Single-digit arithmetic processing-anatomical evidence from statistical voxel-based lesion analysis.
Different specific mechanisms have been suggested for solving single-digit arithmetic operations. However, the neural correlates underlying basic arithmetic (multiplication, addition, subtraction) are still under debate. In the present study, we systematically assessed single-digit arithmetic in a group of acute stroke patients (n = 45) with circumscribed left- or right-hemispheric brain lesions. Lesion sites significantly related to impaired performance were found only in the left-hemisphere damaged (LHD) group. Deficits in multiplication and addition were related to subcortical/white matter brain regions differing from those for subtraction tasks, corroborating the notion of distinct processing pathways for different arithmetic tasks. Additionally, our results further point to the importance of investigating fiber pathways in numerical cognition.
Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany ; Department of Diagnostics and Cognitive Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany.
Urszula
U
Mihulowicz
Section Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen Aachen, Germany.
Klaus
K
Willmes
Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany.
Hans-Otto
HO
Karnath
Section Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen Aachen, Germany ; Knowledge Media Research Center, IWM-KMRC Tübingen, Germany.
Elise
E
Klein
arithmetic; arithmetic facts; fiber pathways; lesion analysis; number processing; stroke patients