... Silke M. Göbel1, Samuel Shaki2, and Martin H. Fischer3 ... Lancy (1983) discriminated four ty... more ... Silke M. Göbel1, Samuel Shaki2, and Martin H. Fischer3 ... Lancy (1983) discriminated four types of counting systems in the New Guinea region after analyzing 225 languages: The most popular was a hand-and feet-based system, followed by use of other body parts, sticks, and ...
Specific language influences have been observed in basic numerical tasks such as magnitude compar... more Specific language influences have been observed in basic numerical tasks such as magnitude comparison, transcoding, and the number line estimation task. However, so far language influences in more complex calculations have not been reported in children. In this translingual study, 7- to 9-year-old German- and Italian-speaking children were tested on a symbolic addition task. Whereas the order of tens and units in Italian number words follows the order of the Arabic notation, the order is inverted in German number words. For both language groups, addition problems were more difficult when a carry operation was needed, that is, when a manipulation within the place-value structure of the Arabic number system was particularly important. Most important, this carry effect was more pronounced in response latencies for children speaking German, a language with inverted verbal mapping of the place-value structure. In addition, independent of language group, the size of the carry effect was s...
High comorbidity rates between reading disorder (RD) and mathematics disorder (MD) indicate that,... more High comorbidity rates between reading disorder (RD) and mathematics disorder (MD) indicate that, although the cognitive core deficits underlying these disorders are distinct, additional domain-general risk factors might be shared between the disorders. Three domain-general cognitive abilities were investigated in children with RD and MD: processing speed, temporal processing, and working memory. Since attention problems frequently co-occur with learning disorders, the study examined whether these three factors, which are known to be associated with attention problems, account for the comorbidity between these disorders. The sample comprised 99 primary school children in four groups: children with RD, children with MD, children with both disorders (RD+MD), and typically developing children (TD controls). Measures of processing speed, temporal processing, and memory were analyzed in a series of ANCOVAs including attention ratings as covariate. All three risk factors were associated w...
The directionality of space-number association (SNA) is shaped by cultural experiences. It usuall... more The directionality of space-number association (SNA) is shaped by cultural experiences. It usually follows the culturally dominant reading direction. Smaller numbers are generally associated with the starting side for reading (left side in Western cultures), while larger numbers are associated with the right endpoint side. However, SNAs consistent with cultural reading directions are present before children can actually read and write. Therefore, these SNAs cannot only be shaped by the direction of children's own reading/writing behavior. We propose six distinct processes - one biological and five cultural/educational - underlying directional SNAs before formal reading acquisition: (i) Brain lateralization, (ii) Monitoring adult reading behavior, (iii) Pretend reading and writing, and rudimentary reading and writing skills, (iv) Dominant attentional directional preferences in a society, not directly related to reading direction, (v) Direct spatial-numerical learning, (vi) Other ...
It is well established that the premotor cortex has a central role in the selection of movements.... more It is well established that the premotor cortex has a central role in the selection of movements. The role of parts of the parietal cortex in movement control has proved more difficult to describe but appears to be related to the preparation and the redirection of movements and movement intentions. We have referred to some of these processes as motor attention. It has been known since the time of William James that covert motor attention can be directed to an upcoming movement just as visuospatial attention can be directed to a location in space. While some parietal regions, particularly in the right hemisphere, are concerned with covert orienting and the redirecting of covert orienting it may be useful to consider other parietal regions, in the anterior inferior parietal lobule and in the posterior superior parietal lobule, particularly in the left hemisphere, as contributing to motor attention. Such parts of the parietal lobe are activated in neuroimaging experiments when subjects covertly prepare movements or switch intended movements. Lesions or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) affect the redirecting of motor attention. The difficulties apraxic patients experience when sequencing movements may partly be due to an inability to redirect motor attention from one movement to another. The role of the premotor cortex in selecting movements is also lateralized to the left hemisphere. Damage to left hemisphere movement selection mechanisms may also contribute to apraxia. If, however, it remains intact after a stroke then the premotor cortex may contribute to the recovery of arm movements. A group of patients with unilateral left hemisphere lesions and impaired movements in the contralateral right hand was studied. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that in some cases the premotor cortex in the intact hemisphere was more active when the stroke-affected hand was used. TMS in the same area in the same patients had the most disruptive effect on movements. In summary, patterns of motor impairment and recovery seen after strokes can partly be explained with reference to the roles of the parietal and premotor cortices in motor attention and selection.
