anomaly, Apallic syndrome.

Acalculia is a neuropsychological symptom that includes a large number of impairments in understanding numbers and performing arithmetic operations. Acalculia occurs against the background of damage to various areas in the cerebral cortex caused by various diseases and pathological conditions.

The disease in people can be expressed in different manifestations: some cannot recognize numbers visually or auditorily, others are not able to understand the meaning of numbers, and still others cannot perform calculations according to the sequence.

This neuropsychological syndrome is identified on the basis of clinical characteristics after examinations by specialists, undergoing a series of diagnostic measures, as well as simple arithmetic testing. Treatment measures are aimed primarily at eliminating the underlying disease. Rehabilitation measures include a set of classes to restore the ability to carry out counting operations.

Causes of the disease

Regardless of the form of acalculia, this pathology is directly related to damage to various areas of the cerebral cortex. The causes of this symptom may be:

Cerebrovascular pathology. The disease can appear as a consequence of a stroke, as well as with chronic ischemia, which leads to vascular dementia. In both cases, damage to certain areas of the brain occurs, as a result of which this neuropsychological syndrome arises.
Traumatic brain injuries. Loss of the ability to perform arithmetic operations may be associated with injury, resulting in hematomas. The type of acalculia will depend on the severity of the injury, as well as the affected area.
Neuroinfections. Acalculia can occur as a complication of a previous brain disease.
Intoxication. Often the cerebral cortex is affected due to poisoning with toxic substances.
Neoplasms. Any neoplasm that puts pressure on the cerebral cortex can lead to such disorders.
Degenerative diseases of the central nervous system. There are a huge number of pathological conditions, as a result of which irreversible changes occur in the cerebral cortex. Unfortunately, many of them are incurable.

In some cases, this pathology occurs even in young children. In children, this disease has a direct connection with intrauterine pathologies of brain development.

Pathogenesis

Counting is the most complex function of a person’s GNI. The counting center has a very close connection with many other areas of the cortex. Only the joint participation of these zones makes it possible to perform arithmetic operations. If the functioning of one of the zones is disrupted, problems with the account arise.

Due to disease, injury or congenital defects, neurons undergo degenerative changes and sometimes even die. Acalculia develops when areas of the brain responsible for counting functions are involved in the pathological process. Most often, acalculia is not the only disorder in the patient, since the root causes of its appearance also affect other areas of the brain.

Classification

It is customary to distinguish two types of acalculia according to the mechanism of occurrence: primary and secondary. Primary appears as a result of the appearance of certain violations in the area responsible for the score.

The secondary form of pathology appears due to damage to other areas involved in arithmetic operations. This type is divided into 4 subspecies:

optical – people have impairments in number recognition;
auditory – there are problems with the sound perception of numbers;
amnestic – disorders affect auditory-verbal memory;
frontal - a person cannot perform any arithmetic operations.

Acalculia - counting disorder

Acalculia (a + lat. calculo - to count) is presented in the form of a neuropsychological symptom, the peculiarity of which is the loss of the ability to perform arithmetic operations due to lesions of the cerebral cortex. A synonym for acalculia is dyscalculia.
Patients lack the ability to compare numbers, subtract and add them, and solve basic mathematical problems.

In essence, a person’s ability to count is the simultaneous integration of several cognitive skills. The pathology under consideration provokes difficulties in the following areas:

association of number and its spoken name;
comparison of numbers with different numerical values;
registering the meaning of a number in the mind and understanding its essence;

The symptoms of acalculia are often a precursor to dementia, the cause of which is the presence of lesions in the frontal or parietal lobe of the brain.

Classification

Acalculia, as a term, was discovered in 1919 by F. Henschen. Research activities on violations of the synthesis and analysis of computational operations have made it possible to distinguish two types of pathology - primary and secondary.

Primary acalculia is the result of disturbances in the temporal, occipital and parietal cortex. The key feature is a violation of the synthesis and analysis of spatial representations. The patient has difficulty performing computational processes and distinguishing numbers. In the vast majority of cases, the patient does not understand the difference between concepts such as front and back, down and up, right and left.
Secondary acalculia is the result of existing syndromes of a neuropsychological nature.

