| Bhaskaran et al., 20063131. Bhaskaran M, Sengottaiyan A, Madhu S, Ranganathan V. Evaluation of memory in abacus learners. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006;50(3):225-33. |
To evaluate short-term memory in children aged 5-12 years trained on the abacus for 1 and 2 years. |
n=100 participants aged 5-12 years; intervention length: 2 years, 1h 2x week; study groups: (1) control group (n=50): no previous contact with abacus training; (2) AMC group (n=50): previously trained on abacus for 1 and 2 years; (3) control subgroup (n=20): followed for 2 years; (4) AMC subgroup (n=20): followed for 2 years; evaluated at baseline and after 1 and 2 years: Wechsler memory scale, MMSE, Brown Peterson Test, Mann - Buitar Visual Memory Screen for Objects. |
Both control and AMC groups had better scores on tests, but AMC group showed more significant results. Improvements were observed for the AMC in short-term memory and visual retention memory, and also in visual and auditory memory. |
Wang et al., 20152929. Wang C, Geng F, Yao Y, Weng J, Hu Y, Chen F. Abacus training affects math and task switching abilities and modulates their relationships in Chinese children. PLoS One. 2015;10(10):e0139930. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139930
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1371/...
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To explore the impact of long-term AMC training on math ability, task switching and the relationship between them. |
n=82 participants (n=70 evaluated); children with mean age 6-7 years; intervention length: 3 years; study groups: (1) AMC group (n=31): 2h training per week; (2) control group (n=39): assessments at baseline and after 9 months and post-intervention: parent questionnaire, Raven Test, Go/No-go task, HRT, Dots task. |
Results showed long-term AMC training was associated with better arithmetic and visuospatial abilities. An interaction between training and switch cost in predicting math abilities was also found, suggesting stronger associations between task switching and math abilities in AMC children. |
Barner et al., 20162828. Barner D, Alvarez G, Sullivan J, Brooks N, Srinivasan M, Frank MC. Learning Mathematics in a visuospatial format: a randomized, controlled trial of mental abacus instruction. Child Dev. 2016;87(4):1146-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12515.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/...
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To test whether MA expertise (a) can be acquired in standard classroom settings, (b) improves students' mathematical abilities (beyond standard math curricula), and (c) is related to changes in basic cognitive capacities like working memory. |
n=204 participants (n=183 analyzed); children with mean age 5-7 years; intervention length: 3 years; study groups: (1) MA group (n=100): 2 sessions of 90 min. per week of MA instruction (1 year on PA and 2 years on MA); (2) control group (n=104): 2 sessions of 90 min per week of supplemental mathematics training from standard curriculum; 1 test at baseline + 3 tests, one for each complete year of study: large battery of computerized and paper-based tasks including mathematics and general cognitive measures. |
MA students outperformed controls on arithmetic tasks, suggesting that MA expertise can be achieved by children in standard classrooms. MA training did not alter basic cognitive abilities; instead, differences in SWM at the beginning of the study mediated MA learning. |
Wang et al., 20171717. Wang C, Weng J, Yao Y, Dong S, Liu Y, Chen F. Effect of abacus training on executive function development and underlying neural correlates in Chinese children. Hum Brain Mapp. 2017;38(10):5234-49. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23728
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/...
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To investigate the effects of AMC training on the development of EF and its underlying brain activity. |
n=72 participants (n=51 analyzed); children from first year of primary school; intervention length: 6 years; study groups: (1) AMC group: 2h per week of training; (2) control group: received extra learning on such materials as reading, traditional calculation, simple geometry, or some activities such as sports; evaluations at baseline and after 26 and 40 months; Combined Raven test, Go/no-go task, Dimensions of Mastery questionnaires, Early School Behavior Rating Scale, EF and fMRI task only in second and third testing sessions. |
AMC-trained children were faster and more accurate than their peers, particularly in incongruent and contradictory conditions. Results suggest that the effects of AMC training on EF may not be solely limited to enhanced working memory, but also tap the inhibition and task switching components of EF. From the age of 10 to12 years, AMC-trained children showed activation decreases in frontoparietal regions while control children exhibited the opposite pattern. |
Xie et al., 20183030. Xie Y, Weng J, Wang C, Xu T, Peng X, Chen F. The impact of long-term abacus training on modular properties of functional brain network. Neuroimage. 2018;183:811-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.057.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/...
