Schedule of Events | Symposia

Specific anatomical associations of math and reading achievement while taking into account domain general abilities

Poster Session E - Monday, March 31, 2025, 2:30 – 4:30 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Kenny Carlson¹ (keca6141@colorado.edu), Marie Banich^1,2, Dan Leopold^1,3, Laurie Cutting⁴, Erik Wilcutt^1,3; ¹Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, ²Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, ³Institute of Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, ⁴Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

Because levels of math and reading achievement are often correlated, the present study examined whether neuroanatomical features of the brain associated with each of reading and math achievement are overlapping or distinct, which to our knowledge has only been examined once before. Using FreeSurfer we examined potential relationships between composite measures of reading and math and brain neuroanatomy (volume, thickness, surface area) in a sample of 136 youth aged 10 to 17. Using robust composite measures of each of reading and math achievement and correcting for whole brain size, we observed that greater reading achievement is associated with reduced thickness of the right inferior supramarginal gyrus (r-iSmG) and the right inferior angular gyrus (r-iAnG). No associations were observed between brain morphology and math achievement. To examine the specific contributions of each academic domain, when they are considered simultaneously in the same regression model, higher reading achievement is again associated with reduced thickness of the r-iSmG, and r-iAnG. Higher math achievement is associated with decreased thickness of the right orbitalis region of the IFG. Suggesting that these are domain-specific associations, they remain robust when measures of either executive functions or processing speed are also included in the regression model. Whether these associations reflect that particular neurological substrates may enable better academic achievement in each of these domains or indicate that domain-specific achievement leads to increased pruning and refinement of cortical regions will need to be determined by future longitudinal studies.

Topic Area: NEUROANATOMY