Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Organization of the Brain

Organization of the Brain

The brain is an integral component of the nervous system and serves as the center for processing sensory inputs, making decisions, and directing bodily actions. This complex organ is organized into three primary sections: the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, each responsible for a range of vital functions.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...

Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions

Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It consists of four main parts: the cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brainstem.
The cerebrum is the largest section of the brain and divides into left and right hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure. The cerebral outer layer of grey matter — the cerebral cortex — comprises elevations called gyri and shallow groves called sulci. The inner portion of white matter includes long nerve fibers known as axons, which connect...

Reason and Intuition

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...

Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

Lobes of the Cerebrum

Lobes of the Cerebrum

The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....

Parallel Processing

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Sensorimotor transformation of number in the primate parietal cortex.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Feathered primate of the air: the carrion crow as model in cognitive neuroscience.

Lab animal·2026

Same author

Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors differentially control strength and dynamics of abstract decision codes in the primate prefrontal cortex.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Population coding for visual and auditory quantity in human numerotopic maps.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

Shared cognitive biases influence numerical judgments in macaques and crows.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Neuronal responses to frontal binocular and lateral monocular visual stimuli in the crow nidopallium caudolaterale.

Journal of neurophysiology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Published on: February 26, 2014

The calculating brain.

Andreas Nieder¹

¹Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Physiological Reviews

|August 8, 2024

Summary

The human brain processes numbers using innate and learned mechanisms. Cognitive neuroscience reveals how the calculating brain handles numerical quantity and arithmetic, distinct from language processing.

Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Neurobiology of Mathematics

Background:

Human numerical abilities stem from biological intuition and cultural education.
Advanced mathematical reasoning relies on symbolic representation and formal learning.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the cognitive neuroscience of numerical representation and calculation.
To explore the neural basis of both nonsymbolic and symbolic arithmetic.

Main Methods:

Review of cognitive neuroscience research.
Analysis of mental and neuronal representations of quantity.
Examination of arithmetic processing and strategies.

Main Results:

Nonsymbolic quantity is intuitively represented; symbolic arithmetic requires education.

Keywords:

arithmetic fact knowledge mathematics number procedural strategy

More Related Videos

Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping

Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping

Published on: August 12, 2019

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Published on: August 9, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Published on: February 26, 2014

Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping

Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping

Published on: August 12, 2019

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Published on: August 9, 2016

Arithmetic operations involve rule-based transformations of representations.

Mathematical and linguistic abilities are processed independently in the brain.

Conclusions:

Understanding the calculating brain aids in diagnosing numerical disorders.
Insights into acalculia and developmental dyscalculia are enhanced by this research.