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To determine whether and after how long AMC training reorganizes brain networks using graph theory. |
n=162 participants; children with mean age 9-10 years; intervention length: 1 year: study groups: (1) AMC group (n=90) 2h per week of training, (2) control group (n=72): received no AMC training; assessment: Combined Raven, Qualification Examination of the Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association. |
The AMC-trained group had better math abilities. No significant differences were found in local or global efficiency or modularity. The local efficiency of the cingulo-opercular network was lower in AMC group. The visual network showed greater local efficiency and more intra-module connections in AMC group. Visuospatial neural mechanisms play an important role in AMC training. |
Wang et al., 20191616. Wang C, Xu T, Geng F, Hu Y, Wang Y, Liu H, et al. Training on abacus-based mental calculation enhances visuospatial working memory in children. J Neurosci. 2019;39(33):6439-48. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3195-18.2019.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1523/...
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To investigate the effects of AMC training on arithmetic performance and VSWM in children. |
n=144 participants (n=112 analyzed); children from first year of primary school; intervention length: 5 years; study groups: (1) AMC group (n=61): 2 hours AMC training per week; (2) control group (n=51): 2 hours per week of conventional calculation and reading; pre and post-intervention testing: Raven's Intelligence Test; post-intervention tests: 2 arithmetic tests (computerized mental calculation task and HRT) and a VSWM task; final sample for fMRI data statistics: 50 children. |
Long-term AMC training improved arithmetic ability and had a potential positive effect on VSWM due to a transfer effect of AMC training. |
Dong et al., 20163232. Dong S, Wang C, Xie Y, Hu Y, Weng J, Chen F. The impact of abacus training on working memory and underlying neural correlates in young adults. Neuroscience. 2016;332:181-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience. 2016; 06.051
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/...
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To examine whether AMC training is helpful to promote improvement in VSWM and verbal WM, and how VSWM-related cortical activity is altered by AMC training with a longitudinal design. |
n=36 participants (n=33 analyzed); young university students with mean age of 21-22 years with no experience of calculating using a PA or MA; intervention length: 20 days; study groups: (1) abacus group (n=18): 90 min per day (1-day break), 2-3 days of physical abacus training, assessment of proficiency: national standard assessment of AMC (10th level) every 4 days; (2) control group (n=15); pre and post-intervention assessments: assessment of verbal WM (DMS/LMS), assessment of VSWM and underlying neural correlates (visuospatial n-back task both outside and inside fMRI scanner). |
Results suggest AMC training not only improves calculating skills but also has the potential to promote individuals' verbal WM and VSWM capabilities, which is associated with the functional plasticity of the common neural substrates. |
Matías-Guiu et al., 20162222. Matías-Guiu JA, Pérez-Martínez DA, Matías-Guiu J. Estudio piloto de un nuevo método de estimulación aritmética empleando el ábaco en ancianos sanos y con trastorno cognitivo. Neurologia. 2016;31(5):326-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrl.2015.02.002
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/...
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To explore the applicability of a cognitive stimulation method based on abacus arithmetic in elderly people with and without cognitive impairment. Secondary endpoints were family satisfaction, caregiver burden, and the behaviour and cognition of patients. |
n=20 participants, age over 65 years; intervention length: 5 weeks; study groups: (1) healthy individuals with MMSE score >24 (n=6), (2) patients diagnosed with MCI (n=6), (3) patients diagnosed with probable early stage AD (n=8). Pre- and post-intervention assessments: MMSE and Trail Making Test A and B, GDS, for AD patients, the Zarit caregiver burden scale was applied. Intervention: 10 sessions of 150 minutes 2x per week, mixed groups (1 participant from each diagnostic group) of 10 participants comprising: 60 minutes of abacus calculation, 10 minutes of mental calculation, 45 minutes of other cognitive activities and 35 minutes of relaxing and/or concentration activities. |
Changes in MMSE scores were seen, although no changes were observed on the TMT-A and B tests, the Yesavage Geriatric Depression scale or the Zarit caregiver burden scale. |
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