Number Processing and Calculation – Normative Data from Healthy Adults

Abstract

Despite the high incidence of numerical deficits in neurological patients, little attention has been paid to the development of diagnostic tools. In fact, most of the published reports on acquired numerical disorders, whether single case or group studies, do not refer to standardised measures of performance providing little, if any, control data specifically collected for the examination. In this study we present data of 282 healthy controls of different age groups and educational levels in a new battery of Number Processing and Calculation (NPC). The NPC battery includes a total of 35 tasks, assessing different counting abilities, various aspects of number comprehension (such as parity and magnitude judgements), numerical transcoding, calculation, arithmetic reasoning and conceptual knowledge. Special attention is paid to the assessment of different calculation abilities, including simple fact retrieval, rule based processing, mental calculation and written calculation in all four operations. Moreover, text problem solving is assessed as well as the understanding of arithmetic principles. Thus, the NPC battery differs from the EC 301 battery proposed by Deloche et al., 1994 (Dellatolas, Deloche, Basso, & Claros-Salinas, 2001) and allows a more fine grained diagnosis which is relevant for planning targeted interventions. The battery is easy to administer and does not require special materials or equipment.

Right parietal cortex and calculation processing: intraoperative functional mapping of multiplication and addition in patients affected by a brain tumor

“…18 Mood status was stable and no signs of depression or pathological anxiety were detected, as evaluated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life QuestionnaireCore 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) 9 and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale 26 tests, respectively. The assessment of calculation skills according to the methods indicated by Delazer et al 5 showed a normal performance. In detail, the Number Processing and Calculation battery 5 included 35 tasks assessing different counting abilities, such as number comprehension, numerical transcoding, calculation, arithmetic reasoning, and conceptual knowledge.…”

“…The assessment of calculation skills according to the methods indicated by Delazer et al 5 showed a normal performance. In detail, the Number Processing and Calculation battery 5 included 35 tasks assessing different counting abilities, such as number comprehension, numerical transcoding, calculation, arithmetic reasoning, and conceptual knowledge. The calculation abilities included tasks such as simple fact retrieval, rule-based processing, and oral and written calculation in all 4 operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).…”

Ability of aphasic individuals to perform numerical processing and calculation tasks

“…Counting serially (automatic range) in threes, in tens, and in reverse order (back to front) requires praxis skills and prior learning 20 .The fact that all tasks were altered suggests that the inferior performance of the aphasic patients resulted not only from speech apraxia, which is commonly found in aphasic patients 21 who sometimes have difficulty controlling the programming of their buccolaryngo-pharyngeal speech movements, and this gives the impression that they struggle to produce the intended sequence of sounds. They also have difficulties with verbal counting and learned numerical concepts 16,21 .…”

“…This battery is reputed to be the most frequently used method of assessing calculation abilities in adults [14][15][16] and contains 13 different tasks ( 31 subtasks; Table 2): (1) counting; (2) dot counting; (3) transcoding; (4) arithmetic signs; (5) number comparison; (6) mental computation; (7) estimating the result of an operation; (8) number positioning on an analog scale; (9) writing down an operation; (10) written calculation; (11) perceptive estimation of quantity where subjects must estimate the weight, length, or number of objects shown in a picture; (12) contextual magnitude judgments; and (13) numerical knowledge.…”

Subcortical mapping of calculation processing in the right parietal lobe

“…Patients gave their written informed consent. A full assessment of calculation skills was performed before surgery according to the methods of Delazer et al, 3 assessing different counting abilities, number comprehension, numerical transcoding, calculation, arithmetic reasoning, and conceptual knowl- Preservation of calculation processing in brain surgery is crucial for patients' quality of life. Over the last decade, surgical electrostimulation was used to identify and preserve the cortical areas involved in such processing.…”