Download Frauke van der Ven

Adding Numbers With the Mental Eye
Frauke van der Vena,b, Atsuko Takashimaa,b, Eliane Segersa, Guillén Fernándezb,c, Ludo Verhoevena
a Behavioural
Science Institute, b Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, c Department for Cognitive Neuroscience,
Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Expert Meeting Mathematical Research, 04-04-2014
Elementary arithmetic & evolution
IF
+
=
THEN
1 + 1 = 11
Intraparietal sulcus
(IPS) for magnitudes
Elementary arithmetic & evolution
IF
+
=
THEN
1 + 1 = 11
Intraparietal sulcus
(IPS) for magnitudes
Q: Does number notation influence the process of mental
arithmetic?
non-symbolic
symbolic
dots
Arabic
:: + : = ?
4+2=?
number word
four + two = ?
1) Calculation:
magnitude
processing
2) Retrieval:
fact memory
Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) :
representation of
numerical magnitude
(Dehaene, 2003)
Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) :
representation of
numerical magnitude
->
calculation method
(Dehaene, 2003)
Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) :
representation of
numerical magnitude
->
calculation method
Angular gyrus (AG) and perisylvian areas:
verbal fact retrieval
(Dehaene, 2003)
Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) :
representation of
numerical magnitude
->
calculation method
Angular gyrus (AG) and perisylvian areas:
verbal fact retrieval
->
retrieval method
(Dehaene, 2003)
Q: Does number notation influence the involvement of the
IPS during mental arithmetic?
Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) :
representation of
numerical magnitude
->
calculation method
Angular gyrus (AG) and perisylvian areas:
verbal fact retrieval
->
retrieval method
(Dehaene, 2003)
IPS activation interpretation problems
• Problem 1: IPS-magnitude system involved in detection of numbers
• Problem 2: Specificity IPS activity
A+B
- Numbers
- Magnitudes
- Visuospatial
B
Solution
• Subtraction method
=
A
•25 adults
•fMRI -> addition in three notations
•memory task -> mental addition
•colour task -> magnitude specificity
Mental addition (addition-memory task)
:: + :
4+2
four + two
+
Z=54
non-symbolic > symbolic
-> IPS
conj [(:: + : > 4+2) & (:: + : > four + two)]
p < .05, FWE, cluster level
symbolic > non-symbolic
-> AG/perisylvian areas
(4+2 > :: + :)
Conclusion
• Number notation influences the
method for solving sums:
Symbolic (Arabic/words)
-> retrieval method
Non-symbolic (dots)
-> calculation method
-> visuospatial processing
The mental eye:
for solving non-symbolic addition problems
Next
The end
• Number notation influences the
method for solving sums:
Symbolic (Arabic/words)
-> retrieval method
Non-symbolic (dots)
-> calculation method
-> visuospatial processing
The mental eye:
for solving non-symbolic addition problems