One of the foremost teaching and research hospitals in Europe, University Children’s Hospital Zurich is leading the effort to unlock the mysteries of certain childhood diseases and disorders. One of the syndromes they are focusing on is dyscalculia, a developmental learning disorder affecting mathematical thinking skills in children, adolescents and adults. To develop early diagnosis and scientifically based therapies for this disorder, still more research is needed.
Under the leadership of Michael von Aster, an internationally acclaimed scientist in this field, a group of researchers at the University Children’s Hospital studied the neuronal correlates of dyscalculia in children. The Calcularis project enabled carefully structured comparative research into the neuronal processes of children with and without developmental dyscalculia. This research significantly improved the targeted diagnosis of the disorder and laid the groundwork for a computer-based training program.
The Calcularis project was led by Michael von Aster at the Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich.