Frontoparietal white matter diffusion properties predict mental arithmetic skills in children.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Functional MRI studies show brain activity in parietal and frontal regions during mental arithmetic.
• The white matter pathways connecting these regions are not well understood in relation to arithmetic ability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between white matter integrity and mental arithmetic skills in children.
• To examine the role of the anterior superior longitudinal fasciculus (aSLF) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to measure white matter pathways in 28 children (ages 10-15).
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured in the anterior portion of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (aSLF).
• Mental arithmetic skills were assessed using a task involving approximate answer choices.

Main Results:

• Fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left aSLF positively correlated with arithmetic approximation skill.
• This correlation was strongest in the core regions of the left aSLF and decreased towards the pathway endpoints.
• No significant correlation was found in the right aSLF, and the findings were independent of other cognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

• The integrity of the left anterior superior longitudinal fasciculus (aSLF) is associated with mental arithmetic approximation ability in children.
• Structural white matter properties, measured by DTI, can inform functional models of mental arithmetic.