The influence of verbalization on the pattern of cortical activation during mental arithmetic

Zarnhofer, Sabrina; Braunstein, Verena; Ebner, Franz; Koschutnig, Karl; Neuper, Christa; Reishofer, Gernot; Ischebeck, Anja

doi:10.1186/1744-9081-8-13

Cited by 35 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…It might therefore be concluded that the left AG shows a specific affinity to the verbal domain. In a previous study [27], however, we found no modulation of activation in the left AG as a function of verbalization. Therefore, more studies are needed to answer the question whether the left AG is involved in number processing in a modality specific way.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 93%

“…In a previous study [27], we found that the higher the self-reported tendency to verbalize the higher the activation in areas related to verbal (left and right supramarginal gyrus) and auditory processing (left and right Heschl’s gyrus, left and right Rolandic Operculum. It is possible that, given the arithmetic word problems, verbalization was present already to a high degree, so that individual differences no longer played a role.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…In a previous study [27] we found that the higher the self reported tendency to verbalize during mental arithmetic the higher the activation in brain areas related to language and auditory processing. It is unclear, why we found significant correlations only for the verbalizer dimension but not for the visualizer dimension.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

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Individual differences in solving arithmetic word problems

et al. 2013

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BackgroundWith the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study at 3 T, we investigated the neural correlates of visualization and verbalization during arithmetic word problem solving. In the domain of arithmetic, visualization might mean to visualize numbers and (intermediate) results while calculating, and verbalization might mean that numbers and (intermediate) results are verbally repeated during calculation. If the brain areas involved in number processing are domain-specific as assumed, that is, that the left angular gyrus (AG) shows an affinity to the verbal domain, and that the left and right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) shows an affinity to the visual domain, the activation of these areas should show a dependency on an individual’s cognitive style.Methods36 healthy young adults participated in the fMRI study. The participants habitual use of visualization and verbalization during solving arithmetic word problems was assessed with a short self-report assessment. During the fMRI measurement, arithmetic word problems that had to be solved by the participants were presented in an event-related design.ResultsWe found that visualizers showed greater brain activation in brain areas involved in visual processing, and that verbalizers showed greater brain activation within the left angular gyrus.ConclusionsOur results indicate that cognitive styles or preferences play an important role in understanding brain activation. Our results confirm, that strong visualizers use mental imagery more strongly than weak visualizers during calculation. Moreover, our results suggest that the left AG shows a specific affinity to the verbal domain and subserves number processing in a modality-specific way.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

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Individual differences in solving arithmetic word problems

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“…These findings help to validate the involvement of the precuneus regions in BRO effects. This has been further substantiated by studies reporting differential activation patterns when participants solved mental arithmetic problems using different calculation strategies (i.e., visualization vs verbalization of numbers) (Ischebeck et al, 2006;Zarnhofer et al, 2012Zarnhofer et al, , 2013. gyri during PF is consistent with previous reports (Berman, Horovitz, Morel, & Hallett, 2012;Bonfiglio et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2017), and may be related to sensory processing of blink-related information as these regions have been previously linked with visual processes including complex image encoding, face perception, and object recognition (Bar et al, 2001;Machielsen, Rombouts, Barkhof, Scheltens, & Witter, 2000;Weiner & Zilles, 2016).…”

Section: Reduction Of Bro-related Cortical Activations Under Cognitsupporting

confidence: 84%

Cognitive loading via mental arithmetic modulates effects of blink‐related oscillations on precuneus and ventral attention network regions

Liu

Hajra

Song

et al. 2018

Human Brain Mapping

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Blink‐related oscillations (BROs) have been linked with environmental monitoring processes associated with blinking, with cortical activations in the bilateral precuneus. Although BROs have been described under resting and passive fixation conditions, little is known about their characteristics under cognitive loading. To address this, we investigated BRO effects during both mental arithmetic (MA) and passive fixation (PF) tasks using magnetoencephalography (n =20), while maintaining the same sensory environment in both tasks. Our results confirmed the presence of BRO effects in both MA and PF tasks, with similar characteristics including blink‐related increase in global field power and blink‐related activation of the bilateral precuneus. In addition, cognitive loading due to MA also modulated BRO effects by decreasing BRO‐induced cortical activations in key brain regions including the bilateral anterior precuneus. Interestingly, blinking during MA—but not PF—activated regions of the ventral attention network (i.e., right supramarginal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus), suggesting possible recruitment of these areas for blink processing under cognitive loading conditions. Time–frequency analysis revealed a consistent pattern of BRO‐related effects in the precuneus in both tasks, but with task‐related functional segregation within the anterior and posterior subregions. Based on these findings, we postulate a potential neurocognitive mechanism for blink processing in the precuneus. This study is the first investigation of BRO effects under cognitive loading, and our results provide compelling new evidence for the important cognitive implications of blink‐related processing in the human brain.

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“…It may reflect cognitive strategies or attempts at mental reconstruction (Zarnhofer et al, 2012). Imagining speech in third person was among other associated with left sided activation in STG and left postcentral gyrus (Shergill et al, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrieval, Monitoring, and Control Processes: A 7 Tesla fMRI Approach to Memory Accuracy

Risius¹,

Staniloiu²,

Piefke³

et al. 2013

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Memory research has been guided by two powerful metaphors: the storehouse (computer) and the correspondence metaphor. The latter emphasizes the dependability of retrieved mnemonic information and draws upon ideas about the state dependency and reconstructive character of episodic memory. We used a new movie to unveil the neural correlates connected with retrieval, monitoring, and control processes, and memory accuracy (MAC), according to the paradigm of Koriat and Goldsmith (1996a,b). During functional magnetic resonance imaging, subjects performed a memory task which required (after an initial learning phase) rating true and false statements [retrieval phase (RP)], making confidence judgments in the respective statement [monitoring phase (MP)], and deciding for either venturing (volunteering) the respective answer or withholding the response [control phase (CP)]. Imaging data pointed to common and unique neural correlates. Activations in brain regions related to RP and MAC were observed in the precuneus, middle temporal gyrus, and left hippocampus. MP was associated with activation in the left anterior and posterior cingulate cortex along with bilateral medial temporal regions. If an answer was volunteered (as opposed to being withheld) during the CP, temporal, and frontal as well as middle and posterior cingulate areas and the precuneus revealed activations. Increased bilateral hippocampal activity was found during withholding compared to volunteering answers. The left caudate activation detected during withholding compared to venturing an answer supports the involvement of the left caudate in inhibiting unwanted responses. Contrary to expectations, we did not evidence prefrontal activations during withholding (as opposed to volunteering) answers. This may reflect our design specifications, but alternative interpretations are put forth.

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The influence of verbalization on the pattern of cortical activation during mental arithmetic

Cited by 35 publications

References 60 publications

Individual differences in solving arithmetic word problems

Individual differences in solving arithmetic word problems

Cognitive loading via mental arithmetic modulates effects of blink‐related oscillations on precuneus and ventral attention network regions

Retrieval, Monitoring, and Control Processes: A 7 Tesla fMRI Approach to Memory Accuracy

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