Acalculia Treatment in Delhi, India

This condition may be divided into two groups. The distinctions between them are seen in the impacted capabilities and the region of the brain lesion. Individuals with acalculia typically have impairment in the brain's left hemisphere, which is responsible for logical reasoning. The extent to which the damage impairs the patient's ability also influences the categorisation.

Primary Acalculia

Primary acalculia is when another disease doesn't cause a calculating problem. Individuals with this condition lose their capacity to comprehend numerals or numerical combinations.

The key issue is carrying out activities, and they also struggle with abstract concepts like sign use & understanding. The frontal lobe of the brain's left hemisphere gets damaged in primary acalculia, and this hemisphere of the brain is considered the brain's symphony director by scientists. As a result, changes in the frontal lobe might make it difficult for sufferers to flip backwards and forwards between math concepts. Primary Acalculia has two distinct symptoms:

• Anarithmetia: A lack of ability to do mathematical computations.
• Asyntactic: Computational sense is lost.

Secondary Acalculia

There is a change in mathematical ability linked to other cognitive conditions. As a result, secondary acalculia may be due to a language, executive, or spatial function problem. The many options are categorised as follows:

• Aphasic Acalculia. Linguistic changes cause errors in calculating. The incapacity to comprehend &use numerical language derives from a lack of competence.
• Alexic Acalculia. This acalculia is mostly due to a lack of ability to comprehend and recognise number symbols. Individuals are just unable to comprehend what they are reading.
• Agraphic acalculia. The inability to speak and express oneself via writing is known as agraphia. It isn't due to a lack of skill to execute movement effectively. Rather, it arises from a patient being unable to comprehend the writing process. As a result, the sufferer can't write numbers.
• Frontal Acalculia. Its the most prevalent variety of acalculia and is connected with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Individuals with this sort of acalculia tend to repeatedly make mistakes of the same type. Occurs due to a lack of capacity to recognise errors. Individuals with this issue have a hard time coming up with answers.
• Semantic Acalculia. Individuals with this sort of acalculia type have difficulty understanding how things are related to one another. It is like failure to correlate arithmetic questions with the actions required to find their answers.
• Spatial Acalculia. This type occurs when the right hemisphere of a person gets damaged. Mathematics issues are also linked to impaired spatial processing.

The severity of acalculia varies from person to person, but the predominant symptom is difficulty executing or comprehending fundamental arithmetic operations. Acalculia happens when an individual has historically been competent to accomplish certain processes but cannot now do so. People are generally asked to complete various arithmetic operations on-screen exams. They may also be tested for other issues, such as spatial thinking, verbal abilities, and other types of skills that might impact their math-solving ability. Symptoms are as follows:

Acalculia patients have trouble executing basic arithmetic operations such as subtraction, addition, division, and multiplication. Because numerical calculation and recognition are linked to the synchronisation of various cognitive functions, researchers predict that a person with this illness will have difficulties with the following perceptions: Knowing that each number represents a specific value and recognising that value right away.

• Not able to tell a number's value from other numerals. For instance, they can have trouble comprehending that 5 is larger than 3.
• Not able to identify a number's position in a set of numbers.
• Not able to connect a number's symbol with its name. They could have trouble linking the word ‘three’ with the number ‘3’.

Acalculia occurs when a part of a person's brain gets damaged, which is directly associated with mathematical reasoning, notably the left parietal lobe of the angular gyrus. Various factors can cause acalculia, including head trauma, brain damage, and tumours.

Acalculia also acts as a symptom of Gerstmann's syndrome, a neurological disorder. Gerstmann's syndrome develops after a person gets a stroke or severe brain injury. The causes are as follows.

• Stroke
• Brain Tumor
• Encephalitis
• Infection
• Brain Trauma

The most crucial thing to look for is vocal but also written symptoms. Individuals suffering from primary acalculia start to lose their sense of numbers, yet their symptoms are often confused with different aphasic disorders. It's crucial to figure out what's causing the problem. Or due to a lack of understanding? Or is it a lack of understanding of vocal instructions?

