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Soylu F. A new ontology for numerical cognition: Integrating evolutionary, embodied, and data informatics approaches. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 249:104416. [PMID: 39121614 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerical cognition is a field that investigates the sociocultural, developmental, cognitive, and biological aspects of mathematical abilities. Recent findings in cognitive neuroscience suggest that cognitive skills are facilitated by distributed, transient, and dynamic networks in the brain, rather than isolated functional modules. Further, research on the bodily and evolutionary bases of cognition reveals that our cognitive skills harness capacities originally evolved for action and that cognition is best understood in conjunction with perceptuomotor capacities. Despite these insights, neural models of numerical cognition struggle to capture the relation between mathematical skills and perceptuomotor systems. One front to addressing this issue is to identify building block sensorimotor processes (BBPs) in the brain that support numerical skills and develop a new ontology connecting the sensorimotor system with mathematical cognition. BBPs here are identified as sensorimotor functions, associated with distributed networks in the brain, and are consistently identified as supporting different cognitive abilities. BBPs can be identified with new approaches to neuroimaging; by examining an array of sensorimotor and cognitive tasks in experimental designs, employing data-driven informatics approaches to identify sensorimotor networks supporting cognitive processes, and interpreting the results considering the evolutionary and bodily foundations of mathematical abilities. New empirical insights on the BBPs can eventually lead to a revamped embodied cognitive ontology in numerical cognition. Among other mathematical skills, numerical magnitude processing and its sensorimotor origins are discussed to substantiate the arguments presented. Additionally, an fMRI study design is provided to illustrate the application of the arguments presented in empirical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firat Soylu
- Educational Psychology Program, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States.
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2
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Li M, Wang Z, Yu X, Zhou X. Single-trial interindividual correlation shows semantic and visuospatial networks are fundamental for advanced mathematical learning. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39138595 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Mathematical learning and ability are crucial for individual and national economic and technological development, but the neural mechanisms underlying advanced mathematical learning remain unclear. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how brain networks were involved in advanced mathematical learning and transfer. We recorded fMRI data from 24 undergraduate students as they learned the advanced mathematical concept of a commutative mathematical group. After learning, participants were required to complete learning and transfer behavioural tests. Results of single-trial interindividual brain-behaviour correlation analysis found that brain activity in the semantic and visuospatial networks, and the functional connectivity within the semantic network during advanced mathematical learning were positively correlated with learning and transfer effects. Additionally, the functional connectivity between the semantic and visuospatial networks was negatively correlated with the learning and transfer effects. These findings suggest that advanced mathematical learning relies on both semantic and visuospatial networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Research association for brain and mathematical learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zilong Wang
- Research association for brain and mathematical learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Information Technology Department, Qingdao Vocational and Technical College of Hotel Management, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaodan Yu
- Department of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Research association for brain and mathematical learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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3
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Istomina A, Arsalidou M. Add, subtract and multiply: Meta-analyses of brain correlates of arithmetic operations in children and adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69:101419. [PMID: 39098250 PMCID: PMC11342769 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Mathematical operations are cognitive actions we take to calculate relations among numbers. Arithmetic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are elemental in education. Addition is the first one taught in school and is most popular in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Division, typically taught last is least studied with fMRI. fMRI meta-analyses show that arithmetic operations activate brain areas in parietal, cingulate and insular cortices for children and adults. Critically, no meta-analysis examines concordance across brain correlates of separate arithmetic operations in children and adults. We review and examine using quantitative meta-analyses data from fMRI articles that report brain coordinates separately for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in children and adults. Results show that arithmetic operations elicit common areas of concordance in fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular networks in adults and children. Between operations differences are observed primarily for adults. Interestingly, higher within-group concordance, expressed in activation likelihood estimates, is found in brain areas associated with the cingulo-opercular network rather than the fronto-parietal network in children, areas also common between adults and children. Findings are discussed in relation to constructivist cognitive theory and practical directions for future research.
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Xie Y, Chang H, Zhang Y, Wang C, Zhang Y, Chen L, Geng F, Ku Y, Menon V, Chen F. Long-term abacus training gains in children are predicted by medial temporal lobe anatomy and circuitry. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13489. [PMID: 38421061 PMCID: PMC11161333 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) is a widely used educational tool for enhancing math learning, offering an accessible and cost-effective method for classroom implementation. Despite its universal appeal, the neurocognitive mechanisms that drive the efficacy of AMC training remain poorly understood. Notably, although abacus training relies heavily on the rapid recall of number positions and sequences, the role of memory systems in driving long-term AMC learning remains unknown. Here, we sought to address this gap by investigating the role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory system in predicting long-term AMC training gains in second-grade children, who were longitudinally assessed up to fifth grade. Leveraging multimodal neuroimaging data, we tested the hypothesis that MTL systems, known for their involvement in associative memory, are instrumental in facilitating AMC-induced improvements in math skills. We found that gray matter volume in bilateral MTL, along with functional connectivity between the MTL and frontal and ventral temporal-occipital cortices, significantly predicted learning gains. Intriguingly, greater gray matter volume but weaker connectivity of the posterior parietal cortex predicted better learning outcomes, offering a more nuanced view of brain systems at play in AMC training. Our findings not only underscore the critical role of the MTL memory system in AMC training but also illuminate the neurobiological factors contributing to individual differences in cognitive skill acquisition. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/StVooNRc7T8. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We investigated the role of medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory system in driving children's math learning following abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) training. AMC training improved math skills in elementary school children across their second and fifth grade. MTL structural integrity and functional connectivity with prefrontal and ventral temporal-occipital cortices predicted long-term AMC training-related gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Xie
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, PR China
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Center for Brain and Mental Well-being, Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Yi Zhang
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, PR China
| | - Chunjie Wang
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, PR China
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, PR China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, United States
| | - Fengji Geng
- Department of Curriculum and Learning Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Yixuan Ku
- Center for Brain and Mental Well-being, Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518040, PR China
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Feiyan Chen
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, PR China
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Pan NC, Zhao C, Du J, Zhou Q, Xu C, Liu C, Yu T, Zhang D, Wang Y. Temporal-spatial deciphering mental subtraction in the human brain. Cogn Neurodyn 2024; 18:893-906. [PMID: 38826664 PMCID: PMC11143099 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-023-09937-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mental subtraction, involving numerical processing and operation, requires a complex interplay among several brain regions. Diverse studies have utilized scalp electroencephalograph, electrocorticogram, or functional magnetic resonance imaging to resolve the structure pattern and functional activity during subtraction operation. However, a high resolution of the spatial-temporal understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in mental subtraction is unavailable. Thus, this study obtained intracranial stereoelectroencephalography recordings from 20 patients with pharmacologically resistant epilepsy. Specifically, two sample-delayed mismatch paradigms of numeric comparison and subtracting results comparison were used to help reveal the time frame of mental subtraction. The brain sub-regions were chronologically screened using the stereoelectroencephalography recording for mental subtraction. The results indicated that the anterior cortex, containing the frontal, insular, and parahippocampous, worked for preparing for mental subtraction; moreover, the posterior cortex, such as parietal, occipital, limbic, and temporal regions, cooperated during subtraction. Especially, the gamma band activities in core regions within the parietal-cingulate-temporal cortices mediated the critical mental subtraction. Overall, this research is the first to describe the spatiotemporal activities underlying mental subtraction in the human brain. It provides a comprehensive insight into the cognitive control activity underlying mental arithmetic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-023-09937-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Clara Pan
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuromodulation, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
| | - Chengtian Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Aviation General Hospital, Courtyard 3, AnwaiBeiyuan, Chaoyang District, 100012 Beijing, China
| | - Jialin Du
- Department of Pharmacy Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
| | - Qilin Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuromodulation, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
| | - Cuiping Xu
- Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
| | - Chunyan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuromodulation, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yuping Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuromodulation, No. 45, Changchun Street, Xicheng District, 100053 Beijing, China
- Institute of sleep and consciousness disorders, Center of Epilepsy, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Fengtai District, 100069 Beijing, China
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6
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Fresnoza S, Ischebeck A. Probing Our Built-in Calculator: A Systematic Narrative Review of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Studies on Arithmetic Operation-Related Brain Areas. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0318-23.2024. [PMID: 38580452 PMCID: PMC10999731 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0318-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
This systematic review presented a comprehensive survey of studies that applied transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electrical stimulation to parietal and nonparietal areas to examine the neural basis of symbolic arithmetic processing. All findings were compiled with regard to the three assumptions of the triple-code model (TCM) of number processing. Thirty-seven eligible manuscripts were identified for review (33 with healthy participants and 4 with patients). Their results are broadly consistent with the first assumption of the TCM that intraparietal sulcus both hold a magnitude code and engage in operations requiring numerical manipulations such as subtraction. However, largely heterogeneous results conflicted with the second assumption of the TCM that the left angular gyrus subserves arithmetic fact retrieval, such as the retrieval of rote-learned multiplication results. Support is also limited for the third assumption of the TCM, namely, that the posterior superior parietal lobule engages in spatial operations on the mental number line. Furthermore, results from the stimulation of brain areas outside of those postulated by the TCM show that the bilateral supramarginal gyrus is involved in online calculation and retrieval, the left temporal cortex in retrieval, and the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in online calculation of cognitively demanding arithmetic problems. The overall results indicate that multiple cortical areas subserve arithmetic skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Fresnoza
