title: Association between Abacus Training and Improvement in Response Inhibition: A Case-control Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The abacus, first used in Asian countries more than 800 years ago, enables efficient arithmetic calculation via visuospatial configuration. We investigated whether abacus-trained children performed better on cognitive tasks and demonstrated higher levels of arithmetic abilities compared to those without such training.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 75 elementary school children (43 abacus-trained and 32 not so trained). Attention, memory, and arithmetic abilities were measured, and we compared the abacus with the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children who had learned to use an abacus committed fewer commission errors and showed better arithmetic ability than did controls. We found no significant differences between children with and without abacus training in other areas of attention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We speculate that abacus training improves response inhibition via neuroanatomical alterations of the areas that regulate such functions. Further studies are needed to confirm the association between abacus training and better response inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Sae
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Soyoung Irene
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial and Advertising Psychology, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies, Yongin, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ryu
keywords: Attention; Child; Cognitive science; Inhibition; Mathematics