[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1669090.].

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by both functional and structural brain modifications. Individuals with DD exhibit impairments in higher-order cognitive processes. Timely intervention is crucial, as difficulties in mathematical learning can impact academic achievement, contribute to behavioral problems, and increase the risk of school dropout. This study aims to explore whether targeting higher-order cognitive processes could partially remediate developmental dyscalculia, with pre-registered primary outcomes including numerical facts, mental calculation speed, and mental calculation accuracy (ISRCTN, ISRCTN15190285). We conducted a single-center, two-arm, randomized controlled trial. Seventy adolescents aged 13–17 years, who had recently received a first diagnosis of developmental dyscalculia, were randomly assigned to either the intervention or waitlist group. The intervention leveraged the synergy between an initial stimulation phase—utilizing prismatic adaptation, a bottom-up visuomotor rehabilitation technique, to activate neural activity in brain regions involved in cognitive processing—followed by a targeted (top-down) cognitive training phase designed to strengthen the specific skills underlying mathematical deficits. Group differences over time were examined using a general linear model with two groups (treatment vs. control) and two-time points (pre- and post-treatment) for each outcome variable. Significant increases were observed in the working memory index (between group change = 16.51 (CI = 13.59–19.44); p < 0.001, η2 = 0.66), processing speed index (between group change = 12.40 (CI = 9.73–15.70); p < 0.001, η2 = 0.58), mental calculation speed (between group change = 0.74 (CI = 0.55–0.93); p < 0.001, η2 = 0.46), mental calculation accuracy (between group change = 0.43 (CI = 0.14–0.71); p < 0.001, η2 = 0.17), and numerical fact retrieval (between group change = 14.07 (CI = 8.58–19.56); p < 0.001, η2 = 0.31). These findings suggest that combining neurostimulation via prismatic adaptation with targeted cognitive training using serious games enhances both mathematical accuracy and response speed, as well as executive functions, attention, inhibition, and cognitive processing. Prismatic adaptation appears to enhance activity in brain regions that are subsequently reinforced by cognitive training. This innovative approach could have important implications for the early remediation of core neuropsychological deficits in dyscalculia.

Early identification of cognitive precursors to literacy and numeracy is essential for promoting school readiness and preventing later learning difficulties. Digital assessment tools using touchscreen technology offer advantages of engagement, standardization, and efficiency. This study reports preliminary findings on the Digital Assessment for Preschoolers—Tool (DAP-T), a touchscreen-based battery for preschool children. A sample of 105 children (M = 61.43 months, SD = 10.38; age range = 38–72) completed eight tasks assessing visuomotor integration, literacy (letter knowledge, phonological awareness, notational awareness, Rapid Automatized Naming), and numeracy (non-symbolic quantity comparison, quantity recognition, counting, cardinality). A subsample (n = 47–61, depending on the measure) also completed the paper-based criterion tasks used for concurrent validity analyses. Item difficulty and discrimination, internal consistency (McDonald’s ω), concurrent validity, and factorial structure (SEM) were assessed. Results showed medium-to-low difficulty, age-related performance increases, and good discrimination in most tasks. Reliability was high (ω = 0.713–0.966), and correlations with criterion measures ranged from ρ = 0.52 to 0.95. The DAP-T showed promising psychometric properties as a rapid, standardized tool to detect early difficulties and guide targeted interventions.

Several studies have indicated that parental education predicts children’s intelligence. In contrast, fewer studies have simultaneously analyzed the role of parental intelligence, education, and personality in shaping their children’s giftedness. This study investigated the effects of parental education, cognitive abilities (based on CHC theory), and personality traits (based on the Five-Factor Model) on the expression of gifted children’s cognitive abilities. Sixty-five gifted children (IQ ≥ 120) aged 6 to 14 years (M = 9.91 years; SD = 2.24 years) were assessed using the WISC-IV, while parents (65 mothers, M = 44.00 years; SD = 4.20 years, and 61 fathers, M = 45.70 years; SD = 5.40 years) completed the WAIS-IV and the Big-Five Inventory. The results indicated that maternal education was a key predictor of children’s Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) in bivariate analyses, though its effect was not robust in multivariate models. Children’s Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) was associated with maternal conscientiousness, and fathers’ short-term memory (Gsm) emerged as the primary predictor of children’s Working Memory Index (WMI). Maternal processing speed (Gs) was the strongest predictor of children’s Processing Speed Index (PSI) across both bivariate and multivariate analyses. While personality traits, such as maternal conscientiousness, played a role in facilitating visual-spatial reasoning, their effects were weaker compared to cognitive and educational factors. The findings obtained, which are only partly consistent with data in the literature, highlight the domain-specific influence of parental characteristics on children’s giftedness and underscore the need for further research into the interplay of genetic, cognitive, and environmental factors.

