Arithmetic and the brain

Dehaene, Stanislas; Molko, Nicolas; Cohen, Laurent; Wilson, A. J. C.

doi:10.1016/j.conb.2004.03.008

Cited by 605 publications

(442 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Furthermore, some recent imaging results have revealed a developmental continuity in the neural substrate underlying numerosity processing, with a sensibility to numerosities in the right IPS in 4-year-old children , and activation of the left IPS increasing over development (Ansari and Dhital, 2006;Rivera et al, 2005). In the macaque, number sensitive neurons have been recorded in a possible homologue of this area (Nieder et al, 2006;Nieder and Miller, 2004; for reviews see Brannon, 2006;Dehaene et al, 2004;Nieder, 2005). However, even if infants and animals use the same brain structures to represent numbers, the finer neural structures might not resemble the functional organization of the IPS in human adults.…”

Section: Comparative and Developmental Debatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are numbers special? An overview of chronometric, neuroimaging, developmental and comparative studies of magnitude representation

Kadosh

Lammertyn

Izard

2008

Progress in Neurobiology

339

304

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There is a current debate whether the human brain possesses a shared representation for various types of magnitude such as numerical quantities, physical size, or loudness. Here, we critically review evidence from chronometric, neuroimaging, developmental and comparative fields, and supplement it with a meta-analysis of the neuroimaging data. Together, based on such an integrative overview, we discuss limitations inherent in each approach, and the possibility whether shared, or distinct magnitude representation, or both representations exist. #

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Section: Comparative and Developmental Debatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are numbers special? An overview of chronometric, neuroimaging, developmental and comparative studies of magnitude representation

Kadosh

Lammertyn

Izard

2008

Progress in Neurobiology

339

304

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“…Dehaene (Dehaene, 1997;Dehaene, Bossini, & Giraux, 1993;Dehaene, Molko, Cohen, & Wilson, 2004) has proposed a "triplecode" theory in which simple arithmetic facts are stored arithmetically, complex multidigit problems are represented visually, and numbers are compared through an amodal magnitude estimation process. Triple-code theory is primarily intended as an account of basic small-number arithmetic, and as such does not specifically address algebraic tasks that do not involve numeric computation.…”

Section: Possible Mechanisms Mediating Mathematical Groupingmentioning

confidence: 99%

How abstract is symbolic thought?

Landy¹,

Goldstone²

2007

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cogni

153

146

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In 4 experiments, the authors explored the role of visual layout in rule-based syntactic judgments. Participants judged the validity of a set of algebraic equations that tested their ability to apply the order of operations. In each experiment, a nonmathematical grouping pressure was manipulated to support or interfere with the mathematical convention. Despite the formal irrelevance of these grouping manipulations, accuracy in all experiments was highest when the nonmathematical pressure supported the mathematical grouping. The increase was significantly greater when the correct judgment depended on the order of operator precedence. The result that visual perception impacts rule application in mathematics has broad implications for relational reasoning in general. The authors conclude that formally symbolic reasoning is more visual than is usually proposed.Keywords: symbolic processing, mathematics, embodied cognition, relational reasoning, perceptual grouping How thinking creatures manage to think using symbols is one of the central mysteries facing the cognitive sciences. Most research into formal symbolic reasoning emphasizes the abstract and arbitrary quality of formal symbol systems (

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“…The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) has been implicated as a crucial substrate in adult humans for representing the meaning of number on the basis of cases of brain injury, of developmental abnormalities, and of positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related potential (ERP) studies of normal adult brain function [38].…”

Section: How Does the Brain Represent Number As Analog Magnitudes?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By contrast, damage to other brain areas can disrupt memorized arithmetic facts but leaves an understanding of number intact [8,38,42]. Functional imaging of the normal brain demonstrates that the IPS is activated by numerical stimuli, regardless of their notation (written word versus Arabic numeral) and irrespective of whether stimuli are presented in the visual or auditory modality [43].…”

Section: How Does the Brain Represent Number As Analog Magnitudes?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The representation of numerical magnitude

Brannon

2006

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

205

148

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The combined efforts of many fields are advancing our understanding of how number is represented. Researchers studying numerical reasoning in adult humans, developing humans and non-human animals are using a suite of behavioral and neurobiological methods to uncover similarities and differences in how each population enumerates and compares quantities to identify the neural substrates of numerical cognition. An important picture emerging from this research is that adult humans share with non-human animals a system for representing number as language-independent mental magnitudes and that this system emerges early in development.

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Arithmetic and the brain

Cited by 605 publications

References 67 publications

Are numbers special? An overview of chronometric, neuroimaging, developmental and comparative studies of magnitude representation

Are numbers special? An overview of chronometric, neuroimaging, developmental and comparative studies of magnitude representation

How abstract is symbolic thought?

The representation of numerical magnitude

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