Exact and approximate judgements of visual and auditory numerosity: an fMRI study.
Human adults can assess the number of objects in a set (numerosity) by approximate estimation or by exact counting. There is evidence suggesting that numerosity estimation depends on a dedicated mechanism that is a-modal and non-verbal. By contrast, counting requires the coordination between the pre-existing numerosity estimation abilities with language and one-to-one correspondence principles. In this paper we investigate with fMRI the neural correlates of numerosity estimation and counting in human adults, using both visual and auditory stimuli. Results show that attending to approximate numerosity correlates with increased activity of a right lateralized fronto-parietal cortical network, and that this activity is independent of the stimuli presentation's modality. Counting activates additional left prefrontal, parietal, and bilateral premotor areas, again independently from stimulus modality. These results dissociate two neuronal systems that underlie different numerosity judgements.
Piazza
Manuela
M
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK; INSERM-CEA Unit 562, Cognitive Neuroimaging, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay, France. Electronic address: piazza@shfj.cea.fr.
Mechelli
Andrea
A
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Price
Cathy J
CJ
Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Butterworth
Brian
B
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*