brain network dynamics during multi-task demands predict children math achievement

Abstract

Dynamic reconfiguration of neural network and flexible information integration across multiple tasks has been considered critical to characterize individual difference in complex cognition and general intelligence. A promising and underexplored question is how these neurocognitive processes related to childrens academic achievements, a hallmark of high-order cognitive abilities that integrate attention, memory and problem-solving. By using of a multitasking paradigm which bridging outside- in and inside-out approaches, we investigated the dynamic neural mechanisms underlying two core domains of academic performance: math and reading. We first apply partial least squares regression (PLSR) to examine static neural patterns and find that the first latent component--reflecting a generalized brain functional system--predicts math achievement but not reading. The multiple-demand system and the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN) are consistently engaged across diverse task demands. Furthermore, we use a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to examine dynamic features of brain activity and identify distinct integrated and segregated brain states. Notably, the segregated state--characterized by heightened cortical network segregation--is associated with better math performance. Information-theoretic analyses further reveal that greater complexity in the temporal sequence of the segregated brain functional networks, along with stronger cerebrocerebellar functional coupling, correlates with higher math achievement. By means of multitasks design, these findings suggest that flexible engagement of specialized brain network and automatic information processing is crucial for math learning in children.