SUMMARY After unilateral stroke, the dorsal premotor cor- tex (PMd) in the intact hemisphere is o... more SUMMARY After unilateral stroke, the dorsal premotor cor- tex (PMd) in the intact hemisphere is often more active during movement of an affected limb. Whether this contributes to motor recovery is unclear. Functional magnetic resonance imag- ing (fMRI) was used to investigate short-term reorganization in right PMd after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) disrupted the dom- inant left PMd, which is
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2010
The present study investigated basic numerical skills and arithmetic in adults with developmental... more The present study investigated basic numerical skills and arithmetic in adults with developmental dyslexia. Participants performed exact and approximate calculation, basic numerical tasks (e.g., counting; symbolic number comparison; spatial-numerical association of response codes, SNARC), and visuospatial tasks (mental rotation and visual search tasks). The group with dyslexia showed a marginal impairment in counting compared to age- and IQ-matched controls, and they were impaired in exact addition, in particular with respect to speed. They were also significantly slower in multiplication. In basic number processing, however, there was no significant difference in performance between those with dyslexia and controls. Both groups performed similarly on subtraction and approximate addition tasks. These findings indicate that basic number processing in adults with dyslexia is intact. Their difficulties are restricted to the verbal code and are not associated with deficits in nonverbal magnitude representation, visual Arabic number form, or spatial cognition.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008
We learn counting on our fingers, and the digital representation of numbers we develop is still p... more We learn counting on our fingers, and the digital representation of numbers we develop is still present in adulthood [Andres M, et al. (2007) J Cognit Neurosci 19:563-576]. Such an anatomy-magnitude association establishes tight functional correspondences between fingers and numbers [Di Luca S, et al. (2006) Q J Exp Psychol 59:1648 -1663]. However, it has long been known that small-to-large magnitude information is arranged left-to-right along a mental number line [Dehaene S, et al. (1993) J Exp Psychol Genet 122:371-396]. Here, we investigated touch perception to disambiguate whether number representation is embodied on the hand (''1'' ؍ thumb; ''5'' ؍ little finger) or disembodied in the extrapersonal space (''1'' ؍ left; ''5'' ؍ right). We directly contrasted these number representations in two experiments using a single centrally located effector (the foot) and a simple postural manipulation of the hand (palm-up vs.
Patients with left-sided visuospatial neglect, typically after damage to the right parietal lobe,... more Patients with left-sided visuospatial neglect, typically after damage to the right parietal lobe, show a systematic bias towards larger numbers when asked to bisect a numerical interval. This has been taken as further evidence for a spatial representation of numbers, perhaps akin to a mental number line with smaller numbers represented to the left and larger numbers to the right. Previously, contralateral neglect-like symptoms in physical line bisection have been induced in healthy subjects with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over right posterior parietal lobe.