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anja Ischebeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Dattola S, Bonanno L, Ielo A, Quercia A, Quartarone A, La Foresta F. Brain Active Areas Associated with a Mental Arithmetic Task: An eLORETA Study. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1388. [PMID: 38135979 PMCID: PMC10740510 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10121388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of mental calculation, the fundamentals of arithmetic representations and processes, and the development of arithmetic abilities have been explored by researchers over the years. In the present work, we report a study that analyzes the brain-activated areas of a group of 35 healthy subjects (9 males, 26 females, mean age ± SD = 18.23 ± 2.20 years) who performed a serial subtraction arithmetic task. In contrast to most of the studies in the literature based on fMRI, we performed the brain active source reconstruction starting from EEG signals by means of the eLORETA method. In particular, the subjects were classified as bad counters or good counters, according to the results of the task, and the brain activity of the two groups was compared. The results were statistically significant only in the beta band, revealing that the left limbic lobe was found to be more active in people showing better performance. The limbic lobe is involved in visuospatial processing, memory, arithmetic fact retrieval, and emotions. However, the role of the limbic lobe in mental arithmetic has been barely explored, so these interesting findings could represent a starting point for future in-depth analyses. Since there is evidence in the literature that the motor system is affected by the execution of arithmetic tasks, a more extensive knowledge of the brain activation associated with arithmetic tasks could be exploited not only for the assessment of mathematical skills but also in the evaluation of motor impairments and, consequently, in rehabilitation for motor disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Dattola
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Lilla Bonanno
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Augusto Ielo
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Angelica Quercia
- Department of Biomedical, Dental, Morphological and Functional Imaging Sciences, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy;
| | - Angelo Quartarone
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Fabio La Foresta
- DICEAM Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, Via Graziella Feo di Vito, 89060 Reggio Calabria, Italy;
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Díaz-Barriga Yáñez A, Longo L, Chesnokova H, Poletti C, Thevenot C, Prado J. Neural evidence for procedural automatization during cognitive development: Intraparietal response to changes in very-small addition problem-size increases with age. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101310. [PMID: 37806070 PMCID: PMC10570710 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive development is often thought to depend on qualitative changes in problem-solving strategies, with early developing algorithmic procedures (e.g., counting when adding numbers) considered being replaced by retrieval of associations (e.g., between operands and answers of addition problems) in adults. However, algorithmic procedures might also become automatized with practice. In a large cross-sectional fMRI study from age 8 to adulthood (n = 128), we evaluate this hypothesis by measuring neural changes associated with age-related reductions in a behavioral hallmark of mental addition, the problem-size effect (an increase in solving time as problem sum increases). We found that age-related decreases in problem-size effect were paralleled by age-related increases of activity in a region of the intraparietal sulcus that already supported the problem-size effect in 8- to 9-year-olds, at an age the effect is at least partly due to explicit counting. This developmental effect, which was also observed in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex, was restricted to problems with operands ≤ 4. These findings are consistent with a model positing that very-small arithmetic problems-and not larger problems-might rely on an automatization of counting procedures rather than a shift towards retrieval, and suggest a neural automatization of procedural knowledge during cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Díaz-Barriga Yáñez
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France
| | - Léa Longo
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France
| | - Hanna Chesnokova
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France
| | - Céline Poletti
- Institut de Psychologie, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Jérôme Prado
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France.
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9
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Salillas E, Benavides-Varela S, Semenza C. The brain lateralization and development of math functions: progress since Sperry, 1974. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1288154. [PMID: 37964804 PMCID: PMC10641455 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1288154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In 1974, Roger Sperry, based on his seminal studies on the split-brain condition, concluded that math was almost exclusively sustained by the language dominant left hemisphere. The right hemisphere could perform additions up to sums less than 20, the only exception to a complete left hemisphere dominance. Studies on lateralized focal lesions came to a similar conclusion, except for written complex calculation, where spatial abilities are needed to display digits in the right location according to the specific requirements of calculation procedures. Fifty years later, the contribution of new theoretical and instrumental tools lead to a much more complex picture, whereby, while left hemisphere dominance for math in the right-handed is confirmed for most functions, several math related tasks seem to be carried out in the right hemisphere. The developmental trajectory in the lateralization of math functions has also been clarified. This corpus of knowledge is reviewed here. The right hemisphere does not simply offer its support when calculation requires generic space processing, but its role can be very specific. For example, the right parietal lobe seems to store the operation-specific spatial layout required for complex arithmetical procedures and areas like the right insula are necessary in parsing complex numbers containing zero. Evidence is found for a complex orchestration between the two hemispheres even for simple tasks: each hemisphere has its specific role, concurring to the correct result. As for development, data point to right dominance for basic numerical processes. The picture that emerges at school age is a bilateral pattern with a significantly greater involvement of the right-hemisphere, particularly in non-symbolic tasks. The intraparietal sulcus shows a left hemisphere preponderance in response to symbolic stimuli at this age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Salillas
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Carlo Semenza
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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10
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Spiller J, Gilmore C. Positive impact of sleep on recall of multiplication facts. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230663. [PMID: 37771973 PMCID: PMC10523070 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that learning complex multiplication problems (e.g. 8 × 23 = 184) prior to sleep would benefit recall in adult participants compared with learning the problems prior to a period of wakefulness. This study used a within-participant design where all participants learnt complex multiplication problems in two conditions separated by one week. In one condition, learning was before bed (sleep learning condition) and in the other condition learning was in the morning (wake learning condition). In each condition, recall was tested approximately 10.5 h later. Data were collected online from 77 participants. In the subset of the sample with greater than or equal to 60% accuracy at the initial learning session (n = 37), the sleep learning condition participants had better recall compared with the wake learning condition. This equated to a moderate effect size, Cohen's d = 0.51. Regardless of initial levels of learning (n = 70) the same beneficial effect of sleep on recall was found with a small effect size, Cohen's d = 0.33. This study has identified a beneficial effect of learning prior to sleep on recall of complex multiplication problems compared with learning these problems during the daytime. Future research should explore whether similar effects are observed with children learning simple multiplication facts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Spiller
- School of Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, University of Loughborough, Loughborough, UK
| | - Camilla Gilmore
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, University of Loughborough, Loughborough, UK
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11
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Smaczny S, Sperber C, Jung S, Moeller K, Karnath HO, Klein E. Disconnection in a left-hemispheric temporo-parietal network impairs multiplication fact retrieval. Neuroimage 2023; 268:119840. [PMID: 36621582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arithmetic fact retrieval has been suggested to recruit a left-lateralized network comprising perisylvian language areas, parietal areas such as the angular gyrus (AG), and non-neocortical structures such as the hippocampus. However, the underlying white matter connectivity of these areas has not been evaluated systematically so far. Using simple multiplication problems, we evaluated how disconnections in parietal brain areas affected arithmetic fact retrieval following stroke. We derived disconnectivity measures by jointly considering data from n = 73 patients with acute unilateral lesions in either hemisphere and a white-matter tractography atlas (HCP-842) using the Lesion Quantification Toolbox (LQT). Whole-brain voxel-based analysis indicated a left-hemispheric cluster of white matter fibers connecting the AG and superior temporal areas to be associated with a fact retrieval deficit. Subsequent analyses of direct gray-to-gray matter disconnections revealed that disconnections of additional left-hemispheric areas (e.g., between the superior temporal gyrus and parietal areas) were significantly associated with the observed fact retrieval deficit. Results imply that disconnections of parietal areas (i.e., the AG) with language-related areas (i.e., superior and middle temporal gyri) seem specifically detrimental to arithmetic fact retrieval. This suggests that arithmetic fact retrieval recruits a widespread left-hemispheric network and emphasizes the relevance of white matter connectivity for number processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Smaczny
- Centre of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - C Sperber
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - S Jung
- Department of Computer Science/Therapy Science, Trier University of Applied Science, Trier, Germany; Leibniz Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - K Moeller
- Leibniz Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; Centre for Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), Frankfurt, Germany; Centre for Mathematical Cognition, School of Science, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
| | - H O Karnath
- Centre of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - E Klein
- Leibniz Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; University of Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
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12
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Klein E, Knops A. The two-network framework of number processing: a step towards a better understanding of the neural origins of developmental dyscalculia. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:253-268. [PMID: 36662281 PMCID: PMC10033479 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02580-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Developmental dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that persists over lifetime and can have an enormous impact on personal, health-related, and professional aspects of life. Despite its central importance, the origin both at the cognitive and neural level is not yet well understood. Several classification schemas of dyscalculia have been proposed, sometimes together with an associated deficit at the neural level. However, these explanations are (a) not providing an exhaustive framework that is at levels with the observed complexity of developmental dyscalculia at the behavioral level and (b) are largely mono-causal approaches focusing on gray matter deficits. We suggest that number processing is instead the result of context-dependent interaction of two anatomically largely separate, distributed but overlapping networks that function/cooperate in a closely integrated fashion. The proposed two-network framework (TNF) is the result of a series of studies in adults on the neural correlates underlying magnitude processing and arithmetic fact retrieval, which comprised neurofunctional imaging of various numerical tasks, the application of probabilistic fiber tracking to obtain well-defined connections, and the validation and modification of these results using disconnectome mapping in acute stroke patients. Emerged from data in adults, it represents the endpoint of the acquisition and use of mathematical competencies in adults. Yet, we argue that its main characteristics should already emerge earlier during development. Based on this TNF, we develop a classification schema of phenomenological subtypes and their underlying neural origin that we evaluate against existing propositions and the available empirical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Klein
- LaPsyDÉ, UMR CNRS 8240, Université Paris Cité, La Sorbonne, 46 Rue Saint-Jacques, 75005, Paris, France.