Symptoms

It is in children that the primary form of the pathology in question manifests itself most clearly. By the time a young patient enters school, the parts of the brain responsible for understanding spatial phenomena may not have had time to develop. The result is a challenge in understanding arithmetic operations and the meaning of numbers in the first year. The following symptoms are also observed.

Manifestations of the primary form:

the concept of more is less in relation to arithmetic operations is violated;
the concept of numbers is missing;
arithmetic operations are carried out problematically;
the concept of spatial coordinates is violated;
there is no difference in the bit structures of numbers;
there is no understanding of the difference between numbers if the parietal region is affected;
difficulties in evaluating arithmetic objects containing the number zero;
figurative perception of a number in the form of an object, for example, 50 roses, 10 hryvnia;
occasionally there remains the possibility of addition;
serious problems in the process of subtraction, especially if you have to work with numbers separated by ten;
Acalculia in this form is rarely combined with speech disorders.

If this pathology is the result of damage to the frontal part of the brain, the patient understands the principle of numerical digits and basic arithmetic calculations are available to him. More complex actions and manipulations cause serious difficulties.

Symptoms of the secondary form

The secondary form is caused by lesions in the prefrontal, temporal or occipital regions of the brain.

Problems in the occipital region lead to impaired visual perception of numbers. The underlying disease may be optical agnosia or alexia. The patient may not be able to distinguish numbers that are similar in spelling visually; their place value understanding of numbers is retained. Often such problems are accompanied by amnesia for the names of numbers.
A defect in auditory understanding of numbers is observed with damage to the temporal cortex. The main disease is sensory or acoustic-mnestic aphasia.
Problems in the prefrontal area lead to impaired understanding of arithmetic operations. The dominant hemisphere is most often affected. For right-handers, it is the left hemisphere, and for left-handers, it is the right.

Treatment

Acalculia requires therapy based on eliminating the underlying cause. The form of the syndrome directly affects how computational abilities are restored. Responsibility for this lies with clinical psychologists, speech pathologists, neuropsychologists and psychiatrists.

Therapy of the primary form

In this case, the key goal is to restore understanding of numbers and their place value structure. Among the most effective methods are the following:

method of understanding digits;
method of working with numbers;
visual method.

Special techniques based on visual memory are usually used in severe forms of the disease. These can be cards laid out in a row in front of the patient with the image of the number of objects and the corresponding numbers.

The game form in the case of children brings a more tangible effect. For example, under the number 4 there will be 4 books on the card.

The color scheme of objects should be bright and varied, since color plays an important role in the process of memorization and perception.

The essence of the method of working with numbers is the need for the patient to break any number into the maximum possible variations. Sticks are great for this exercise. For example, the patient is asked to break the number 7 into possible variations.

All completed actions must be recorded in a diary. Over time, the sticks can be disposed of and replaced with verbal commentary on the arithmetic operation if the patient makes progress. All counting operations will need to be spoken out loud, then you can switch to a whisper, and as a result, the person learns to count in his head.

If the inability to analyze the digits of numbers is accompanied by a violation of their names, it is important to pronounce all numbers up to 100, and the work of the speech pathologist will be to identify the difference between ones and tens.

An equally effective exercise is when the patient needs to write the name of the number under its name. For example, under the inscription three hundred and forty-seven, the patient should write 347.

Only the first 2-3 lessons are conducted in a visual-figurative style, after which a gradual transition to verbal voicing of processes is relevant. In adults, mild stage acalculia is corrected more effectively than in children.

Treatment of the secondary form of acalculia

In the secondary form, the location of the brain lesion directly affects the nature of the recovery of numerical concepts and counting.

Occipital lesions require correction of correct spelling and visual perception. The most effective techniques are exercises with motor imagery of numbers, manipulation with problems and numbers, and subject counting. The method of voicing is no less effective, when the patient imagines a number in his mind. The result is possible with well-developed visual memory, imagination, and also with intact auditory perception.
Problems with auditory perception of numbers are typical when the temporal zones are affected. Specialized therapeutic restoration in this case is not relevant, since the violation is insignificant.
Prefrontal lesions require patients to be taught a simple understanding of numbers; arithmetic operations are gradually introduced, where numbers act as objects. At the final stage, the defectologist introduces arithmetic operations with sequential actions.