Neuroimaging studies of number comparison have consistently found activation in the intraparietal... more Neuroimaging studies of number comparison have consistently found activation in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Recently, it has been suggested that activations in the IPS vary with the distance between the numbers being compared. In number comparison, the smaller the distance between a number and the reference the longer the reaction time (RT ). Activations in the right or left IPS, however, have also been related to attentional and intentional selection. It is possible, therefore, that activity in this region is a reflection of the more basic stimulus and response-selection processes associated with changes in RT. This fMRI experiment investigated the effect of numerical distance independently from RT. In addition, activations during number comparison of single-digit and double-digit stimuli were compared. During number comparison blocks, subjects had to indicate whether digits were greater or smaller than a reference (5 or 65). In control blocks, they were asked to perform a perceptual task (vertical line present/absent) on either numerical or nonnumerical stimuli. Number comparison versus rest yielded a large bilateral parietal-posterior frontal network. However, no areas showed more activation during number comparison than during the control tasks. Furthermore, no areas were more active during comparison of numbers separated by a small distance than comparisons of those separated by a large distance or vice versa. A left-lateralized parietal-posterior frontal network varied significantly with RT. Our findings suggest that magnitude and numerical-distance-related IPS activations might be difficult to separate from fundamental stimulus and response-selection processes associated with RT changes. As is the case with other parameters, such as space, magnitude may be represented in the context of response selection in the parietal cortex. In this respect, the representation of magnitude in the human IPS may be similar to the representation of magnitude in other nonhuman primates.
Western adults associate small numbers with left space and large numbers with right space. Where ... more Western adults associate small numbers with left space and large numbers with right space. Where does this pervasive spatial-numerical association come from? In this study, we first recorded directional counting preferences in adults with different reading experiences (left to right, right to left, mixed, and illiterate) and observed a clear relationship between reading and counting directions. We then recorded directional counting preferences in preschoolers and elementary school children from three of these reading cultures (left to right, right to left, and mixed). Culture-specific counting biases existed before reading acquisition in children as young as 3years and were subsequently modified by early reading experience. Together, our results suggest that both directional counting and scanning activities contribute to number-space associations.
This study examined automatic number processing in adults with mathematical learning disabilities... more This study examined automatic number processing in adults with mathematical learning disabilities (MLDs). The performance of adults with MLD during an automatic symbolic and non-symbolic priming task was compared to gender-, age-, and IQ-matched controls. No difference in the priming distance effect was found between the adults with and without MLD, suggesting that adults with MLD have an intact magnitude representation. Moreover, the adults with MLD did not have problems in processing the numerical symbols 1-9, suggesting that this basic deficit which is experienced by children with MLD is resolved by adulthood.
... Silke M. Göbel1, Samuel Shaki2, and Martin H. Fischer3 ... Lancy (1983) discriminated four ty... more ... Silke M. Göbel1, Samuel Shaki2, and Martin H. Fischer3 ... Lancy (1983) discriminated four types of counting systems in the New Guinea region after analyzing 225 languages: The most popular was a hand-and feet-based system, followed by use of other body parts, sticks, and ...
Specific language influences have been observed in basic numerical tasks such as magnitude compar... more Specific language influences have been observed in basic numerical tasks such as magnitude comparison, transcoding, and the number line estimation task. However, so far language influences in more complex calculations have not been reported in children. In this translingual study, 7- to 9-year-old German- and Italian-speaking children were tested on a symbolic addition task. Whereas the order of tens and units in Italian number words follows the order of the Arabic notation, the order is inverted in German number words. For both language groups, addition problems were more difficult when a carry operation was needed, that is, when a manipulation within the place-value structure of the Arabic number system was particularly important. Most important, this carry effect was more pronounced in response latencies for children speaking German, a language with inverted verbal mapping of the place-value structure. In addition, independent of language group, the size of the carry effect was s...
High comorbidity rates between reading disorder (RD) and mathematics disorder (MD) indicate that,... more High comorbidity rates between reading disorder (RD) and mathematics disorder (MD) indicate that, although the cognitive core deficits underlying these disorders are distinct, additional domain-general risk factors might be shared between the disorders. Three domain-general cognitive abilities were investigated in children with RD and MD: processing speed, temporal processing, and working memory. Since attention problems frequently co-occur with learning disorders, the study examined whether these three factors, which are known to be associated with attention problems, account for the comorbidity between these disorders. The sample comprised 99 primary school children in four groups: children with RD, children with MD, children with both disorders (RD+MD), and typically developing children (TD controls). Measures of processing speed, temporal processing, and memory were analyzed in a series of ANCOVAs including attention ratings as covariate. All three risk factors were associated w...
