背景:数学表达式主要包括算术(例如8-(13))和代数(例如a-(bc))。先前的研究表明,代数处理和算术都涉及双侧顶叶大脑区域。尽管以前的研究表明代数与算术是分离的,代数处理和算术之间分离的神经基础仍然不清楚。本研究使用功能磁共振成像(fMRI)来识别特定的大脑网络以进行代数和算术处理。
方法:使用功能磁共振成像,这项研究扫描了30名大学生,并直接比较了代数和算术过程中的大脑激活。大脑激活,将与代数处理相关的单试验(项目)个体间相关性和平均试验个体间相关性与与算术相关的相关性进行了比较.通过基于种子的感兴趣区域(ROI)到ROI分析来分析功能连通性。
结果:脑激活分析表明,代数在角回引起更大的激活,算术在双侧补充运动区引起更大的激活,左脑岛,和左下顶叶小叶。个体间单次试验脑行为相关性揭示了语义网络中显著的脑行为相关性,包括中颞回,额下回,背内侧前额叶皮质,和左角回,代数。对于算术,显著的脑行为相关性位于语音网络中,包括中央前回和辅助运动区,在视觉空间网络中,包括双侧上顶叶小叶。对于代数,在视觉空间网络和语义网络之间观察到显著的正功能连通性,而对于算术,仅在视觉空间网络和语音网络之间观察到显着的正功能连通性。
结论:这些发现表明代数依赖于语义网络,相反,算术依赖于语音和视觉空间网络。
BACKGROUND: Mathematical expressions mainly include arithmetic (such as 8 - (1 + 3)) and algebra (such as a - (b + c)). Previous studies have shown that both algebraic processing and arithmetic involved the bilateral parietal brain regions. Although previous studies have revealed that algebra was dissociated from arithmetic, the neural bases of the dissociation between algebraic processing and arithmetic is still unclear. The present study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the specific brain networks for algebraic and arithmetic processing.
METHODS: Using fMRI, this study scanned 30 undergraduates and directly compared the brain activation during algebra and arithmetic. Brain activations, single-trial (item-wise) interindividual correlation and mean-trial interindividual correlation related to algebra processing were compared with those related to arithmetic. The functional connectivity was analyzed by a seed-based region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analysis.
RESULTS: Brain activation analyses showed that algebra elicited greater activation in the angular gyrus and arithmetic elicited greater activation in the bilateral supplementary motor area, left insula, and left inferior parietal lobule. Interindividual single-trial brain-behavior correlation revealed significant brain-behavior correlations in the semantic network, including the middle temporal gyri, inferior frontal gyri, dorsomedial prefrontal cortices, and left angular gyrus, for algebra. For arithmetic, the significant brain-behavior correlations were located in the phonological network, including the precentral gyrus and supplementary motor area, and in the visuospatial network, including the bilateral superior parietal lobules. For algebra, significant positive functional connectivity was observed between the visuospatial network and semantic network, whereas for arithmetic, significant positive functional connectivity was observed only between the visuospatial network and phonological network.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that algebra relies on the semantic network and conversely, arithmetic relies on the phonological and visuospatial networks.