Learning complex arithmetic—an fMRI study

Neural substrates for forward and backward recitation of numbers and the alphabet: A close examination of the role of intraparietal sulcus and perisylvian areas

“…The angular gyrus could be activated by singledigit multiplication relative to number comparison or subtraction (Chochon et al, 1999;Lee, 2000) or by exact addition relative to approximation and by arithmetic problems previously trained relative to arithmetic problems not trained (Delazer et al, 2003. However, recitation tasks in our study did not activate the angular gyrus.…”

Neural correlates of arithmetic calculation strategies

“…However, if it is sensitive to the magnitude of internally represented numbers, it should have greater activity for the school strategy, in which larger numbers are stored. Finally, activity in the angular gyrus was difficult to predict; it is specifically implicated in multiplication, particularly when problems are solved by direct retrieval (Dehaene et al, 2003;Delazer et al, 2003). However, previous research by our group, using algebra, found deactivation in this area (Danker & Anderson, 2007;Sohn et al, 2005).…”

“…For example, in a multidigit multiplication task, well-practiced problems solved by direct retrieval showed less prefrontal and parietal activity and more angular gyrus activity than did novel problems solved by calculation (Delazer et al, 2003). Similarly, a novel arithmetic operator that was learned by rote memorization produced greater angular gyrus activity than did a novel operator that was trained to be solved algorithmically, which in turn produced greater ent study, the retrieval demands were equivalent between the strategies; thus, we predicted that the LIPFC should not reflect differences between the strategies.…”

Agrammatic but numerate

“…In particular, the supramarginal and angular gyri are activated in tasks such as single-digit multiplication, where retrieval of verbally encoded information from memory is seen as central to performance (20,21). More anterior language zones, including Broca's area, are also activated in mathematical tasks (7,(22)(23)(24). The claim of a close neurocognitive association between language and mathematics also gains some support from the concurrence of calculation problems in language disorders such as aphasia (18,25).…”