The search for the number form area: A functional neuroimaging meta-analysis
Darren J Yeo1, Eric D Wilkey2, Gavin R Price2
1Department of Psychology & Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States of America; Division of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 14 Nanyang Avenue, 637332, Singapore.
Researchers investigated the "number form area" (NFA) for processing Arabic numerals. Meta-analyses suggest a potential NFA in the right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), but more evidence is needed to confirm its specialization.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Recent studies propose a "number form area" (NFA) in the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) for Arabic numeral processing.
- Discrepancies exist across studies regarding the NFA's existence and location.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine evidence for a convergent NFA across neuroimaging studies.
- To clarify the reasons for conflicting findings on the NFA.
Main Methods:
- Conducted two activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses.
- Included 31 and a subset of 20 neuroimaging studies contrasting digits with other meaningful symbols.
Main Results:
- Suggests a potential NFA in the right ITG.
- Identified a "symbolic number processing network" in parietal and frontal regions.
- Convergent localization of NFA was observed only with task-controlled contrasts.
Conclusions:
- The existence of a specialized NFA in the right ITG is suggested but requires further empirical support.
- The identified NFA cluster boundary included foci from only five studies.
- Functional specialization and regional specificity of the putative NFA remain to be definitively determined.
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