Neural Correlates of Mathematical Processing in Children with Dyslexia: A Systematic Review Across Diverse Mathematical Skills

Mathematical skills are essential yet often challenging to acquire, particularly for children with dyslexia, a neurodevelopmental condition affecting approximately 7.1% of primary school-aged children. This systematic review examines the neural correlates underpinning mathematical processing in children with dyslexia, comparing them with typically developing (TD) peers and those with other specific learning difficulties (e.g., dyscalculia). Following PRISMA guidelines, eight peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2023 were identified. Findings indicate that while children with dyslexia show comparable performance to TD peers on non-symbolic tasks, they experience greater difficulty with symbolic tasks, particularly those involving phonological processing. Neuroimaging evidence revealed distinct activation patterns and disrupted connectivity in brain regions supporting numerical and language processing, including the intraparietal sulcus, supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and occipitotemporal regions. Furthermore, results suggest that the type of mathematical operation and format (e.g., Arabic numerals vs. word problems) significantly influence neural activation patterns. This review highlights emerging evidence of how neurocognitive mechanisms interact with task-specific features in dyslexia, offering a foundation for developing targeted educational interventions and refining existing theoretical models of mathematical learning in special educational needs.