The effect of brain training video games on improving visuospatial working memory and executive function in children with dyscalculia

Abstract

The aim was to investigate the effect of brain training video games on improving visuospatial working memory and executive function in children with dyscalculia. This study employed a quasi-experimental, within-subjects design. Pre- post- and follow up test scores on visuospatial working memory and executive function were used. Sixty children from a primary education public school in Taif were selected. This study employed simple random method for selecting participants. Children assigned to the experimental group completed 18, 30 ms training sessions at the technology room in the presence of the researcher over a period of six weeks. The analyses were conducted using SPSS by performing a repeated-measures analysis of variance with a between-group factor and a with-group factor (pretest and posttest). Scheffé’s post hoc test was also applied. The training helped the intervention group gain better scores in visuospatial working memory and executive function in post test compared to control one. There were significant differences in visuospatial working memory and executive function across different measurements(pre-post-and follow up).

Keywords:

• Brain training video games
• dyscalculia
• executive function
• visuospatial working memory

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants who took part in this research.

Author’s contributions

The author is the only person who contributed to this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data will be available upon request from the first author.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.