The patient will analyze arithmetic operations both through an objective digit understanding of numbers and through habitual object characteristics, if manipulation of objects is introduced along with numbers.

One can move from the primary subject assessment to a digit, spatial characteristic by switching to the internal program of consciousness from external actions. Gradually, arithmetic manipulations are restored, as is their understanding.

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Symptoms and signs of the disease

Pathology can have one or another manifestation depending on what form it takes. People with the primary form are unable to understand number meanings and cannot perform even simple arithmetic operations.

Secondary acalculia always occurs together with other cognitive disorders. Patients are unable to name the number they see and confuse numbers with similar spellings. Such patients have difficulty remembering. They cannot, even through numerous lessons, learn the numbers from 0 to 10. At the same time, they understand the meaning of the number, are able to perceive them by ear, and can perform simple operations in their minds.

The sensory form of the pathology manifests itself in significant impairments in recognizing the names of numbers by ear. People are not able to understand the speech they hear, while they talk a lot themselves - they mix up words in places, speak unintelligibly, so it is very difficult, and sometimes completely impossible, to understand. In this case, patients can read numbers and understand their meaning.

Acoustic-mnestic is manifested in a violation of the volume of perception of numbers, problems with their memorization. Such people make many mistakes when writing numbers and experience difficulties both in counting and in understanding the number itself.

People with the frontal form of the disease cannot carry out arithmetic operations in the correct order, even if they are very simple and have been shown repeatedly. In this case, a person can count within 10, but cannot add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

Article:

Introduction
Until now, not only in our country, but also in foreign countries, books on counting disorders, and especially on methods for overcoming it, are numbered in units. The paucity of research into acalculia and the development of methods to overcome it is due to a number of reasons. One of them is the fact that acalculia is included in the syndrome of almost all forms of aphasia, in which speech impairment often masks defects in counting and counting operations. Therefore, the task of speech restoration has always been considered a priority, which (historically) was dealt with by speech therapists. Psychologists and neuropsychologists became involved in this work and in scientific research in this area much later. In the absence of sufficient time to work with patients in the clinic , it is natural that, first of all, patients were taught to speak and understand speech, write and read, and there was no time left for classes to overcome difficulties in counting. Therefore, the research and methodological aspects of acalculia have not received proper development. Another reason can be considered the difficulty of the subject of study itself - the psychology of counting and counting operations, the concept of the bit structure of numbers, types and causes of their violation, the connection of counting with thinking, speech, cognitive processes, etc. As a consequence of these difficulties, obstacles arose to the development of methods for overcoming this the most complex type of intellectual activity.

Acalculia is a violation of the ability to perform arithmetic operations caused by damage to the cortex of the left hemisphere of the brain. Rarely seen in isolation, often combined with aphasia

Dyscalculia is a specific disorder of learning to count, manifesting itself at different ages in the preschool and school populations.

The objectives of this work include:

1) consideration of the clinical and psychological characteristics of acalculia ;

2) study of the clinical and psychological characteristics of dyscalculia .

1. Clinical and psychological characteristics of acalculia

Acalculia is a violation of the ability to perform arithmetic operations caused by damage to the cortex of the left hemisphere of the brain. Rarely seen in isolation, more often combined with aphasia 1

Acalculia (from Greek a negative particle and Latin calculatio account, calculation) is a neuropsychological symptom described by SEHenschen in 1919. Characterized by violation of counting operations.

Primary acalculia, as a symptom independent of other disorders of higher mental functions, is observed with damage to the parieto-occipitotemporal cortex of the left hemisphere and represents a violation of the understanding of spatial relationships, lack of understanding of the transition through ten associated with the bit structure of a number, failure to distinguish arithmetic signs, etc.

Secondary acalculia , which is part of the structure of a particular neuropsychological syndrome, can occur with damage to the temporal parts of the cerebral cortex, when oral counting is impaired, the occipital areas, when numbers similar in writing are not distinguished, and the prefrontal areas, when purposeful activity and planning of counting operations are impaired and monitoring their implementation.

Primary acalculia . A rare form of acalculia , in which counting disorders are found on their own, regardless of other disorders of higher cortical functions. Secondary acalculia is spoken of in cases where counting disorders are part of the structure of a neuropsychological syndrome in combination with memory impairment, aphasic symptoms, and pronounced perseverations.