The directionality of space-number association (SNA) is shaped by cultural experiences. It usuall... more The directionality of space-number association (SNA) is shaped by cultural experiences. It usually follows the culturally dominant reading direction. Smaller numbers are generally associated with the starting side for reading (left side in Western cultures), while larger numbers are associated with the right endpoint side. However, SNAs consistent with cultural reading directions are present before children can actually read and write. Therefore, these SNAs cannot only be shaped by the direction of children's own reading/writing behavior. We propose six distinct processes - one biological and five cultural/educational - underlying directional SNAs before formal reading acquisition: (i) Brain lateralization, (ii) Monitoring adult reading behavior, (iii) Pretend reading and writing, and rudimentary reading and writing skills, (iv) Dominant attentional directional preferences in a society, not directly related to reading direction, (v) Direct spatial-numerical learning, (vi) Other ...
It is well established that the premotor cortex has a central role in the selection of movements.... more It is well established that the premotor cortex has a central role in the selection of movements. The role of parts of the parietal cortex in movement control has proved more difficult to describe but appears to be related to the preparation and the redirection of movements and movement intentions. We have referred to some of these processes as motor attention. It has been known since the time of William James that covert motor attention can be directed to an upcoming movement just as visuospatial attention can be directed to a location in space. While some parietal regions, particularly in the right hemisphere, are concerned with covert orienting and the redirecting of covert orienting it may be useful to consider other parietal regions, in the anterior inferior parietal lobule and in the posterior superior parietal lobule, particularly in the left hemisphere, as contributing to motor attention. Such parts of the parietal lobe are activated in neuroimaging experiments when subjects covertly prepare movements or switch intended movements. Lesions or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) affect the redirecting of motor attention. The difficulties apraxic patients experience when sequencing movements may partly be due to an inability to redirect motor attention from one movement to another. The role of the premotor cortex in selecting movements is also lateralized to the left hemisphere. Damage to left hemisphere movement selection mechanisms may also contribute to apraxia. If, however, it remains intact after a stroke then the premotor cortex may contribute to the recovery of arm movements. A group of patients with unilateral left hemisphere lesions and impaired movements in the contralateral right hand was studied. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that in some cases the premotor cortex in the intact hemisphere was more active when the stroke-affected hand was used. TMS in the same area in the same patients had the most disruptive effect on movements. In summary, patterns of motor impairment and recovery seen after strokes can partly be explained with reference to the roles of the parietal and premotor cortices in motor attention and selection.
SUMMARY After unilateral stroke, the dorsal premotor cor- tex (PMd) in the intact hemisphere is o... more SUMMARY After unilateral stroke, the dorsal premotor cor- tex (PMd) in the intact hemisphere is often more active during movement of an affected limb. Whether this contributes to motor recovery is unclear. Functional magnetic resonance imag- ing (fMRI) was used to investigate short-term reorganization in right PMd after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) disrupted the dom- inant left PMd, which is
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2010
The present study investigated basic numerical skills and arithmetic in adults with developmental... more The present study investigated basic numerical skills and arithmetic in adults with developmental dyslexia. Participants performed exact and approximate calculation, basic numerical tasks (e.g., counting; symbolic number comparison; spatial-numerical association of response codes, SNARC), and visuospatial tasks (mental rotation and visual search tasks). The group with dyslexia showed a marginal impairment in counting compared to age- and IQ-matched controls, and they were impaired in exact addition, in particular with respect to speed. They were also significantly slower in multiplication. In basic number processing, however, there was no significant difference in performance between those with dyslexia and controls. Both groups performed similarly on subtraction and approximate addition tasks. These findings indicate that basic number processing in adults with dyslexia is intact. Their difficulties are restricted to the verbal code and are not associated with deficits in nonverbal magnitude representation, visual Arabic number form, or spatial cognition.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008
We learn counting on our fingers, and the digital representation of numbers we develop is still p... more We learn counting on our fingers, and the digital representation of numbers we develop is still present in adulthood [Andres M, et al. (2007) J Cognit Neurosci 19:563-576]. Such an anatomy-magnitude association establishes tight functional correspondences between fingers and numbers [Di Luca S, et al. (2006) Q J Exp Psychol 59:1648 -1663]. However, it has long been known that small-to-large magnitude information is arranged left-to-right along a mental number line [Dehaene S, et al. (1993) J Exp Psychol Genet 122:371-396]. Here, we investigated touch perception to disambiguate whether number representation is embodied on the hand (''1'' ؍ thumb; ''5'' ؍ little finger) or disembodied in the extrapersonal space (''1'' ؍ left; ''5'' ؍ right). We directly contrasted these number representations in two experiments using a single centrally located effector (the foot) and a simple postural manipulation of the hand (palm-up vs.