Background: Giftedness is a multidimensional construct that requires not only educational but also family support. While much research has focused on the cognitive and social-emotional traits of gifted children, less attention has been paid to the role of parents in their development and well-being. Methods: This mini-review synthesizes findings from 26 empirical studies published between 2010 and 2024, selected through a systematic search and inclusion process based on PRISMA guidelines. The studies were organized into four domains: parental stress and needs, parenting styles, family–school collaboration, and support interventions. Results: Results show that parents often face elevated stress due to mismatches between their child’s needs and institutional responses, while authoritative and culturally responsive parenting styles are associated with more adaptive outcomes. Effective interventions include psychoeducational and digital programs, though they remain limited in scope and reach. Conclusions: The review highlights parents as central agents in the developmental trajectory of gifted children and calls for more targeted support systems, culturally sensitive approaches, and stronger school–family partnerships.

The present study offers an adult lifespan perspective on the intellectual characteristics of 111 intellectually gifted individuals, drawn from a larger representative sample of 2173 individuals aged 16 to 90. We investigated five main indices of intelligence of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 4th Edition (Wechsler, 2008): Crystallized intelligence, Visual, Fluid reasoning, Short-term memory, and Speed. Our findings demonstrate that most characteristics of the intellectual profiles of gifted individuals can be predicted using a dimensional approach, thus viewing giftedness as the extreme tail of the population distribution. However, specificities exist and vary with age, becoming more pronounced with advancing years. Notably, we observed an increase in the standardized loadings of indices on the g factor with age, with speed (Gs) showing enhanced loading on g over time, consistent with general trends. Moreover, we identified a significant deviation in the visual elaboration factor (Gv) among gifted individuals, particularly evident from around the age of 50 onwards.

The aim of the paper was to study the intellectual profile of 94 gifted elders aged 60-90 years old with an IQ equal to or higher than 130 on at least one of the four primary indexes of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition. Their performances in the 15 subtests, in the Full Scale Intelligence Quotient, in the primary, supplementary and Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory Indexes, were analyzed. This group exhibited a significantly higher level of performance in all subtests and indexes than the control group matched for gender, age, and education. The differences between the two groups appear higher for the Matrix reasoning and Visual puzzle subtests. Additionally, in the gifted group the strengths seem to be represented more by Processing Speed and Perceptual Reasoning Indexes, in the control group are Comprehension Verbal and Working Memory Indexes. Moreover, gifted elders showed lower discrepancies across intellectual domains. These data provide evidence that, as the difference between the gifted group and the control group revealed in the present study is more due to processing speed, this dimension, which normaly is most affected by aging, on the contrary, is maintained/increased as a strength in the gifted elderly group.

The Japanese term Hikikomori is used to describe a clinical condition in which young people present a prolonged social withdrawal and isolation. Hikikomori syndrome represents an emergent worldwide phenomenon but is still poorly reported and often misdiagnosed. This study investigates and describes an Italian hikikomori adolescent group. Socio-demographic and psychopathological profiles and the relationship between hikikomori and psychopathological conditions were analyzed. No gender difference, a medium–high intellectual level, and no correlation with socioeconomic status were highlighted among the clinical group. The relationship between social withdrawal and social anxiety was significant while no correlation was found with depressive symptoms. The presence of Hikikomori syndrome was also significant in Italian adolescents, suggesting that hikikomori is not a culture-bound syndrome related to the Japanese cultural context, but rather a syndrome occurring in the upper-medium class.

The manifestation of performance at the top of a given talent distribution constitutes giftedness. While identifying talented youths based on IQ has been the focus of previous research, examining their cognitive profile is a new endeavor. The present study assessed the IQ and cognitive abilities of a sample of gifted Italian children and compared them to their parents using the Wechsler scales. Fifty-nine gifted children aged 6 to 14 years were administered the WISC-IV while their parents (N = 53 mothers and N = 55 fathers) took the WAIS-IV. The gifted children (IQ ≥ 120) obtained particularly high scores in verbal comprehension (VCI) and visual-perceptual reasoning (PRI). More than two-thirds of the mothers and over half of the fathers also achieved an IQ ≥ 120. The gifted children scored significantly higher than both mothers and fathers in VCI and PRI. The mothers were significantly higher than their children in the processing speed domain. Correlational analyses highlighted that children’s IQ was positively related to that of their mothers. In keeping with the literature, the cognitive profile of gifted children was found to vary across cognitive abilities. It follows that the General Ability Index was the WISC-IV index that best matched the potential of gifted youths. Consistent with previous research, our study suggests that intellectual abilities, especially working memory and processing speed, are maintained and presumably passed on from one generation to the next.