The most common is primary acalculia , which occurs when the parietal parts of the brain are damaged. This form is the main one - here arithmetic operations are violated from their essential side. Patients lose their understanding of spatial reference schemes, their concept of number and the concept of digit capacity of its recording are disrupted. Often these patients do not understand the meaning of arithmetic signs and cannot carry out the actions indicated by them.

The training of patients in this group is aimed primarily at restoring spatial reference schemes, at restoring the concept of number (its composition and digit capacity, understanding the composition of arithmetic operations, etc. At a certain stage of training, a significant role belongs to loud speech - pronunciation.

Arithmetic operations may also be impaired if the frontal systems of the brain are damaged. In this case, their violations take on a different picture. They do not affect the essential side of actions, but concern them only secondary and are the result of the collapse of general forms of intellectual activity.

There are violations of arithmetic operations occurring in the syndrome of inactivity, increased inertia of stereotypes, motor and speech perseverations (damage to the posterior frontal parts of the brain, then in the syndrome of general disinhibition of behavior, decreased concentration of attention, impulsivity (damage to the basal parts of the frontal systems of the brain, then in the syndrome of pathology of approximately research activity, behavioral strategy, impaired selectivity of connections (damage to the polar parts of the frontal region of the brain). In all these cases, the picture of disorders is different and correction of defects requires a different approach. But all these types of acalculia have no fundamental differences - they are all of secondary origin and do not affect significant sides of action.

Methods for overcoming these defects, differing from each other in minor ways, should be aimed primarily at restoring the patient’s general behavior in the situation of performing arithmetic operations, the patient’s focus, and creating conditions that allow him to realize the need to control his actions.

Secondary disturbances of action often occur with damage to the occipital parts of the cerebral cortex and occur in the syndrome of visual perception disorders. Remedial training, aimed at overcoming defects in the perception of numbers and their combinations, leads to the restoration of counting. Psychological analysis of this process allows us to once again verify the complex structure of intellectual activity, which includes in its structure, in addition to specific operations, a general strategy that subordinates operational components. Both of these sides of the intellectual act and their interdependence are important and necessary. Violation of one of them inevitably leads to disruption of all activities as a whole.

2. Clinical and psychological characteristics of dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a specific disorder of learning to count, manifesting itself at different ages in the preschool and school populations.

Symptoms of specific dyscalculia are expressed in difficulties:

understanding the bit structure of number and the concept of number;

understanding the internal composition of numbers and the connections between numbers;

understanding the left and right components of a number, the meaning of zero;

listing and building automated digital, especially

ordinal, rows;

performing basic computational operations (addition, especially with passing through ten, subtraction, division, multiplication);

recognition of numeric characters;

correlation of numbers in arithmetic operations;

memorizing multiplication tables;

solving problems that require understanding the meaning and several logical operations with retention of certain actions in memory;

visual-spatial perception of the connection between numbers and the verbalization of the counting process;

revealing the mathematical content of diagrams and pictures leading to the correct answer;

performing complex logical-abstract operations included in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, physics, etc.

Dyscalculia is caused by a number of mechanisms that combine the immaturity of higher mental functions involved in the process of mastering numeracy skills (attention, memory, abstract-logical thinking, visual-spatial and visual-perceptual gnosis, emotional-volitional reactions. Unstable behavior of children against the background of social disadvantage is often noted and pedagogical neglect. The following should be excluded: counting disorders caused by mental retardation, inadequate training, emotional disturbances, visual and hearing disorders, social deprivation. The severity of dyscalculia can be expressed from mild and moderate to high, depending on the age-related formation of higher mental functions. Clinical Diagnosis of specific dyscalculia is complicated by the multiple meanings of the etiology of the disease.The child’s productivity in mastering arithmetic is significantly lower than the age level expected in accordance with the level of intellectual development and academic performance indicators. Assessment is based on standardized numeracy tests. Reading and spelling skills should be within the normal range for mental age . Some children have associated social-emotional-behavioral problems.

