Neuronal Representation of Numerosity Zero in the Primate Parieto-Frontal Number Network

Ramirez-Cardenas, Araceli; Moskaleva, Maria; Nieder, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.052

Cited by 71 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…Successive integration, if any, may therefore sharpen frontal numerosity representations. These are more closely linked to behavioural performance 40,41 , so finer tuning widths here may improve behavioural performance. Alternatively, multiple numerosity maps may instead aid interactions with multiple perceptual and cognitive systems without successive integrations Sensory and motor topographic maps are typically grouped in specific regions, allowing interactions over minimal distances.…”

Section: Lettersmentioning

confidence: 99%

A network of topographic numerosity maps in human association cortex

2017

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Sensory and motor cortices each contain multiple topographic maps with the structure of sensory organs (such as the retina or cochlea) mapped onto the cortical surface. These sensory maps are hierarchically organized. For example, visual field maps contain neurons that represent increasingly large parts of visual space with increasingly complex responses 1 . Some visual neurons respond to stimuli with a particular numerositythe number of objects in a set. We recently discovered a parietal topographic numerosity map in which neural numerosity preferences progress gradually across the cortical surface . Here we use ultra-highfield (7 Tesla, 7T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neural-model-based analyses to reveal numerosityselective neural populations organized into six widely separated topographic maps in each hemisphere. Although we describe subtle differences between these maps, their properties are very similar, unlike in sensory map hierarchies. These maps are found in areas implicated in object recognition, motion perception, attention control, decision-making and mathematics. Multiple numerosity maps may allow interactions with these cognitive systems, suggesting a broad role for quantity processing in supporting many perceptual and cognitive functions.Topographic maps have an orderly organization of neurons with similar functions. The close proximity of neurons with similar functions minimizes local connection lengths to increase neural processing efficiency [10][11][12] . Furthermore, topographic maps allow simple one-to-one projections between maps. Finally, most neural processes are context-dependent. Topographic maps allow easy computations of context through comparisons between neighbouring neurons. Therefore, topographic organization has several benefits and gives a theoretical framework to explain why maps emerge in cognitive processing, as we recently demonstrated 2 and extend here. Together with this numerosity map, we also demonstrated that another quantity, object size, is processed in a distinct object size map that largely overlaps with this parietal numerosity map, showing correlated numerosity and object size preferences 13 . The parietal numerosity map that we have described encompasses part of a network implicated in numerosity processing, extending into occipital, parietal and frontal areas [14][15][16][17][18][19] . The fine-scale organization elsewhere in this numerosity network is unknown. We hypothesize that, like sensory maps, a hierarchy of several numerosity maps throughout human association cortices underlies this numerosity network. To investigate this hypothesis, we adapted our approach to reconstruct numerosity maps throughout the brain.We displayed visual stimuli of changing numerosity while collecting ultra-high-field (7T) fMRI data covering the occipital, parietal, posterior-superior frontal and temporal lobes. We distinguished between responses to numerosity and co-varying stimulus features using several stimulus configurations 2,16 . We summarized the fMRI...

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Section: Lettersmentioning

confidence: 99%

A network of topographic numerosity maps in human association cortex

2017

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“…This is what the study by RamirezCardenas and colleagues directly investigated [9]. They found differential tuning for empty sets between parietal and frontal areas.…”

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confidence: 52%

“…A recent paper by Ramirez-Cardenas and colleagues [9] provides striking evidence favoring this proposal. The authors investigated whether single neurons and neuronal populations in the primate parietofrontal magnitude system, which typically encode the number of visual stimuli in a set, also encode empty sets conveying a null quantitative value.…”

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confidence: 96%

A Place for Zero in the Brain

Rinaldi

Girelli

2016

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

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“…It is also possible that even if zero is stored by the ANS, it requires additional supporting processes. For example, it was found that monkeys could solve number matching task with empty set, and cells tuned to the empty sets were found both in the ventral intraparietal area and in the prefrontal cortex, as it has been observed for positive numbers (Ramirez-Cardenas, Moskaleva, & Nieder, 2016). However, 3 only the cells in the prefrontal cortex showed the distance effect for zero, a sign of ANS processing, and not the intraparietal cells, although the ANS is supposed to be localized in the intraparietal area (Dehaene, Piazza, Pinel, & Cohen, 2003).…”

Section: Lack Of Developmental Models Of Understanding Zeromentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most frequently referred model suggests that semantic numerical processing is driven by the approximate number system that represents numbers in an imprecise way (Feigenson et al, 2004;Merritt & Brannon, 2013;Moyer & Landauer, 1967). This system might include zero, although this ability can be debated (Dakin et al, 2011;Dehaene et al, 1993;Merritt & Brannon, 2013;Ramirez-Cardenas et al, 2016). It is possible that while the positive numbers and in some cases the zero value could be handled by this system (as in the comparison task), in some other cases the zero value should be handled by another system (as in the number status of zero task).…”

Section: The Dual Nature Of Zeromentioning

confidence: 99%