Patients with left-sided visuospatial neglect, typically after damage to the right parietal lobe,... more Patients with left-sided visuospatial neglect, typically after damage to the right parietal lobe, show a systematic bias towards larger numbers when asked to bisect a numerical interval. This has been taken as further evidence for a spatial representation of numbers, perhaps akin to a mental number line with smaller numbers represented to the left and larger numbers to the right. Previously, contralateral neglect-like symptoms in physical line bisection have been induced in healthy subjects with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over right posterior parietal lobe.
Neuroimaging studies of number comparison have consistently found activation in the intraparietal... more Neuroimaging studies of number comparison have consistently found activation in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Recently, it has been suggested that activations in the IPS vary with the distance between the numbers being compared. In number comparison, the smaller the distance between a number and the reference the longer the reaction time (RT ). Activations in the right or left IPS, however, have also been related to attentional and intentional selection. It is possible, therefore, that activity in this region is a reflection of the more basic stimulus and response-selection processes associated with changes in RT. This fMRI experiment investigated the effect of numerical distance independently from RT. In addition, activations during number comparison of single-digit and double-digit stimuli were compared. During number comparison blocks, subjects had to indicate whether digits were greater or smaller than a reference (5 or 65). In control blocks, they were asked to perform a perceptual task (vertical line present/absent) on either numerical or nonnumerical stimuli. Number comparison versus rest yielded a large bilateral parietal-posterior frontal network. However, no areas showed more activation during number comparison than during the control tasks. Furthermore, no areas were more active during comparison of numbers separated by a small distance than comparisons of those separated by a large distance or vice versa. A left-lateralized parietal-posterior frontal network varied significantly with RT. Our findings suggest that magnitude and numerical-distance-related IPS activations might be difficult to separate from fundamental stimulus and response-selection processes associated with RT changes. As is the case with other parameters, such as space, magnitude may be represented in the context of response selection in the parietal cortex. In this respect, the representation of magnitude in the human IPS may be similar to the representation of magnitude in other nonhuman primates.
Western adults associate small numbers with left space and large numbers with right space. Where ... more Western adults associate small numbers with left space and large numbers with right space. Where does this pervasive spatial-numerical association come from? In this study, we first recorded directional counting preferences in adults with different reading experiences (left to right, right to left, mixed, and illiterate) and observed a clear relationship between reading and counting directions. We then recorded directional counting preferences in preschoolers and elementary school children from three of these reading cultures (left to right, right to left, and mixed). Culture-specific counting biases existed before reading acquisition in children as young as 3years and were subsequently modified by early reading experience. Together, our results suggest that both directional counting and scanning activities contribute to number-space associations.
This study examined automatic number processing in adults with mathematical learning disabilities... more This study examined automatic number processing in adults with mathematical learning disabilities (MLDs). The performance of adults with MLD during an automatic symbolic and non-symbolic priming task was compared to gender-, age-, and IQ-matched controls. No difference in the priming distance effect was found between the adults with and without MLD, suggesting that adults with MLD have an intact magnitude representation. Moreover, the adults with MLD did not have problems in processing the numerical symbols 1-9, suggesting that this basic deficit which is experienced by children with MLD is resolved by adulthood.
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Papers by Silke Gobel