Potential influences on mathematical difficulties in children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis, type 1.
Neurofibromatosis, type 1 (NF-1) is a common genetic disorder affecting 1 in 3,500-4,000 individuals in the world. Mutations of the NF-1 gene produce a myriad of physical, medical, and psychological manifestations. Although there is a very high degree of variability in the manifestations between individuals with NF-1, the majority of children and adolescents with NF-1 encounter difficulties that negatively impact their educational attainment. NF-1 is associated with a very high incidence of cognitive deficits and learning disability, sometimes including mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). A number of possible inter-related etiologies for MLD specific to children and adolescents with NF-1 are discussed, including the high incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, visual spatial impairment, morphological and functional brain abnormalities. Thus NF-1 exemplifies the wide ranging sources of potential influences on mathematical learning and MLD.
Moore
Bartlett D
BD
Section of Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Neuro Oncology, Division of Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. bmoore@mdanderson.org
D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008433:Mathematics; D009456:Neurofibromatosis 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D025542:Neurofibromin 1 / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype
D025542:Neurofibromin 1