- Leibniz-Institut Fuer Wissensmedien Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - André Knops
- LaPsyDÉ, UMR CNRS 8240, Université Paris Cité, La Sorbonne, 46 Rue Saint-Jacques, 75005, Paris, France
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13
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Seghier ML. Multiple functions of the angular gyrus at high temporal resolution. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:7-46. [PMID: 35674917 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02512-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Here, the functions of the angular gyrus (AG) are evaluated in the light of current evidence from transcranial magnetic/electric stimulation (TMS/TES) and EEG/MEG studies. 65 TMS/TES and 52 EEG/MEG studies were examined in this review. TMS/TES literature points to a causal role in semantic processing, word and number processing, attention and visual search, self-guided movement, memory, and self-processing. EEG/MEG studies reported AG effects at latencies varying between 32 and 800 ms in a wide range of domains, with a high probability to detect an effect at 300-350 ms post-stimulus onset. A three-phase unifying model revolving around the process of sensemaking is then suggested: (1) early AG involvement in defining the current context, within the first 200 ms, with a bias toward the right hemisphere; (2) attention re-orientation and retrieval of relevant information within 200-500 ms; and (3) cross-modal integration at late latencies with a bias toward the left hemisphere. This sensemaking process can favour accuracy (e.g. for word and number processing) or plausibility (e.g. for comprehension and social cognition). Such functions of the AG depend on the status of other connected regions. The much-debated semantic role is also discussed as follows: (1) there is a strong TMS/TES evidence for a causal semantic role, (2) current EEG/MEG evidence is however weak, but (3) the existing arguments against a semantic role for the AG are not strong. Some outstanding questions for future research are proposed. This review recognizes that cracking the role(s) of the AG in cognition is possible only when its exact contributions within the default mode network are teased apart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed L Seghier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE. .,Healthcare Engineering Innovation Center (HEIC), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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14
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Pinheiro-Chagas P, Chen F, Sabetfakhri N, Perry C, Parvizi J. Direct intracranial recordings in the human angular gyrus during arithmetic processing. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:305-319. [PMID: 35907987 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02540-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The role of angular gyrus (AG) in arithmetic processing remains a subject of debate. In the present study, we recorded from the AG, supramarginal gyrus (SMG), intraparietal sulcus (IPS), and superior parietal lobule (SPL) across 467 sites in 30 subjects performing addition or multiplication with digits or number words. We measured the power of high-frequency-broadband (HFB) signal, a surrogate marker for regional cortical engagement, and used single-subject anatomical boundaries to define the location of each recording site. Our recordings revealed the lowest proportion of sites with activation or deactivation within the AG compared to other subregions of the inferior parietal cortex during arithmetic processing. The few activated AG sites were mostly located at the border zones between AG and IPS, or AG and SMG. Additionally, we found that AG sites were more deactivated in trials with fast compared to slow response times. The increase or decrease of HFB within specific AG sites was the same when arithmetic trials were presented with number words versus digits and during multiplication as well as addition trials. Based on our findings, we conclude that the prior neuroimaging findings of so-called activations in the AG during arithmetic processing could have been due to group-based analyses that might have blurred the individual anatomical boundaries of AG or the subtractive nature of the neuroimaging methods in which lesser deactivations compared to the control condition have been interpreted as "activations". Our findings offer a new perspective with electrophysiological data about the engagement of AG during arithmetic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Pinheiro-Chagas
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Fengyixuan Chen
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Niki Sabetfakhri
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Claire Perry
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Josef Parvizi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program, Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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15
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Sokolowski HM, Matejko AA, Ansari D. The role of the angular gyrus in arithmetic processing: a literature review. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:293-304. [PMID: 36376522 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02594-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Since the pioneering work of the early 20th century neuropsychologists, the angular gyrus (AG), particularly in the left hemisphere, has been associated with numerical and mathematical processing. The association between the AG and numerical and mathematical processing has been substantiated by neuroimaging research. In the present review article, we will examine what is currently known about the role of the AG in numerical and mathematical processing with a particular focus on arithmetic. Specifically, we will examine the role of the AG in the retrieval of arithmetic facts in both typically developing children and adults. The review article will consider alternative accounts that posit that the involvement of the AG is not specific to arithmetic processing and will consider how numerical and mathematical processing and their association with the AG overlap with other neurocognitive processes. The review closes with a discussion of future directions to further characterize the relationship between the angular gyrus and arithmetic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Moriah Sokolowski
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, North York, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada.,Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology & Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K, Canada
| | - Anna A Matejko
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology & Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K, Canada.
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16
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Andin J, Elwér Å, Mäki‐Torkko E. Arithmetic in the signing brain: Differences and similarities in arithmetic processing between deaf signers and hearing non-signers. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:172-195. [PMID: 36259315 PMCID: PMC9828253 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Deaf signers and hearing non-signers have previously been shown to recruit partially different brain regions during simple arithmetic. In light of the triple code model, the differences were interpreted as relating to stronger recruitment of the verbal system of numerical processing, that is, left angular and inferior frontal gyrus, in hearing non-signers, and of the quantity system of numerical processing, that is, right horizontal intraparietal sulcus, for deaf signers. The main aim of the present study was to better understand similarities and differences in the neural correlates supporting arithmetic in deaf compared to hearing individuals. Twenty-nine adult deaf signers and 29 hearing non-signers were enrolled in an functional magnetic resonance imaging study of simple and difficult subtraction and multiplication. Brain imaging data were analyzed using whole-brain analysis, region of interest analysis, and functional connectivity analysis. Although the groups were matched on age, gender, and nonverbal intelligence, the deaf group performed generally poorer than the hearing group in arithmetic. Nevertheless, we found generally similar networks to be involved for both groups, the only exception being the involvement of the left inferior frontal gyrus. This region was activated significantly stronger for the hearing compared to the deaf group but showed stronger functional connectivity with the left superior temporal gyrus in the deaf, compared to the hearing, group. These results lend no support to increased recruitment of the quantity system in deaf signers. Perhaps the reason for performance differences is to be found in other brain regions not included in the original triple code model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Andin
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and LearningLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | - Åsa Elwér
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and LearningLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | - Elina Mäki‐Torkko
- Audiological Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and HealthÖrebro UniversityÖrebroSweden
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17
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Suárez-Pellicioni M, Prado J, Booth JR. Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying multiplication and subtraction performance in adults and skill development in children: a scoping review. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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An fMRI intervention study of creative mathematical reasoning: behavioral and brain effects across different levels of cognitive ability. Trends Neurosci Educ 2022; 29:100193. [PMID: 36470621 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many learning methods of mathematical reasoning encourage imitative procedures (algorithmic reasoning, AR) instead of more constructive reasoning processes (creative mathematical reasoning, CMR). Recent research suggest that learning with CMR compared to AR leads to better performance and differential brain activity during a subsequent test. Here, we considered the role of individual differences in cognitive ability in relation to effects of CMR. METHODS We employed a within-subject intervention (N=72, MAge=18.0) followed by a brain-imaging session (fMRI) one week later. A battery of cognitive tests preceded the intervention. Participants were divided into three cognitive ability groups based on their cognitive score (low, intermediate and high). RESULTS On mathematical tasks previously practiced with CMR compared to AR we observed better performance, and higher brain activity in key regions for mathematical cognition such as left angular gyrus and left inferior/middle frontal gyrus. The CMR-effects did not interact with cognitive ability, albeit the effects on performance were driven by the intermediate and high cognitive ability groups. CONCLUSIONS Encouraging pupils to engage in constructive processes when learning mathematical reasoning confers lasting learning effects on brain activation, independent of cognitive ability. However, the lack of a CMR-effect on performance for the low cognitive ability group suggest future studies should focus on individualized learning interventions, allowing more opportunities for effortful struggle with CMR.