Treatment of dyscalculia . Complex medical and pedagogical activities are carried out in outpatient clinics , children's institutions and a school speech therapy center. It is expected that specialists from different fields will work together: a speech therapist, a psychologist, a neurologist, etc. The complex of diagnostic measures must include a speech therapy examination using neuropsychological testing at the beginning and at the end of the course of treatment. This includes studies of impressive speech, expressive speech, gnosis, praxis, functions of reading, writing, counting, memory, constructive-spatial activity, intelligence (according to Wechsler’s children’s method ), etc. A special complex is of decisive importance in the correction of dyscalculia in this group of children pedagogical, including speech therapy classes, and drug therapy aimed at eliminating certain disorders of higher functions and visual-spatial gnosis. It is important to carry out an adequate course of treatment aimed at activating the activity of brain structures. Conducting a course of speech therapy classes is recommended in an individual form with a transition to a group one. Depending on the severity of dyscalculia and the forms of its manifestation, classes are aimed at developing the concept of number composition, counting skills, logical-abstract and visual-spatial mental activity, developing the ability to program arithmetic (mathematical) structures, and developing self-control processes.

Conclusion

acalculia , dyscalculia based on cortical right hemisphere insufficiency, mainly in the posterior parietal and occipital areas responsible for processing visual-spatial information and for the development of mathematical skills.

Violations are detected with the beginning of schooling, when, despite satisfactory progress in other subjects, patients noticeably lag behind their peers even in adding single-digit numbers. For some time, the disorder may not be too noticeable if the child relies on his perseverance and ability to learn material by heart, but it becomes completely obvious when the program becomes more complex and the demands on spatial thinking increase. Skills that require abstract mathematical thinking are also challenging, but to a lesser extent than basic arithmetic. There may be a connection with impaired attention, speech pathology, other disorders of school skills, as well as secondary emotional and behavioral problems, which patients pay attention to first. Lack of success in correcting the disorder may be complicated by decreased motivation to study and self-esteem, as well as depressive symptoms. Social adjustment in adulthood depends on the preservation of self-esteem, motivation for social success, and skills in using a calculator.

The disorder can manifest itself in any combination of impairments in a number of skills, including linguistic (using mathematical terms, organizing verbal content in the form of mathematical symbols), perceptual (recognizing numbers or mathematical symbols, grouping objects, concentration (concentration when copying numbers, observing operational symbols) and actual mathematical (counting, using multiplication tables, finding a sequence of operations).

Rehabilitation measures for numeracy disorder are complex . Complex medical and pedagogical activities are carried out in outpatient clinics , children's institutions and a school speech therapy center. It is expected that specialists from different fields will work together: a speech therapist, a psychologist, a neurologist, etc. The complex of diagnostic measures must include a speech therapy examination using neuropsychological testing at the beginning and at the end of the course of treatment.

Bibliography

1. Vid V.D., Popov Yu.V. Clinical psychiatry . – St. Petersburg: Medicine, 2000. – 426 p.

2. Speech therapy / Ed. N. G. Solnechnaya. – M.: Pedagogy, 2000. – 362 p.

3. Medical Dictionary / Ed. A. L. Kushnareva. – M.: Medinfo, 2004. – 683 p.

4. Psychological Dictionary / Ed. N. I. Nikulicheva. – St. Petersburg: Print, 2003. – 724 p.

5. Tsvetkova L. S. Impairment and restoration of counting in local brain lesions - M.: Publishing house of the Moscow Psychological and Social Institute, 2003. - 112 p.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosing acalculia has certain difficulties due to the fact that it always appears against the background of an underlying disease, so it is important to identify the root cause of this neuropsychological syndrome and eliminate it. The following methods can be used to identify acalculia:

Collecting the entire medical history. At this stage, specialists can find out what caused acalculia and prescribe the necessary treatment based on this.
Initial examination by a neurologist. At your appointment, the specialist will identify characteristic symptoms, based on which he will determine a possible lesion in the brain.
Examination by a psychiatrist. Patients with mental pathologies should definitely visit a psychiatrist.
Arithmetic testing. It is carried out to identify the form of pathology.
Magnetic resonance imaging, MSCT. They provide the opportunity to accurately visualize disorders in the cerebral cortex.

Therapy

All therapeutic measures are aimed, first of all, at treating the underlying pathology, which was the impetus for the development of this disease. So, treatment consists of several stages:

correction of cerebral hemodynamics;
neurometabolic therapy;
measures aimed at preventing the development of cerebral edema;
taking psychotropic drugs.