Introduction: The objective of the current study was to design and pilot-test a nonverbal intelligence test for children and adolescents with visual impairment (i.e., blindness and low vision) aged 10 to 16 years. Method: A three-dimensional haptic matrix test of nonverbal cognitive abilities (3-DHMT-CA), initially developed for adults with visual impairment, was adapted and administered to 25 juveniles with severe low vision or blindness and 25 sighted peers. The test consisted of 22 tactual matrices with a missing element, and juveniles were asked to understand the logical scheme underlying each matrix and to complete it. Convergent validity was assessed in the sighted group with the Standard Progressive Matrices. Divergent validity was measured with the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) and the Working Memory Index (WMI) of the Italian version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition. Between-group differences were analyzed with Student’s t-test and ANOVA. Results: Results show a high correlation with the convergent measure (with the Standard Progressive Matrices), and the moderate correlations with divergent measures (VCI and WMI). Between-group differences showed significantly higher scores for sighted peers than juveniles with visual impairment at 3-DHMT-CA, and non-significant differences at VCI and WMI. Discussion: This haptic nonverbal cognitive test showed good psychometric properties, but it needs to be validated in a larger sample with a qualitative analysis of solution strategies because juveniles with visual impairment seem to use different verbal and working memory strategies. Implications for Practitioners: The 3-DHMT-CA and the haptic two-hands modality seem to be suitable to test nonverbal cognitive abilities in juveniles with visual impairment. Practitioners should focus on empowering verbal and working memory abilities, since they may affect nonverbal cognitive abilities as well.

Objective: The present study examines the validity of 11 new Holtzman Inkblot Technique indices. These were chosen from Exner’s Comprehensive System (RCS) indices using two criteria: first, they had to be valid according to meta-analysis, and second, they must be computed using the HIT standard scoring system. Methods: Both techniques were administrated with a retest interval from 1 to 7days to a sample of 139 subjects (63 males and 76 females) from the general population. The validity of the new indices was studied through Pearson correlation ( r ) with the corresponding RCS indices. Results: Nine of the 11 new indices (R-HIT, F%-HIT, M-HIT, m-HIT, C'-HIT, Blends-HIT, PureH-HIT, DQ+HIT, and X-%-HIT) showed significant correlations with Rorschach scales, confirming our hypotheses. The correlation ranged from a minimum of 0.144 to a maximum of 0.414. Conclusions: The results provide support for the validity of the new HIT indices and have important implications for both clinical and research fields.

The aim of this study is to focus on the verbal stimuli of the Vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). To our knowledge, this is the first research to examine whether the abstractness/concreteness and the lexical category of the words in the WAISIV vocabulary subtest influence the ability to explain their meaning. In the first step we collected ratings of the degree of abstractness/concreteness and the lexical categoriy of the 27 verbal stimuli of vocabulary subtest. From the second step the results showed that the ability to explain the meaning of words for 497 participants (aged 19 to 89) was better with concrete concepts than with abstract ones; and the concreteness effect, i.e., the advantage in the processing of the concrete over the abstract terms, does not disappear with age. More specifically, the ability to define the abstract words does not decline with age. Still, this ability is maintained likely because linguistic knowledge is preserved in healthy elderly. Besides, the correctness in defining nouns is always superior to that in defining adjectives and verbs across all age groups. The nouns are defined more correctly than adjectives in the all age groups. The verbs are defined more correctly than adjectives in the all age groups except for the groups over 60 years of age, although at 80-89 years of age the verbs are statistically more difficult to define than abjectives.

After SARS and MERS, COVID-19 was the third pandemic caused by the coronavirus that generated panic worldwide. Therefore, the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health among the general population has been identified as a research priority. Despite this, some studies suggest that the elderly population is underrepresented. The present research aimed to compare the emotional regulation and the quality of life of a group of 150 elderly assessed during the pandemic isolation for COVID-19 with the normative data of a group of pre-COVID-19 elderly. Another aim is to study the relationship between emotional regulation, perceived acute stress, quality of life, and risk perception with the variables age, years of education, gender, and cohabitation status of elders assessed during the pandemic isolation for COVID-19. The results showed that: The elders assessed during the Covid period had a lower capacity for emotional regulation;compared to younger people, older people were less capable of emotional regulation, had a higher perceived risk of COVID-19 infection, and were less satisfied with their independence;higher levels of education reflected a greater capacity for emotional regulation;women showed a lower capacity for emotional regulation and higher stress and perceived risk;the elders who lived alone seemed to be more vulnerable than who lived with other people. The findings underscore the need to assess the psychological effects of the pandemic in the elderly population, particularly for the most vulnerable individuals. © 2020 Institute for Transport Studies in the European Economic Integration. All rights reserved.