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19
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Chang T, Chen N, Fan Y. Uncovering sex/gender differences of arithmetic in the human brain: Insights from fMRI studies. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2775. [PMID: 36128729 PMCID: PMC9575600 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the long run, STEM fields had been perceived as dominant by males, despite that numerous studies have shown that female students do not underperform their male classmates in mathematics and science. In this review, we discuss whether and how sex/gender shows specificity in arithmetic processing using a cognitive neuroscience approach not only to capture contemporary differences in brain and behavior but also to provide exclusive brain bases knowledge that is unseen in behavioral outcomes alone. We begin by summarizing studies that had examined sex differences/similarities in behavioral performance of mathematical learning, with a specific focus on large-scale meta-analytical data. We then discuss how the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach can contribute to understanding neural mechanisms underlying sex-specific effects of mathematical learning by reviewing structural and functional data. Finally, we close this review by proposing potential research issues for further exploration of the sex effect using neuroimaging technology. Through the lens of advancement in the neuroimaging technique, we seek to provide insights into uncovering sex-specific neural mechanisms of learning to inform and achieve genuine gender equality in education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting‐Ting Chang
- Department of PsychologyNational Chengchi UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Research Center for Mind, Brain & LearningNational Chengchi UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Nai‐Feng Chen
- Department of PsychologyNational Chengchi UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yang‐Teng Fan
- Graduate Institute of MedicineYuan Ze UniversityTaoyuanTaiwan
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20
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Sokolowski HM, Hawes Z, Ansari D. The neural correlates of retrieval and procedural strategies in mental arithmetic: A functional neuroimaging meta-analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 44:229-244. [PMID: 36121072 PMCID: PMC9783428 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mental arithmetic is a complex skill of great importance for later academic and life success. Many neuroimaging studies and several meta-analyses have aimed to identify the neural correlates of mental arithmetic. Previous meta-analyses of arithmetic grouped all problem types into a single meta-analytic map, despite evidence suggesting that different types of arithmetic problems are solved using different strategies. We used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) to conduct quantitative meta-analyses of mental arithmetic neuroimaging (n = 31) studies, and subsequently grouped contrasts from the 31 studies into problems that are typically solved using retrieval strategies (retrieval problems) (n = 18) and problems that are typically solved using procedural strategies (procedural problems) (n = 19). Foci were compiled to generate probabilistic maps of activation for mental arithmetic (i.e., all problem types), retrieval problems, and procedural problems. Conjunction and contrast analyses were conducted to examine overlapping and distinct activation for retrieval and procedural problems. The conjunction analysis revealed overlapping activation for retrieval and procedural problems in the bilateral inferior parietal lobules, regions typically associated with magnitude processing. Contrast analyses revealed specific activation in the left angular gyrus for retrieval problems and specific activation in the inferior frontal gyrus and cingulate gyrus for procedural problems. These findings indicate that the neural bases of arithmetic systematically differs according to problem type, providing new insights into the dynamic and task-dependent neural underpinnings of the calculating brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Moriah Sokolowski
- Rotman Research InstituteBaycrest HospitalNorth YorkOntarioCanada,Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Brain and Mind InstituteUniversity of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada
| | - Zachary Hawes
- Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Brain and Mind InstituteUniversity of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada,Ontario Institute for Studies in EducationUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Brain and Mind InstituteUniversity of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada
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21
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Declercq M, Bellon E, Sahan MI, Fias W, De Smedt B. Arithmetic learning in children: An fMRI training study. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108183. [PMID: 35181342 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Arithmetic learning is characterized by a change from procedural strategies to fact retrieval. fMRI training studies in adults have revealed that this change coincides with decreased activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and that within the parietal lobe, a shift occurs from the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) to the angular gyrus (AG) during this change. It remains to be determined whether similar changes can be observed in children, particularly because children often recruit the hippocampus (HC) during fact retrieval, an observation that has not consistently been found in adults. In order to experimentally manipulate arithmetic strategy change, 26 typically developing 9- to-10-year-olds completed a six day at-home training of complex multiplication items (e.g. 16 × 4). Before and after training, children were presented with three multiplication conditions during fMRI: (1) complex to-be-trained/trained items, (2) complex untrained items and (3) single-digit items. Behavioral data indicated that training was successful. Similar to adults, children showed greater activity in the IPS and PFC for the untrained condition post-training, indicating that the fronto-parietal network during procedural arithmetic problem solving is already in place in children of this age. We did not observe the expected training-related changes in the HC. In contrast to what has been observed in adults, greater activity in the AG was not observed for the trained items. These results show that the brain processes that accompany the learning of arithmetic facts are different in children as compared to adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merel Declercq
- Department of Parenting and Special Education, KU Leuven, Leopold, Vanderkelenstraat, 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Elien Bellon
- Department of Parenting and Special Education, KU Leuven, Leopold, Vanderkelenstraat, 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Muhammet Ikbal Sahan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, UGent, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Wim Fias
- Department of Experimental Psychology, UGent, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Department of Parenting and Special Education, KU Leuven, Leopold, Vanderkelenstraat, 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
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22
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Das A, Menon V. Causal dynamics and information flow in parietal-temporal-hippocampal circuits during mental arithmetic revealed by high-temporal resolution human intracranial EEG. Cortex 2022; 147:24-40. [PMID: 35007892 PMCID: PMC8816888 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Mental arithmetic involves distributed brain regions spanning parietal and temporal cortices, yet little is known about the neural dynamics of causal functional circuits that link them. Here we use high-temporal resolution (1000 Hz sampling rate) intracranial EEG from 35 participants, 362 electrodes, and 1727 electrode pairs, to investigate dynamic causal circuits linking posterior parietal cortex (PPC) with ventral temporal-occipital cortex and hippocampal regions which constitute the perceptual, visuospatial, and mnemonic building blocks of mental arithmetic. Nonlinear phase transfer entropy measures capable of capturing information flow identified dorsal PPC as a causal inflow hub during mental arithmetic, with strong causal influences from fusiform gyrus in ventral temporal-occipital cortex as well as the hippocampus. Net causal inflow into dorsal PPC was significantly higher during mental arithmetic, compared to both resting-state and verbal memory recall. Our analysis also revealed functional heterogeneity of casual signaling in the PPC, with greater net causal inflow into the dorsal PCC, compared to ventral PPC. Additionally, the strength of causal influences was significantly higher on dorsal, compared to ventral, PPC from the hippocampus, and ventral temporal-occipital cortex during mental arithmetic, when compared to both resting-state and verbal memory recall. Our findings provide novel insights into dynamic neural circuits and hubs underlying numerical problem solving and reveal neurophysiological circuit mechanisms by which both the visual number form processing and declarative memory systems dynamically engage the PPC during mental arithmetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anup Das
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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23
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Mosbacher JA, Halverscheid S, Pustelnik K, Danner M, Prassl C, Brunner C, Vogel SE, Nitsche MA, Grabner RH. Theta Band Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Enhances Arithmetic Learning: A Systematic Comparison of Different Direct and Alternating Current Stimulations. Neuroscience 2021; 477:89-105. [PMID: 34648868 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decades, interest in transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has grown, as it might allow for causal investigations of the associations between cortical activity and cognition as well as to directly influence cognitive performance. The main objectives of the present work were to assess whether tES can enhance the acquisition and application of arithmetic abilities, and whether it enables a better assessment of underlying neurophysiological processes. To this end, the present, double-blind, sham-controlled study assessed the effects of six active stimulations (three tES protocols: anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), alpha band transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and theta band tACS; targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or the left posterior parietal cortex) on the acquisition of an arithmetic procedure, arithmetic facts, and event-related synchronization/desynchronization (ERS/ERD) patterns. 137 healthy adults were randomly assigned to one of seven groups, each receiving one of the tES-protocols during learning. Results showed that frontal theta band tACS reduced the repetitions needed to learn novel facts and both, frontal and parietal theta band tACS accelerated the decrease in calculation times in fact learning problems. The beneficial effect of frontal theta band tACS may reflect enhanced executive functions, allowing for better control and inhibition processes and hence, a faster acquisition and integration of novel fact knowledge. However, there were no significant effects of the stimulations on procedural learning or ERS/ERD patterns. Overall, theta band tACS appears promising as a support for arithmetic fact training, but effects on procedural calculations and neurophysiological processes remain ambiguous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen A Mosbacher
- Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | | | - Kolja Pustelnik
- Mathematics Institute, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martina Danner
- Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christina Prassl
- Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Clemens Brunner
- Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Stephan E Vogel
- Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Roland H Grabner
- Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
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24
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Abstract
Strong foundational skills in mathematical problem solving, acquired in early childhood, are critical not only for success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) fields but also for quantitative reasoning in everyday life. The acquisition of mathematical skills relies on protracted interactive specialization of functional brain networks across development. Using a systems neuroscience approach, this review synthesizes emerging perspectives on neurodevelopmental pathways of mathematical learning, highlighting the functional brain architecture that supports these processes and sources of heterogeneity in mathematical skill acquisition. We identify the core neural building blocks of numerical cognition, anchored in the posterior parietal and ventral temporal-occipital cortices, and describe how memory and cognitive control systems, anchored in the medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex, help scaffold mathematical skill development. We highlight how interactive specialization of functional circuits influences mathematical learning across different stages of development. Functional and structural brain integrity and plasticity associated with math learning can be examined using an individual differences approach to better understand sources of heterogeneity in learning, including cognitive, affective, motivational, and sociocultural factors. Our review emphasizes the dynamic role of neurodevelopmental processes in mathematical learning and cognitive development more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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25
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Tremblay SA, Jäger AT, Huck J, Giacosa C, Beram S, Schneider U, Grahl S, Villringer A, Tardif CL, Bazin PL, Steele CJ, Gauthier CJ. White matter microstructural changes in short-term learning of a continuous visuomotor sequence. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1677-1698. [PMID: 33885965 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02267-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Efficient neural transmission is crucial for optimal brain function, yet the plastic potential of white matter (WM) has long been overlooked. Growing evidence now shows that modifications to axons and myelin occur not only as a result of long-term learning, but also after short training periods. Motor sequence learning (MSL), a common paradigm used to study neuroplasticity, occurs in overlapping learning stages and different neural circuits are involved in each stage. However, most studies investigating short-term WM plasticity have used a pre-post design, in which the temporal dynamics of changes across learning stages cannot be assessed. In this study, we used multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at 7 T to investigate changes in WM in a group learning a complex visuomotor sequence (LRN) and in a control group (SMP) performing a simple sequence, for five consecutive days. Consistent with behavioral results, where most improvements occurred between the two first days, structural changes in WM were observed only in the early phase of learning (d1-d2), and in overall learning (d1-d5). In LRNs, WM microstructure was altered in the tracts underlying the primary motor and sensorimotor cortices. Moreover, our structural findings in WM were related to changes in functional connectivity, assessed with resting-state functional MRI data in the same cohort, through analyses in regions of interest (ROIs). Significant changes in WM microstructure were found in a ROI underlying the right supplementary motor area. Together, our findings provide evidence for highly dynamic WM plasticity in the sensorimotor network during short-term MSL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéfanie A Tremblay
- Department of Physics/PERFORM Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anna-Thekla Jäger
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Charite Universitätsmedizin, Charite, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Huck
- Department of Physics/PERFORM Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chiara Giacosa
- Department of Physics/PERFORM Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Stephanie Beram
- Department of Physics/PERFORM Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Uta Schneider
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sophia Grahl
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig University Medical Centre, IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig, Germany.,Collaborative Research Centre 1052-A5, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christine L Tardif
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Louis Bazin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christopher J Steele
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Claudine J Gauthier
- Department of Physics/PERFORM Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada. .,Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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26
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Can the interference effect in multiplication fact retrieval be modulated by an arithmetic training? An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia 2021; 157:107849. [PMID: 33857529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Single-digit multiplications are thought to be associated with different levels of interference because they show different degrees of feature overlap (i.e., digits) with previously learnt problems. Recent behavioral and neuroimaging studies provided evidence for this interference effect and showed that individual differences in arithmetic fact retrieval are related to differences in sensitivity to interference (STI). The present study investigated whether and to what extent competence-related differences in STI and its neurophysiological correlates can be modulated by a multiplication facts training. Participants were 23 adults with high and 23 adults with low arithmetic competencies who underwent a five-day multiplication facts training in which they intensively practiced sets of low- and high-interfering multiplication problems. In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) test session after the training, participants worked on a multiplication verification task that comprised trained and untrained problems. Analyses of the behavioral data revealed an interference effect only in the low competence group, which could be reduced but not resolved by training. On the neural level, competence-related differences in the interference effect were observed in the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG), showing activation differences between low- and high-interfering problems only in the low competent group. These findings support the idea that individuals' low arithmetic skills are related to the development of insufficient memory representations because of STI. Further, our results indicate that a short training by drill (i.e., learning associations between operands and solutions) was not fully effective to resolve existing interference effects in arithmetic fact knowledge.