The goal of all subsequent measures is to eliminate the emerging neurological disorders, including the ability to perform arithmetic operations. This includes:

Conducting arithmetic classes. There are various techniques aimed at correcting one or another type of acalculia, which have been successfully used for decades. With systematic exercise, most patients experience positive dynamics.
Psychotherapeutic sessions. They are carried out with the aim of changing the patient’s attitude towards emerging problems, as well as in order to positively set the patient up for further treatment. Due to the fact that the course of treatment is quite long, and sometimes several courses are required, many patients experience depressive states, which in no case should be allowed.
Classes with a speech therapist. They are not indicated for all patients, but only for those who have been diagnosed with an auditory form of acalculia.

If the disease occurs as a result of a stroke or injury, first of all, all necessary treatment measures are carried out in a hospital setting. Only after a patient in serious condition has been provided with all the necessary medical care and after he is on the mend can rehabilitation measures begin.

Sometimes acalculia occurs in conjunction with one of the chronic diseases, in which case patients are advised to undergo drug therapy along with rehabilitation.

Acalculia

Acalculia is a symptom of neuropsychological origin, manifested in a violation of the ability to count and perform calculation operations. Acalculia occurs due to damage to various segments of the cerebral cortex.

There is a primary form of the described disorder and a secondary one. The first is due to a lack of understanding of the bit numerical structure, difficulties directly in computational operations, and the inability to recognize arithmetic signs.

It is a symptom independent of other mental dysfunctions. Primary acalculia arises from damage to the parieto-occipital-temporal segments of the brain and represents a failure in the understanding of spatial connections.

Secondary - may appear with other mental dysfunctions (for example, with amnesia or aphasia) or as a result of a general disorder of purposeful mental activity.

Acalculia and dyscalculia

At school age, approximately 5% of children suffer from dyscalculia, which is manifested in the inability to perform any calculation operations, the inability to distinguish numbers and a lack of understanding of counting.

Acalculia syndrome arises with adequate mental formation as a result of some illness or injury. Dyscalculia is, first of all, characterized by the inability to master arithmetic, and acalculia is characterized by a disorder of counting operations.

Acalculia is an acquired brain defect in which the ability to perform simple arithmetic operations is lost.

Dyscalculia, in turn, is characterized by a loss of ability to teach a child mathematical operations. Often this problem is accompanied by an inability to recognize letters.

Often, acalculia is accompanied by mental dysfunction, as a result of which in adults certain segments of the brain responsible for counting and number operations are damaged.

Acalculia, what is it and what are its causes? Below are the main types of acalculia and their causes.

Primary acalculia is found as a result of damage to the occipital-parietal-temporal segments of the cortex. With this type of illness, the individual experiences difficulty in performing the simplest mathematical operations, does not understand the structure of numbers, and often confuses the arithmetic sign.

Against the background of mental dysfunction, secondary acalculia may arise. With this variation of the disease, the subject may confuse the numbers due to their similarity in spelling.

There may also be failures in mental account operations. Such subjects are not able to correctly perform a counting operation. Individuals suffering from the disorder under analysis cannot be classified as mentally retarded.

Such individuals find it difficult to count money or remember numbers.

The formation of acalculia is observed due to violations of various cognitive processes.

Types of acalculia are distinguished depending on the affected cognitive function.

The verbal variety of the disease is revealed in the inability to verbally designate mathematical concepts. The patient can successfully perform mathematical operations, but cannot verbally name numbers, symbols, or indicate the number of objects.

The apraxic variation of the disease is expressed in the inability to count objects. The individual cannot count objects and determine quantitative characteristics.

The operational type of acalculia is the loss of the ability to perform mathematical operations.

The graphic variety of the described disorder is found in the inability to write down mathematical signs and notations, as well as to correctly draw geometric figures.

Dyslexic acalculia consists of the loss of the ability to read mathematical symbols and formulate quantitative terms.

Dyscalculia occurs at an early age. It is expressed in the inability of children to learn mathematical operations. Their brain does not perceive this information. This problem is congenital and is present throughout life.

Often this defect occurs due to a genetic predisposition.

The result is mental retardation, since the little ones are not able to count, determine the right or left side, time, and they have difficulty recognizing geometric shapes and letters.

