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

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

Categorical consistency of parity and magnitude facilitates implicit learning of color-number associations.

PloS one·2025

Same author

Numerical format integration in primary school children examined with frequency-tagged electroencephalography.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Visual Stimulation Under 4 Hz, Not at 10 Hz, Generates the Highest-Amplitude Frequency-Tagged Responses of the Human Brain: Understanding the Effect of Stimulation Frequency.

eNeuro·2025

Same author

Spatial coding of arithmetic operations in early learning: an eye tracking study in first-grade elementary school children.

Psychological research·2025

Same author

Implicit Learning of Parity and Magnitude Associations with Number Color.

Journal of cognition·2025

Same author

Thinking about numbers in different tongues: An overview of the influences of multilingualism on numerical and mathematical competencies.

Psychological research·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

Published on: December 5, 2014

Using parity cross-format adaptation to probe abstract number representation in the human brain.

Talia L Retter^1,2, Henning Lütje¹, Christine Schiltz¹

¹Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Science & Assessment, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4366, Luxembourg.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)

|August 19, 2025

Summary

This study reveals that the human brain processes number parity automatically, regardless of format. This suggests abstract numerical representations exist, aiding in understanding how we perceive numbers like "four" and 4.

Keywords:

Arabic numerals EEG frequency-tagging conceptual adaptation format-independent numerical cognition

More Related Videos

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol

Published on: May 12, 2019

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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

Published on: December 5, 2014

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol

Published on: May 12, 2019

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

Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Psychology

Background:

The existence of abstract, format-independent numerical representations in the brain is debated.
Previous research often used numerical magnitude, which can be confounded by quantity processing.
The numerical property of parity offers a novel approach to investigate abstract number representation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether the human brain possesses abstract, format-independent representations of number.
To explore the role of numerical parity in accessing these abstract representations.
To differentiate abstract number processing from magnitude-based processing.

Main Methods:

Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were used to measure brain activity.
Participants viewed alternating sequences of even and odd Arabic numerals.
Parity-specific neural responses were tagged at an asymmetry frequency (3.75 Hz) derived from stimulus presentation (7.5 Hz).

Main Results:

Significant parity asymmetry responses were observed over the occipito-temporal (OT) cortex.
Adaptation to even numerals (cross-font) enhanced subsequent parity responses in the right OT cortex.
Adaptation to even dot stimuli also increased parity responses, while adaptation to even number words showed a non-significant trend.

Conclusions:

Parity is processed automatically and potentially across different numerical formats (e.g., numerals, dots).
These findings support the existence of abstract representations for numerical properties like parity.
Parity serves as a valuable tool for probing abstract number processing in the brain.