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27
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Wortha SM, Bloechle J, Ninaus M, Kiili K, Lindstedt A, Bahnmueller J, Moeller K, Klein E. Neurofunctional plasticity in fraction learning: An fMRI training study. Trends Neurosci Educ 2020; 21:100141. [PMID: 33303106 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2020.100141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fractions are known to be difficult for children and adults. Behavioral studies suggest that magnitude processing of fractions can be improved via number line estimation (NLE) trainings, but little is known about the neural correlates of fraction learning. METHOD To examine the neuro-cognitive foundations of fraction learning, behavioral performance and neural correlates were measured before and after a five-day NLE training. RESULTS In all evaluation tasks behavioral performance increased after training. We observed a fronto-parietal network associated with number magnitude processing to be recruited in all tasks as indicated by a numerical distance effect. For symbolic fractions, the distance effect on intraparietal activation was only observed after training. CONCLUSION The absence of a distance effect of symbolic fractions before the training could indicate an initially less automatic access to their overall magnitude. NLE training facilitates processing of overall fraction magnitude as indicated by the distance effect in neural activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke M Wortha
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Johannes Bloechle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Manuel Ninaus
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kristian Kiili
- Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Antero Lindstedt
- Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, Pori, Finland
| | - Julia Bahnmueller
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Centre for Mathematical Cognition, School of Science, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; Centre for Mathematical Cognition, School of Science, Loughborough University, United Kingdom; Individual Development and Adaptive Education Center, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elise Klein
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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28
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Yao G, Li J, Liu S, Wang J, Cao X, Li X, Cheng L, Chen H, Xu Y. Alterations of Functional Connectivity in Stroke Patients With Basal Ganglia Damage and Cognitive Impairment. Front Neurol 2020; 11:980. [PMID: 33013648 PMCID: PMC7511868 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Stroke with basal ganglia damage (SBG) is a neurological disorder characterized by cognitive impairment. The neurobiological mechanism of cognitive impairment in stroke patients with basal ganglia damage (SBG patients) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the underlying neurobiological mechanism of cognitive impairment in SBG patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: The differences in functional connectivity (FC) between 14 SBG patients (average age: 61.00 ± 7.45 years) and 21 healthy controls (HC) (average age: 60.67 ± 6.95 years) were examined using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and degree centrality (DC). Moreover, we compared the cognitive functions of SBG patients with HC using the Chinese Revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-RC) and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). Results: Full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ) (t = 2.810, p < 0.010) and memory quotient (MQ) (t = 2.920, p < 0.010) scores of SBG patients were significantly lower than those of HC. Compared with HC, significantly decreased VMHC values in the bilateral angular gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, hippocampus, precuneus, precentral gyrus, and middle occipital gyrus and decreased DC values in the right supramarginal gyrus, bilateral angular gyrus, and right postcentral gyrus were observed in SBG patients. Moreover, the VMHC values in the angular gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus and the DC values in the right supramarginal gyrus were significantly correlated with cognitive functions in all participants. Conclusion: Our findings may provide a neural basis for cognitive impairments in SBG patients. Furthermore, local abnormalities of functional networks and interhemispheric interaction deficits may provide new ideas and insights for understanding and treating SBG patients' cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Yao
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaohua Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xinrong Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Long Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,MDT Center for Cognitive Impairment and Sleep Disorders, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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Jung S, Moeller K, Karnath HO, Klein E. Hemispheric Lateralization of Arithmetic Facts and Magnitude Processing for Two-Digit Numbers. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:88. [PMID: 32848658 PMCID: PMC7430038 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the human brain, a (relative) functional asymmetry (i.e., laterality; functional and performance differences between the two cerebral hemispheres) exists for a variety of cognitive domains (e.g., language, visual-spatial processing, etc.). For numerical cognition, both bi-lateral and unilateral processing has been proposed with the retrieval of arithmetic facts postulated as being lateralized to the left hemisphere. In this study, we aimed at evaluating this claim by investigating whether processing of multiplicatively related triplets in a number bisection task (e.g., 12_16_20) in healthy participants (n = 23) shows a significant advantage when transmitted to the right hemisphere only as compared to transmission to the left hemisphere. As expected, a control task revealed that stimulus presentation to the left or both visual hemifields did not increase processing disadvantages of unit-decade incompatible number pairs in magnitude comparison. For the number bisection task, we replicated the multiplicativity effect. However, in contrast to the hypothesis deriving from the triple code model, we did not observe significant hemispheric processing asymmetries for multiplicative items. We suggest that participants resorted to keep number triplets in verbal working memory after perceiving them only very briefly for 150 ms. Rehearsal of the three numbers was probably slow and time-consuming so allowing for interhemispheric communication in the meantime. We suggest that an effect of lateralized presentation may only be expected for early effects when the task is sufficiently easy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Jung
- Junior Research Group Neuro-Cognitive Plasticity, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,Research Methods and Mathematical Psychology, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- Junior Research Group Neuro-Cognitive Plasticity, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,Research Methods and Mathematical Psychology, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Otto Karnath
- Center of Neurology, Section for Neuropsychology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Elise Klein
- Junior Research Group Neuro-Cognitive Plasticity, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,Research Methods and Mathematical Psychology, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,CNRS UMR 8240, Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, Paris, France
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30
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Klichowski M, Kroliczak G. Mental Shopping Calculations: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1930. [PMID: 32849133 PMCID: PMC7417662 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most critical skills behind consumer's behavior is the ability to assess whether a price after a discount is a real bargain. Yet, the neural underpinnings and cognitive mechanisms associated with such a skill are largely unknown. While there is general agreement that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) on the left is critical for mental calculations, and there is also recent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) evidence pointing to the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) of the right PPC as crucial for consumer-like arithmetic (e.g., multi-digit mental addition or subtraction), it is still unknown whether SMG is involved in calculations of sale prices. Here, we show that the neural mechanisms underlying discount arithmetic characteristic for shopping are different from complex addition or subtraction, with discount calculations engaging left SMG more. We obtained these outcomes by remodeling our laboratory to resemble a shop and asking participants to calculate prices after discounts (e.g., $8.80-25 or $4.80-75%), while stimulating left and right SMG with neuronavigated rTMS. Our results indicate that such complex shopping calculations as establishing the price after a discount involve SMG asymmetrically, whereas simpler calculations such as price addition do not. These findings have some consequences for neural models of mathematical cognition and shed some preliminary light on potential consumer's behavior in natural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Klichowski
- Faculty of Educational Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Gregory Kroliczak
- Action and Cognition Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
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31
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Andin J, Elwér Å, Mäki-Torkko E. Arithmetic in the adult deaf signing brain. J Neurosci Res 2019; 98:643-654. [PMID: 31803973 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that deaf signers recruit partially different brain regions during simple arithmetic compared to a group of hearing non-signers, despite similar performance. Specifically, hearing individuals show more widespread activation in brain areas that have been related to the verbal system of numerical processing, i.e., the left angular and inferior frontal gyrus, whereas deaf individuals engaged brain areas that have been related to the quantity system of numerical processing, i.e., the right horizontal intraparietal sulcus. This indicates that compared to hearing non-signers, deaf signers can successfully make use of processes located in partially different brain areas during simple arithmetic. In this study, which is a conceptual replication and extension of the above-presented study, the main aim is to understand similarities and differences in neural correlates supporting arithmetic in deaf compared to hearing individuals. The primary objective is to investigate the role of the right horizontal intraparietal gyrus, the left inferior frontal gyrus, the hippocampus, and the left angular gyrus during simple and difficult arithmetic and how these regions are connected to each other. A second objective is to explore what other brain regions support arithmetic in deaf signers. Up to 34 adult deaf signers and the same amount of hearing non-signers will be enrolled in an functional magnetic resonance imaging study that will include simple and difficult subtraction and multiplication. Brain imaging data will be analyzed using whole-brain analysis, region of interest analysis and connectivity analysis. This is the first study to investigate neural underpinnings of arithmetic of different difficulties in deaf individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Andin
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Åsa Elwér
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Elina Mäki-Torkko
- Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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32
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Faye A, Jacquin-Courtois S, Reynaud E, Lesourd M, Besnard J, Osiurak F. Numerical cognition: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation and brain-damaged patients studies. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:102053. [PMID: 31795045 PMCID: PMC6978218 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
We review neuroimaging, TMS, and patients studies on numerical cognition. We focused on the predictions derived from the Triple Code Model (TCM). Our findings generally agree with TCM predictions. Our results open avenues for the study of the neural bases of numerical cognition.