Among the common signs of dyscalculia are the following: inability to perform some calculation operations, problems with recognizing numbers (for example, one is similar to seven), difficulties in basic calculations due to the inability to identify a symbol or sign, or explain a mathematical operation.

Acalculia in children

The dysfunction in question is an acquired ailment, manifested in a failure to perform arithmetic operations.

The causes of acalculia in children are damage to brain structures. The ability to count is a fundamental skill, the absence of which significantly complicates life and interferes with obtaining an education and mastering a profession. The dominant place in the formation of counting processes belongs to the parieto-occipital zones and parietal segments of the cortex.

The causes of acalculia are due to damage to the listed brain areas, resulting in disruptions in spatial orientation and understanding of spatial relationships.

Luria determined that the majority of children suffering from the described defect are proficient in ordinal counting, correlating the number of objects, and can count, but they cannot understand the principle of place value or operate with generalized sets.

The cardinal symptoms of this pathology are: a breakdown in the understanding of numbers, a disorder in understanding the bit structure of a number, and an understanding of the meaning of signs. Numeracy is the integration of several cognitive skills.

An individual suffering from acalculia experiences great difficulties in four areas.

Acalculia syndrome and its manifestations are determined by the location of the abnormal focus. Thus, if the occipito-parietal segments are damaged or if there is a bilateral lesion, primary acalculia can be assumed.

If the occipital segment is damaged, the visual image of the number disappears; for the patient it ceases to be a symbol reflecting a certain quantity. An individual recognizes numbers; they are mixed in perception. This especially applies to numbers that are similar in style.

If the temporal zones are damaged, failures in mental counting are observed, and in the prefrontal segments, purposeful activity is disrupted, the patient cannot plan counting actions and control their implementation.

Sometimes the dysfunction in question does not completely deprive the child of the ability to perform computational operations. Some young patients retain their addition skills, but subtraction becomes an impossible task for them.

The described illness can often be accompanied by sensory aphasia.

The degree of impairment in the work of arithmetic operations varies from absolute inability to calculate to errors in counting operations and when manipulating numbers.

Treatment of acalculia

Due to the compatibility of the symptoms of acalculia with other disorders of cognitive functions, it is often quite difficult to identify acalculia syndrome. It may simply not be noticed against the background of underlying cognitive dysfunction.

However, detection of the described disorder is important work, since the system of corrective measures is determined by symptoms.

In order to confirm the presence of a failure in computational operations and classify a person into a certain category, neuropsychological testing is carried out to determine counting disorders, speech defects, writing and reading disorders, and deviations in spatial orientation.

Acalculia can be corrected. However, for successful and complete elimination of symptoms, it is necessary, first of all, to treat the disease that provoked acalculia.

The primary form of dysfunction requires a renewed understanding of the meaning of numbers and their bit structure.

For such patients, in current medical practice, the visual method, the technique of operations with numbers and the perception of their digits are successfully applied to restore the lost function.

In order to overcome the disease in question, a neuropsychologist together with a speech therapist carry out labor-intensive and lengthy work. The therapist collaborates with other doctors, the patient himself, and also with the patient’s relatives.

In the secondary form of the described disorder, other lost cognitive functions should be corrected in parallel.

The following principles of successful therapy should be observed: complexity (combination of pedagogical influence with medical and psychological methods of correction), systematic approach (restoration of computational skills simultaneously with etiological therapy), continuity.

The success of correction of acalculia is determined by the time of initiation of adequate therapy, the prognosis of recovery is determined by the size of the damaged segment - early detection and timely implementation of therapeutic measures.

In addition, the success and duration of therapy is determined by the age of the individual and the degree of speech disorders. The best dynamics are demonstrated by patients at an earlier age stage.

Moreover, if the disease originated in childhood, then in the future there may be gross disturbances in the formation of speech.

Preventive effects, first of all, mean preventing various brain injuries and preventing disruption of the blood supply to brain structures. In addition, it is necessary to conduct a routine examination annually in order to exclude the presence of tumor processes or other pathologies.

Psychoneurologist Hartman N.N.

Doctor of Medical and Psychological

The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional advice and qualified medical care. If you have the slightest suspicion that you have acalculia, be sure to consult your doctor!

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