The present study aimed at enhancing the assessment of adaptive behavior in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder trough the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition. To overcome the limits underpinning floor effect, which are commonly observed with the traditional methods, the statistical Hessl method and its revision by Orsini, Pezzuti and Hulbert was adopted. The results showed a more variation using the former method compared to the latter: a greater impairment in Social versus Leisure skills emerged. Regarding the Conceptual domain, a greater deficit in Functional Academics was observed. In the Practical domain, we found a greater impairment in Self-Care skills. Conversely, Home Living skills appeared as a strength compared to other skills. The results are discussed in reference to literature.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to focus on the verbal stimuli of the Vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). To our knowledge, this is the first research to examine whether the abstractness/concreteness and the lexical category of the words in the WAIS-IV vocabulary subtest influence the ability to explain their meaning. In the first step, we collected ratings of the degree of abstractness/concreteness and the lexical category of the 27 verbal stimuli of vocabulary subtest. From the second step, the results showed that the ability to explain the meaning of words for 497 participants (aged 19–89) was better with concrete concepts than with abstract ones; and the concreteness effect, i.e., the advantage in the processing of the concrete over the abstract terms, does not disappear with age. More specifically, the ability to define the abstract words does not decline with age. Still, this ability is maintained likely because linguistic knowledge is preserved in healthy elderly. Besides, the correctness in defining nouns is always superior to that in defining adjectives and verbs across all age groups. The nouns are defined more correctly than adjectives in the all age groups. The verbs are defined more correctly than adjectives in the all age groups except for the groups over 60 years of age, although at 80–89 years of age the verbs are statistically more difficult to define than adjectives.

Introduction The remarkable growth of older adults represents a challenge for our societies. The population of aging requires adjustments that sometimes are difficult to achieve for already stressed welfare systems. In this context, intergenerational solidarity may play a central role. Demographic shifts over the past century have also increased the percentage of grandchildren who, as young adults, have living grandparents. Adult grandchildren could become an important source of intergenerational solidarity, but few studies have explored intergenerational relations, including grandparents, adult children, and adult grandchildren. None to our knowledge have examined which aspects of intergenerational solidarity affect the positive view of elders, positive expectations toward the future, and old-young divides. Objectives We aimed to explore three critical dimensions of intergenerational solidarity (affinity, contact, and instrumental exchange) and examine how each component is related to positive views of elders, positive expectations toward the future, and the young elders divide. Methods The study was conducted in Italy; it involved 420 participants divided into 140 triads. Semi-structure interviews with elders, adult grandchildren, and parents were used to measure intergenerational solidarity. Each triad was composed of 140 grandparents aged 65 to 92, 140 parents aged 39 to 72, 140 grandchildren aged 17 to 50. Results Affinity variables such as perceived similarity, sharing the same micro-culture, and giving importance to grandchild-grandparent relation, promoted a positive view of aging, positive expectations toward the future, and lower perceptions of a young-elders divide in society. The contact variables had mixed effects. Conclusion Overall our results highlight that mostly affinity variables promoted a positive view of aging, positive expectations toward the future and reduced the perception of the generational gap.

Research on gender differences in intelligence has led to inconsistent results. Different methods seem to provide different estimates using the Wechsler scales. The present study analyzed WAIS-IV and WAIS-R standardization data. We assessed gender differences in subtest scores, indices, and IQs and used a Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to investigate whether gender differences were due to differences in ability factors or test bias. The larger effect sizes in favor of men were found in the Arithmetic subtest and the Working Memory Index of the WAIS-IV. Likewise, for the WAIS-R, Arithmetic, Information, and Block Design subtests and all IQ scores were the larger effect sizes. The MGCFA supported the metric invariance of both editions. For the WAIS-IV, partial scalar invariance was achieved by releasing intercept equality for Information, Comprehension, and Arithmetic. For the WAIS-R, also Coding and Digit Span intercepts had to be unconstrained. Men outperformed women on the perceptual reasoning ability factor. No gender differences were found for the processing speed factor. Men had higher working memory ability, while no difference emerged for verbal comprehension. However, the latent mean differences could be affected by a lack of scalar invariance. A comparison of observed effect sizes at the subtest level to those expected according to MGCFA revealed that Information, Arithmetic, and Comprehension subtests were gender-biased in both editions. As a whole, gender differences appeared more pronounced in the WAIS-R. Gender differences in perceptual reasoning seem genuine, as does their absence in processing speed. Implications for clinical assessment are discussed.