This article offers the first comprehensive review examining the neurocognitive bases of numerical cognition from neuroimaging, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and brain-damaged patients studies. We focused on the predictions derived from the Triple Code Model (TCM), particularly the assumption that the representation of numerical quantities rests on a single format-independent representation (i.e., the analogical code) involving both intraparietal sulci (IPS). To do so, we conducted a meta-analysis based on 28 neuroimaging, 12 TMS and 12 brain-damaged patients studies, including arithmetic and magnitude tasks in symbolic and non-symbolic formats. Our findings generally agree with the TCM predictions indicating that both IPS are engaged in all tasks. Nonetheless, the results of brain-damaged patients studies conflicted with neuroimaging and TMS studies, suggesting a right hemisphere lateralization for non-symbolic formats. Our findings also led us to discuss the involvement of brain regions other than IPS in the processing of the analogical code as well as the neural substrate of other codes underlying numerical cognition (i.e., the auditory-verbal code).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandrine Faye
- Laboratoire d'Etude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France.
| | - Sophie Jacquin-Courtois
- Integrative, Multisensory, Perception, Action, & Cognition Team (INSERM-CNRS-UMR 5292), Université de Lyon, France; Mouvement et Handicap, Hospices Civils de Lyon et Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Hôpital Henry Gabrielle, St Genis Laval, France
| | - Emanuelle Reynaud
- Laboratoire d'Etude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France
| | - Mathieu Lesourd
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Fédération 3C, Marseille, France
| | - Jérémy Besnard
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (EA 4638), Université de Nantes et d'Angers, France
| | - François Osiurak
- Laboratoire d'Etude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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33
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Chang H, Rosenberg-Lee M, Qin S, Menon V. Faster learners transfer their knowledge better: Behavioral, mnemonic, and neural mechanisms of individual differences in children's learning. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 40:100719. [PMID: 31710975 PMCID: PMC6974913 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Why some children learn, and transfer their knowledge to novel problems, better than others remains an important unresolved question in the science of learning. Here we developed an innovative tutoring program and data analysis approach to investigate individual differences in neurocognitive mechanisms that support math learning and "near" transfer to novel, but structurally related, problems in elementary school children. Following just five days of training, children performed recently trained math problems more efficiently, with greater use of memory-retrieval-based strategies. Crucially, children who learned faster during training performed better not only on trained problems but also on novel problems, and better discriminated trained and novel problems in a subsequent recognition memory task. Faster learners exhibited increased similarity of neural representations between trained and novel problems, and greater differentiation of functional brain circuits engaged by trained and novel problems. These results suggest that learning and near transfer are characterized by parallel learning-rate dependent local integration and large-scale segregation of functional brain circuits. Our findings demonstrate that speed of learning and near transfer are interrelated and identify the neural mechanisms by which faster learners transfer their knowledge better. Our study provides new insights into the behavioral, mnemonic, and neural mechanisms underlying children's learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Miriam Rosenberg-Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
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34
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Artemenko C, Soltanlou M, Bieck SM, Ehlis AC, Dresler T, Nuerk HC. Individual Differences in Math Ability Determine Neurocognitive Processing of Arithmetic Complexity: A Combined fNIRS-EEG Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:227. [PMID: 31333436 PMCID: PMC6616314 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Some individuals experience more difficulties with math than others, in particular when arithmetic problems get more complex. Math ability, on one hand, and arithmetic complexity, on the other hand, seem to partly share neural underpinnings. This study addresses the question of whether this leads to an interaction of math ability and arithmetic complexity for multiplication and division on behavioral and neural levels. Previously screened individuals with high and low math ability solved multiplication and division problems in a written production paradigm while brain activation was assessed by combined functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). Arithmetic complexity was manipulated by using single-digit operands for simple multiplication problems and operands between 2 and 19 for complex multiplication problems and the corresponding division problems. On the behavioral level, individuals with low math ability needed more time for calculation, especially for complex arithmetic. On the neural level, fNIRS results revealed that these individuals showed less activation in the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG), superior temporal gyrus (STG) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) than individuals with high math ability when solving complex compared to simple arithmetic. This reflects the greater use of arithmetic fact retrieval and also the more efficient processing of arithmetic complexity by individuals with high math ability. Oscillatory EEG analysis generally revealed theta and alpha desynchronization with increasing arithmetic complexity but showed no interaction with math ability. Because of the discovered interaction for behavior and brain activation, we conclude that the consideration of individual differences is essential when investigating the neurocognitive processing of arithmetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Artemenko
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Mojtaba Soltanlou
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Silke M. Bieck
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ann-Christine Ehlis
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Dresler
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Christoph Nuerk
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
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35
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Delazer M, Zamarian L, Benke T, Wagner M, Gizewski ER, Scherfler C. Is an intact hippocampus necessary for answering 3 × 3? - Evidence from Alzheimer's disease. Brain Cogn 2019; 134:1-8. [PMID: 31054405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has suggested that the hippocampus supports learning and retrieval of arithmetic facts during childhood and adolescence. Whether the hippocampus is also involved in retrieving overlearned arithmetic facts (such as 3 × 5 = 15) during adult age is open for investigation. In this study, we assessed whether patients with hippocampal atrophy due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) are still able to retrieve overlearned arithmetic facts from memory. Sixteen patients (n = 13 with AD, n = 3 with Mild Cognitive Impairment - MCI) were evaluated using standard radiological, neurological, and neuropsychological test procedures. We adopted a multiple single-case analysis in order to acknowledge possible dissociations between hippocampal degeneration and intact arithmetic fact retrieval. All patients performed a neuropsychological screening battery assessing episodic memory as well as arithmetic processing, and underwent a 3-Tesla MRI procedure. A morphometric analysis comprising estimation of both cortical thickness and hippocampal volume, which also included a subfield analysis, was conducted. All patients had marked hippocampal atrophy (bilateral n = 15, unilateral n = 1) in comparison to healthy matched controls and showed deficits in episodic memory (delayed recall). However, 13 out of 16 patients performed in the average range of standardised norms during retrieval of overlearned arithmetic facts (i.e. multiplication tables). Our results suggest that intact retrieval of consolidated arithmetic facts from memory does not depend on the integrity of the hippocampus. This is in line with the view that the hippocampus plays a dynamic and time-limited role in arithmetic processing. While the hippocampus seems to be necessary for learning and consolidating new arithmetic facts in memory, it might not be critically involved in retrieving arithmetic facts when these are well consolidated in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Delazer
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Laura Zamarian
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Thomas Benke
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michaela Wagner
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elke R Gizewski
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Scherfler
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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36
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Skagerlund K, Bolt T, Nomi JS, Skagenholt M, Västfjäll D, Träff U, Uddin LQ. Disentangling Mathematics from Executive Functions by Investigating Unique Functional Connectivity Patterns Predictive of Mathematics Ability. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 31:560-573. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
What are the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms that give rise to mathematical competence? This study investigated the relationship between tests of mathematical ability completed outside the scanner and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of cytoarchitectonically defined subdivisions of the parietal cortex in adults. These parietal areas are also involved in executive functions (EFs). Therefore, it remains unclear whether there are unique networks for mathematical processing. We investigate the neural networks for mathematical cognition and three measures of EF using resting-state fMRI data collected from 51 healthy adults. Using 10 ROIs in seed to whole-brain voxel-wise analyses, the results showed that arithmetical ability was correlated with FC between the right anterior intraparietal sulcus (hIP1) and the left supramarginal gyrus and between the right posterior intraparietal sulcus (hIP3) and the left middle frontal gyrus and the right premotor cortex. The connection between the posterior portion of the left angular gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus was also correlated with mathematical ability. Covariates of EF eliminated connectivity patterns with nodes in inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting neural overlap. Controlling for EF, we found unique connections correlated with mathematical ability between the right hIP1 and the left supramarginal gyrus and between hIP3 bilaterally to premotor cortex bilaterally. This is partly in line with the “mapping hypothesis” of numerical cognition in which the right intraparietal sulcus subserves nonsymbolic number processing and connects to the left parietal cortex, responsible for calculation procedures. We show that FC within this circuitry is a significant predictor of math ability in adulthood.
