Working Memory Deficits in Specific Learning Disabilities: A Comprehensive Review of Cognitive Profiles and Neural Mechanisms

Specific learning disabilities are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by persistent academic challenges. This narrative review synthesizes behavioral and neuroimaging evidence from 48 peer-reviewed studies on working memory impairments in reading, written expression or mathematics difficulties. Key findings reveal domain-specific deficits: phonological loop impairments dominate in reading difficulties, visuospatial sketchpad in math difficulties, and central executive dysfunction, especially in comorbid reading and mathematics disorder. This review addresses inconsistencies in prior literature due to methodological heterogeneity in task selection. By analyzing specific working memory tasks, we reveal that divergent findings stem from inconsistent task frameworks. Neuroimaging evidence links task-specific working memory profiles to atypical activation in language-related (e.g., angular gyrus) and number-processing (e.g., intraparietal sulcus) networks. This review is the first to attribute working memory inconsistencies in specific learning disabilities to task heterogeneity, offering a unified framework for research and clinical practice. It challenges IQ-based diagnostics, advocating working memory profiling for targeted interventions.