Why do people who have had a frontal lobe injury have trouble with numbers?

To begin with, solving numerical problems necessitates the integration of several mathematical principles. To tackle the addition issue, individuals must first grasp the notion of addition. Secondly, the majority of arithmetic problems need abstract reasoning abilities. Since patients have problems with concentration, this procedure is tough.

Finally, the inadequate blending of visual and auditory inputs impacts numerical processes' selective attention & sequential integration. The frontal brain lobe, as previously said, is the conductor of the brain's symphony. If the frontal lobe collapses, the brain will have a tougher time getting the necessary information to tackle problems.

Individuals with aphasia may experience acalculia and linguistic difficulties; those suffering from Broca's aphasia have difficulty expressing the syntax used in the calculation. In alexia acalculia, the disability is linked to reading difficulties.

The key thing to remember is not to mix acalculia with dyscalculia, despite their high similarity in names. Dyscalculia has a developmental and learning disorder that demands a variety of treatment options. Neuropsychologists are trained to identify this disorder by putting the patient through several tests. Mental arithmetic, written math, and sequential operations are all part of the examinations. They also put patients to the test by having them read mathematical symbols & making the patients line up numbers.

The kind and severity of the damage will determine the care for primary acalculia. As it is not possible to replace injured nerve tissue, rehabilitation focuses on educating new neuroplastic methods.

Finally, while the individual will never totally heal, therapy can equip them with tools to assist them in adjusting to their new circumstances. A person having secondary acalculia is treated differently depending on the underlying disease. The excellent thing is that modern technology brings information and apps to people dealing with this difficult disease.

When individuals suffering from Wernicke's aphasia try to copy numbers, they make errors. To cope with their difficulty with verbal understanding, the individuals create their numbers and arrange them accordingly to their order.

Some potential complications of acalculia may include the following:

• Difficulty with daily tasks: People with acalculia may struggle with everyday tasks that require basic math skills, such as managing finances or following a recipe.
• Occupational limitations: Acalculia can limit career options that require math skills, such as accounting, engineering, or science-related fields.
• Social isolation: Acalculia can lead to social isolation and feelings of inadequacy, particularly if the person's difficulties with math lead to ridicule or negative feedback from others.
• Depression and anxiety: The frustration and limitations associated with acalculia can lead to depression and anxiety, particularly if the condition goes untreated or is poorly managed.
• Difficulty with academic performance: Acalculia can make it difficult to excel in academic settings, particularly in subjects that require math skills, such as physics, chemistry, or economics.
• Lower quality of life: Overall, acalculia can have a negative impact on a person's quality of life, particularly if it is not effectively managed or treated.

The risk factors for developing acalculia may include:

• Brain injury or damage: Acalculia can occur as a result of brain injury or damage to specific areas of the brain involved in mathematical processing.
• Neurological disorders: Certain neurological disorders, such as stroke, dementia, and Parkinson's disease, can also increase the risk of developing acalculia.
• Developmental disorders: Children with developmental disorders such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also have difficulty with mathematical calculations and are at a higher risk of developing acalculia.
• Lack of formal education: People who have not received formal education in mathematics may also be at a higher risk of developing acalculia.
• Ageing: As people age, their ability to perform mathematical calculations may decline, leading to an increased risk of developing acalculia.
• Genetic factors: In some cases, acalculia may be inherited as a genetic condition.

The length of time it takes to recover depends on the severity of the brain injury and the source of the cause. A person may never regain full language function if a brain injury is irreversible. Complete recovery may not be feasible if symptoms remain longer than 2 to 3 months following a stroke. Some people, though, might observe changes for years after the occurrence.

If they have minor symptoms or a profession that does not rely largely on math or communication, people with acalculia may be able to return to work.