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Soltanlou M, Artemenko C, Dresler T, Fallgatter AJ, Nuerk HC, Ehlis AC. Oscillatory EEG Changes During Arithmetic Learning in Children. Dev Neuropsychol 2019; 44:325-338. [PMID: 30864846 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2019.1586906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Most studies have investigated brain activation changes after the course of arithmetic learning, and the question remains whether these changes are detectable during the course of learning, i.e., before memory consolidation. Twenty-four fifth graders solved multiplication problems while ongoing electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. The arithmetic training revealed reduced errors together with a power increase in theta (4-7 Hz) but not in lower alpha (8-10 Hz) or upper alpha (10-13 Hz) bands. We conclude that increases in theta power subserved a shift from slow, procedural strategies to more efficient, automated procedural and retrieval strategies, which led to more efficient performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Soltanlou
- a Department of Psychology , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,b LEAD Graduate School & Research Network , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,c Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien , Tuebingen , Germany
| | - Christina Artemenko
- a Department of Psychology , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,b LEAD Graduate School & Research Network , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany
| | - Thomas Dresler
- b LEAD Graduate School & Research Network , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,d Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany
| | - Andreas J Fallgatter
- b LEAD Graduate School & Research Network , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,d Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,e Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Excellence Cluster , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany
| | - Hans-Christoph Nuerk
- a Department of Psychology , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,b LEAD Graduate School & Research Network , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,c Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien , Tuebingen , Germany
| | - Ann-Christine Ehlis
- b LEAD Graduate School & Research Network , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany.,d Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany
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Delazer M, Zamarian L. A commentary on Popescu et al.'s paper on the brain-structural correlates of mathematical expertise. Cortex 2019; 117:417-420. [PMID: 30799069 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Delazer
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Laura Zamarian
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck, Austria.
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Tiberghien K, Sahan MI, De Smedt B, Fias W, Lyons IM. Disentangling Neural Sources of Problem Size and Interference Effects in Multiplication. J Cogn Neurosci 2018; 31:453-467. [PMID: 30457916 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Multiplication is thought to be primarily solved via direct retrieval from memory. Two of the main factors known to influence the retrieval of multiplication facts are problem size and interference. Because these factors are often intertwined, we sought to investigate the unique influences of problem size and interference on both performance and neural responses during multiplication fact retrieval in healthy adults. Behavioral results showed that both problem size and interference explained separate unique portions of RT variance, but with significantly stronger contribution from problem size, which contrasts with previous work in children. Whole-brain fMRI results relying on a paradigm that isolated multiplication fact retrieval from response selection showed highly overlapping brain areas parametrically modulated by both problem size and interference in a large network of frontal, parietal, and subcortical brain areas. Subsequent analysis within these regions revealed problem size to be the stronger and more consistent "unique" modulating factor in overlapping regions as well as those that appeared to respond only to problem size or interference at the whole-brain level, thus underscoring the need to look beyond anatomical overlap using arbitrary thresholds. Additional unique contributions of interference (beyond problem size) were identified in right angular gyrus and subcortical regions associated with procedural processing. Together, our results suggest that problem size, relative to interference, tends to be the more dominant factor in driving behavioral and neural responses during multiplication fact retrieval in adults. Nevertheless, unique contributions of both factors demonstrate the importance of considering the overlapping and unique contributions of each in explaining the cognitive and neural bases of mental multiplication.
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Lack of improvement in multiplication is associated with reverting from verbal retrieval to numerical operations. Neuroimage 2018; 183:859-871. [PMID: 30189338 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of the neural basis of arithmetic argue that left inferior frontal cortex is involved in cognitive control of verbal representations of math facts in left lateral temporal cortex, whereas bilateral intra-parietal cortex is involved in numerical calculation. Lower levels of math competence for multiplications is associated with greater effortful retrieval because of less robust verbal representations and the engagement of numerical operations as a back-up strategy. Previous studies on multiplication have focused on brain activation in isolated nodes of the network, so we do not know how functional connectivity between these nodes is related to competence. Moreover, previous studies have not employed longitudinal designs, so we do not know how changes in multiplication performance over time is related to changes in its neural basis. The objective of this study was to investigate how changes in multiplication task performance is associated with changes in functional connectivity of temporal cortex with frontal and parietal cortices. Longitudinal data was collected from 45 children, with an average 2.2-year interval between the two sessions, when they were about 11 years old at time 1 (T1) and 13 years old at time 2 (T2). A Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) analysis was carried out by defining the seed in the temporal cortex (i.e. posterior superior and middle temporal gyri) and examining changes in connectivity with frontal cortex (i.e. left inferior frontal gyrus) as well as parietal cortex (i.e. left and right inferior and superior parietal lobules). We found that children who did not improve in a multiplication task showed greater levels of functional connectivity of left temporal cortex with left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) at T2, as compared to their peers who improved. The cluster showing greater levels of connectivity in the left IFG at T2 for the Non-improvers overlapped a cluster independently identified by a verbal localizer task and the cluster showing greater levels of connectivity in the left IPS Non-improvers overlapped a cluster independently identified by a numerosity localizer task. These results suggest that lack of improvement in multiplications are associated with greater cognitive control of verbal representations and greater engagement of numerical operations.
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Klein E, Willmes K, Bieck SM, Bloechle J, Moeller K. White matter neuro-plasticity in mental arithmetic: Changes in hippocampal connectivity following arithmetic drill training. Cortex 2018; 114:115-123. [PMID: 29961540 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Verbally-mediated arithmetic fact retrieval has been suggested to be subserved by a left-lateralized network including angular gyrus and hippocampus. However, the contribution of these areas to retrieval of arithmetic facts has been under debate lately, challenging the prominent role of the angular gyrus in arithmetic fact retrieval. In the present study, we evaluated changes in structural connectivity of left hippocampus and left angular gyrus in 32 participants following a short extensive drill training of complex multiplication. We observed a significant increase of structural connectivity in fibers encompassing the left hippocampus but not the left angular gyrus. As such, our findings substantiate that the left hippocampus plays a central role in arithmetic fact retrieval. While both structures, left angular gyrus and left hippocampus seem to be parts of the network processing arithmetic facts, hippocampus actually seems to subserve encoding and retrieval of arithmetic facts. In turn, the role of the left angular gyrus might rather be to mediate the fact retrieval network as to whether or not processes of fact retrieval are referred to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Klein
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Klaus Willmes
- Department of Neurology, Section Neuropsychology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Silke M Bieck
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Korbinian Moeller
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Germany
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Skagenholt M, Träff U, Västfjäll D, Skagerlund K. Examining the Triple Code Model in numerical cognition: An fMRI study. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199247. [PMID: 29953456 PMCID: PMC6023115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Triple Code Model (TCM) of numerical cognition argues for the existence of three representational codes for number: Arabic digits, verbal number words, and analog nonsymbolic magnitude representations, each subserved by functionally dissociated neural substrates. Despite the popularity of the TCM, no study to date has explored all three numerical codes within one fMRI paradigm. We administered three tasks, associated with each of the aforementioned numerical codes, in order to explore the neural correlates of numerosity processing in a sample of adults (N = 46). Independent task-control contrast analyses revealed task-dependent activity in partial support of the model, but also highlight the inherent complexity of a distributed and overlapping fronto-parietal network involved in all numerical codes. The results indicate that the TCM correctly predicts the existence of some functionally dissociated neural substrates, but requires an update that accounts for interactions with attentional processes. Parametric contrasts corresponding to differences in task difficulty revealed specific neural correlates of the distance effect, where closely spaced numbers become more difficult to discriminate than numbers spaced further apart. A conjunction analysis illustrated overlapping neural correlates across all tasks, in line with recent proposals for a fronto-parietal network of number processing. We additionally provide tentative results suggesting the involvement of format-independent numerosity-sensitive retinotopic maps in the early visual stream, extending previous findings of nonsymbolic stimulus selectivity. We discuss the functional roles of the components associated with the model, as well as the purported fronto-parietal network, and offer arguments in favor of revising the TCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Skagenholt
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Economics, JEDI-Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ulf Träff
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Västfjäll
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Economics, JEDI-Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Decision Research, Eugene, OR, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States of America
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kenny Skagerlund
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Economics, JEDI-Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Mock J, Huber S, Bloechle J, Dietrich JF, Bahnmueller J, Rennig J, Klein E, Moeller K. Magnitude processing of symbolic and non-symbolic proportions: an fMRI study. Behav Brain Funct 2018; 14:9. [PMID: 29747668 PMCID: PMC5944011 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-018-0141-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent research indicates that processing proportion magnitude is associated with activation in the intraparietal sulcus. Thus, brain areas associated with the processing of numbers (i.e., absolute magnitude) were activated during processing symbolic fractions as well as non-symbolic proportions. Here, we investigated systematically the cognitive processing of symbolic (e.g., fractions and decimals) and non-symbolic proportions (e.g., dot patterns and pie charts) in a two-stage procedure. First, we investigated relative magnitude-related activations of proportion processing. Second, we evaluated whether symbolic and non-symbolic proportions share common neural substrates. Methods We conducted an fMRI study using magnitude comparison tasks with symbolic and non-symbolic proportions, respectively. As an indicator for magnitude-related processing of proportions, the distance effect was evaluated. Results A conjunction analysis indicated joint activation of specific occipito-parietal areas including right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) during proportion magnitude processing. More specifically, results indicate that the IPS, which is commonly associated with absolute magnitude processing, is involved in processing relative magnitude information as well, irrespective of symbolic or non-symbolic presentation format. However, we also found distinct activation patterns for the magnitude processing of the different presentation formats. Conclusion Our findings suggest that processing for the separate presentation formats is not only associated with magnitude manipulations in the IPS, but also increasing demands on executive functions and strategy use associated with frontal brain regions as well as visual attention and encoding in occipital regions. Thus, the magnitude processing of proportions may not exclusively reflect processing of number magnitude information but also rather domain-general processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mock
