TY - JOUR
T1 - Integral calculus problem solving
T2 - An fMRI investigation
AU - Krueger, Frank
AU - Spampinato, Maria Vittoria
AU - Pardini, Matteo
AU - Pajevic, Sinisa
AU - Wood, Jacqueline N.
AU - Weiss, George H.
AU - Landgraf, Steffen
AU - Grafman, Jordan
PY - 2008/7/16
Y1 - 2008/7/16
N2 - Only a subset of adults acquires specific advanced mathematical skills, such as integral calculus. The representation of more sophisticated mathematical concepts probably evolved from basic number systems; however its neuroanatomical basis is still unknown. Using fMRI, we investigated the neural basis of integral calculus while healthy participants were engaged in an integration verification task. Solving integrals activated a left-lateralized cortical network including the horizontal intraparietal sulcus, posterior superior parietal lobe, posterior cingulate gyrus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our results indicate that solving of more abstract and sophisticated mathematical facts, such as calculus integrals, elicits a pattern of brain activation similar to the cortical network engaged in basic numeric comparison, quantity manipulation, and arithmetic problem solving.
AB - Only a subset of adults acquires specific advanced mathematical skills, such as integral calculus. The representation of more sophisticated mathematical concepts probably evolved from basic number systems; however its neuroanatomical basis is still unknown. Using fMRI, we investigated the neural basis of integral calculus while healthy participants were engaged in an integration verification task. Solving integrals activated a left-lateralized cortical network including the horizontal intraparietal sulcus, posterior superior parietal lobe, posterior cingulate gyrus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our results indicate that solving of more abstract and sophisticated mathematical facts, such as calculus integrals, elicits a pattern of brain activation similar to the cortical network engaged in basic numeric comparison, quantity manipulation, and arithmetic problem solving.
KW - Arithmetic
KW - Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
KW - Intraparietal sulcus
KW - Mathematics
KW - Superior parietal lobe
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U2 - 10.1097/WNR.0b013e328303fd85
DO - 10.1097/WNR.0b013e328303fd85
M3 - Article
C2 - 18596607
AN - SCOPUS:49949115092
SN - 0959-4965
VL - 19
SP - 1095
EP - 1099
JO - Neuroreport
JF - Neuroreport
IS - 11
ER -