Individual differences in nonverbal number discrimination correlate with event-related potentials and measures of probabilistic reasoning.
The current study investigated the neural activity patterns associated with numerical sensitivity in adults. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while adults observed sequentially presented display arrays (S1 and S2) of non-symbolic numerical stimuli (dots) and made same/different judgments of these stimuli by pressing a button only when numerosities were the same (target trials). The main goals were to contrast the effects of numerical distance (close, medium, and far) and change direction (increasing, decreasing) between S1 and S2, both in terms of behavior and brain activity, and to examine the influence of individual differences in numeracy on the effects of these manipulations. Neural effects of distance were found to be significant between 360 and 600 ms after the onset of S2 (greater negativity-wave activity for closer numerical distances), while direction effects were found between 320 and 440 ms (greater negativity for decreasing direction). ERP change direction effects did not interact with numerical distance, suggesting that the two types of information are processed independently. Importantly, subjects' behavioral Weber fractions (w) for the same/different discrimination task correlated with distance-related ERP-activity amplitudes. Moreover, w also correlated with a separate objective measure of mathematical ability. Results thus draw a clear link between brain and behavior measures of number discrimination, while also providing support for the relationship between nonverbal magnitude discrimination and symbolic numerical processing.
Paulsen
David J
DJ
Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, USA.
Woldorff
Marty G
MG
Brannon
Elizabeth M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011336:Probability; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
Med Decis Making. 2007 Sep-Oct;27(5):672-80
17641137
Child Dev. 2008 Jul-Aug;79(4):1016-31
18717904
Trends Cogn Sci. 2004 Jul;8(7):307-14
15242690
Psychophysiology. 1999 Jan;36(1):53-65
10098380
J Cogn Neurosci. 2006 Nov;18(11):1820-8
17069473
Neuroreport. 2005 Nov 7;16(16):1853-6
16237341
Neuroimage. 2001 Nov;14(5):1013-26
11697933
Med Decis Making. 2001 Jan-Feb;21(1):37-44
11206945
Cognition. 2003 Jan;86(3):201-21
12485738
PLoS Biol. 2007 Dec;5(12):e328
18092890
Neurosci Lett. 2007 May 1;417(2):181-6
17367929
J Cogn Neurosci. 2007 Nov;19(11):1845-53
17958487
Trends Cogn Sci. 1999 Oct;3(10):365-366
10498925
Cognition. 2006 Jan;98(3):199-222
15876429
Anim Cogn. 2006 Jul;9(3):159-72
16575587
Exp Brain Res. 2008 May;187(2):267-74
18265966
Neuron. 2004 Oct 28;44(3):547-55
15504333
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Jun 23;95(13):7836-41
9636237
Behav Brain Funct. 2007 Jan 10;3:1
17214890
J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2006 Apr;32(2):120-34
16634655
Nature. 1967 Sep 30;215(5109):1519-20
6052760
Cognition. 2007 Nov;105(2):380-94
17125760
J Cogn Neurosci. 1999 Nov;11(6):617-30
10601743
Neurosci Lett. 2004 Apr 22;360(1-2):65-8
15082180
Neuropsychologia. 2008 Aug;46(10):2532-44
18486953
Psychol Sci. 2008 Jun;19(6):607-14
18578852
Psychol Sci. 2006 May;17(5):401-6
16683927
Nature. 2008 Oct 2;455(7213):665-8
18776888
Cognition. 2000 Jan 10;74(1):B1-B11
10594312
PLoS Biol. 2006 May;4(5):e125
16594732
J Cogn Neurosci. 1993 Fall;5(4):390-407
23964915
Science. 2004 Oct 15;306(5695):499-503
15486303
Psychophysiology. 2003 Jan;40(1):115-30
12751809
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2006 Apr;16(2):222-9
16546373
Psychophysiology. 1999 May;36(3):307-24
10352554
Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2005 Feb;22(2):289-300
15653300
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Apr 1;105(13):5012-5
18378901
Front Behav Neurosci. 2010 Jan 27;4:1
20126432
J Exp Child Psychol. 2006 Nov;95(3):215-29
16808924
Neuron. 2004 Mar 25;41(6):983-93
15046729
Percept Psychophys. 1982 Aug;32(2):163-70
7145586
Cognition. 2001 Mar;78(3):B27-40
11124353
Trends Cogn Sci. 2000 Dec 1;4(12):463-470
11115760
J Cogn Neurosci. 1996 Winter;8(1):47-68
23972235