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Stefan Huber
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Bloechle
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.,Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Otfried-Müller-Straße 27, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Julia F Dietrich
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Julia Bahnmueller
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.,Eberhardt-Karls University Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Rennig
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.,Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Otfried-Müller-Straße 27, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Elise Klein
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.,Eberhardt-Karls University Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
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Zamarian L, Scherfler C, Kremser C, Pertl MT, Gizewski E, Benke T, Delazer M. Arithmetic learning in advanced age. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193529. [PMID: 29489905 PMCID: PMC5831411 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of numerical knowledge and understanding of numerical information are crucial for coping with the changing demands of our digital society. In this study, we assessed arithmetic learning in older and younger individuals in a training experiment including brain imaging. In particular, we assessed age-related effects of training intensity, prior arithmetic competence, and neuropsychological variables on the acquisition of new arithmetic knowledge and on the transfer to new, unknown problems. Effects were assessed immediately after training and after 3 months. Behavioural results showed higher training effects for younger individuals than for older individuals and significantly better performance after 90 problem repetitions than after 30 repetitions in both age groups. A correlation analysis indicated that older adults with lower memory and executive functions at baseline could profit more from intensive training. Similarly, training effects in the younger group were higher for those individuals who had lower arithmetic competence and executive functions prior to intervention. In younger adults, successful transfer was associated with higher executive functions. Memory and set-shifting emerged as significant predictors of training effects in the older group. For the younger group, prior arithmetic competence was a significant predictor of training effects, while cognitive flexibility was a predictor of transfer effects. After training, a subgroup of participants underwent an MRI assessment. A voxel-based morphometry analysis showed a significant interaction between training effects and grey matter volume of the right middle temporal gyrus extending to the angular gyrus for the younger group relative to the older group. The reverse contrast (older group vs. younger group) did not yield any significant results. These results suggest that improvements in arithmetic competence are supported by temporo-parietal areas in the right hemisphere in younger participants, while learning in older people might be more widespread. Overall, our study indicates that arithmetic learning depends on the training intensity as well as on person-related factors including individual age, arithmetic competence before training, memory, and executive functions. In conclusion, we suggest that major progress can be also achieved by older participants, but that interventions have to take into account individual variables in order to provide maximal benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Zamarian
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Christoph Scherfler
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Kremser
- Department of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marie-Theres Pertl
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elke Gizewski
- Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Benke
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Margarete Delazer
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Rosenberg-Lee M, Iuculano T, Bae SR, Richardson J, Qin S, Jolles D, Menon V. Short-term cognitive training recapitulates hippocampal functional changes associated with one year of longitudinal skill development. Trends Neurosci Educ 2018; 10:19-29. [PMID: 38596747 PMCID: PMC11003737 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective A goal of developmental cognitive neuroscience is to uncover brain mechanisms underlying successful learning. While longitudinal studies capture brain changes following 'schooling as usual', short-term training studies can more directly link learning to brain changes. We investigated whether eight weeks of cognitive training recapitulates longitudinal changes in hippocampal engagement and connectivity. Methods Nineteen children underwent a training program focused on improving arithmetic skills, along with fifteen children in a no-contact control group. Before and after training, or no-contact, both groups performed an arithmetic task during neuroimaging and a strategy assessment. Results Training increased activity in the anterior hippocampus, and gains in memory-based strategies were associated with decreased lateral fronto-parietal activity and increased hippocampus-parietal connectivity. No changes were observed in the no-contact control group. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that short-term training can recapitulate long-term neurodevelopmental changes accompanying learning and identifies plasticity of hippocampal responses as a common locus of cognitive skill development in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Rosenberg-Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Teresa Iuculano
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
| | - Se Ri Bae
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
| | - Jennifer Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
| | - Dietsje Jolles
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
- Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
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Soltanlou M, Artemenko C, Ehlis AC, Huber S, Fallgatter AJ, Dresler T, Nuerk HC. Reduction but no shift in brain activation after arithmetic learning in children: A simultaneous fNIRS-EEG study. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1707. [PMID: 29374271 PMCID: PMC5786008 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurocognitive studies of arithmetic learning in adults have revealed decreasing brain activation in the fronto-parietal network, along with increasing activation of specific cortical and subcortical areas during learning. Both changes are associated with a shift from procedural to retrieval strategies for problem-solving. Here we address the critical, open question of whether similar neurocognitive changes are also evident in children. In this study, 20 typically developing children were trained to solve simple and complex multiplication problems. The one-session and two-week training effects were monitored using simultaneous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). FNIRS measurement after one session of training on complex multiplication problems revealed decreased activation at the left angular gyrus (AG), right superior parietal lobule, and right intraparietal sulcus. Two weeks of training led to decreased activation at the left AG and right middle frontal gyrus. For both simple and complex problems, we observed increased alpha power in EEG measurements as children worked on trained versus untrained problems. In line with previous multiplication training studies in adults, reduced activation within the fronto-parietal network was observed after training. Contrary to adults, we found that strategy shifts via arithmetic learning were not contingent on the activation of the left AG in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Soltanlou
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience/IMPRS for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Christina Artemenko
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ann-Christine Ehlis
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Huber
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Andreas J Fallgatter
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Excellence Cluster, University of Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Dresler
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Christoph Nuerk
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
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Van Rinsveld A, Dricot L, Guillaume M, Rossion B, Schiltz C. Mental arithmetic in the bilingual brain: Language matters. Neuropsychologia 2017; 101:17-29. [PMID: 28495598 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
How do bilinguals solve arithmetic problems in each of their languages? We investigated this question by exploring the neural substrates of mental arithmetic in bilinguals. Critically, our population was composed of a homogeneous group of adults who were fluent in both of their instruction languages (i.e., German as first instruction language and French as second instruction language). Twenty bilinguals were scanned with fMRI (3T) while performing mental arithmetic. Both simple and complex problems were presented to disentangle memory retrieval occuring in very simple problems from arithmetic computation occuring in more complex problems. In simple additions, the left temporal regions were more activated in German than in French, whereas no brain regions showed additional activity in the reverse constrast. Complex additions revealed the reverse pattern, since the activations of regions for French surpassed the same computations in German and the extra regions were located predominantly in occipital regions. Our results thus highlight that highly proficient bilinguals rely on differential activation patterns to solve simple and complex additions in each of their languages, suggesting different solving procedures. The present study confirms the critical role of language in arithmetic problem solving and provides novel insights into how highly proficient bilinguals solve arithmetic problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Van Rinsveld
- Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment, Education, Culture, Cognition and Society research unit, University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute Of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Guillaume
- Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment, Education, Culture, Cognition and Society research unit, University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Institute Of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Neurology Unit, Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire (CHRU) de Nancy, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Christine Schiltz
- Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment, Education, Culture, Cognition and Society research unit, University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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Jolles D, Supekar K, Richardson J, Tenison C, Ashkenazi S, Rosenberg-Lee M, Fuchs L, Menon V. Reconfiguration of parietal circuits with cognitive tutoring in elementary school children. Cortex 2016; 83:231-45. [PMID: 27618765 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive development is shaped by brain plasticity during childhood, yet little is known about changes in large-scale functional circuits associated with learning in academically relevant cognitive domains such as mathematics. Here, we investigate plasticity of intrinsic brain circuits associated with one-on-one math tutoring and its relation to individual differences in children's learning. We focused on functional circuits associated with the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and angular gyrus (AG), cytoarchitectonically distinct subdivisions of the human parietal cortex with different roles in numerical cognition. Tutoring improved performance and strengthened IPS connectivity with the lateral prefrontal cortex, ventral temporal-occipital cortex, and hippocampus. Crucially, increased IPS connectivity was associated with individual performance gains, highlighting the behavioral significance of plasticity in IPS circuits. Tutoring-related changes in IPS connectivity were distinct from those of the adjacent AG, which did not predict performance gains. Our findings provide new insights into plasticity of functional brain circuits associated with the development of specialized cognitive skills in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietsje Jolles
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Department of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Caitlin Tenison
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Sarit Ashkenazi
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Miriam Rosenberg-Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Lynn Fuchs
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States.
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