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Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics BM-PROMA
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The semantic control network mediates the relationship between symbolic numerical order processing and arithmetic
Gerrit Sommerauer1, Karl-Heinz Graß2, Roland H Grabner1
1Section of Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Austria.
Neuropsychologia
|February 23, 2020
Summary
Symbolic numerical order processing uniquely predicts children's arithmetic skills, mediated by numerical magnitude processing. This highlights the semantic control network's role in math development.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Neuroscience
Background:
- Symbolic numerical order and magnitude processing involve distinct cognitive mechanisms and brain regions.
- Understanding the neurocognitive basis of numerical order processing is crucial for explaining individual differences in arithmetic skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between symbolic numerical order processing and arithmetic performance in children.
- To identify brain regions associated with numerical order processing and its relation to arithmetic skills.
- To explore age-dependent changes in brain activity during numerical tasks.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan 30 elementary school children (7.2-10.25 years).
- Children completed symbolic numerical order verification and magnitude comparison tasks inside the scanner.
- An arithmetic fluency test was administered outside the scanner.
Main Results:
- Behavioral data revealed that numerical order uniquely predicts arithmetic skills and mediates the link between numerical magnitude and arithmetic performance.
- fMRI results showed associations between numerical order and arithmetic in the right inferior frontal gyrus, insula, and posterior middle temporal gyrus.
- Age-dependent changes in brain activity were observed in the left intraparietal sulcus.
Conclusions:
- Symbolic numerical order processing is developmentally important for children's arithmetic abilities.
- The semantic control network, including the inferior frontal gyrus and insula, mediates the relationship between numerical order processing and arithmetic performance.
- Findings provide new insights into the neural underpinnings of mathematical development.
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