Fact learning in complex arithmetic and figural-spatial tasks: the role of the angular gyrus and its relation to mathematical competence

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies have revealed a strong link between mental calculation and the angular gyrus (AG) which has been interpreted to reflect arithmetic fact retrieval. Moreover, a stronger AG activation in individuals with higher mathematical competence has been reported. The present fMRI study investigates the specificity of the AG for arithmetic fact learning and the interplay between training and mathematical competence on brain activation. Adults of lower and higher mathematical competence underwent a five-day training on sets of complex multiplication and figural-spatial problems. In the following fMRI test session, trained and untrained problems were presented. Similar training effects were observed in both problem types, consisting of AG activation increases bilaterally and wide-spread activation decreases in frontal and parietal regions. This finding indicates that the AG is not specifically involved in the learning of arithmetic facts. Competence-related differences in the AG only emerged in untrained but not in trained multiplication problems. The relation between AG activation and mathematical competence in arithmetic problem solving therefore seems to be due to differences in arithmetic fact retrieval which can be attenuated through training.

Figure 1

Paradigm design of the multiplication and figural‐spatial task. After the problem presentation, the participant had to select the correct solution by left or right‐hand button press. In these example items, the correct solutions are 98 to the multiplication problem and eight (i.e., the number of faces of the object) to the figural‐spatial problem.

Figure 2

Behavioural training effects on response latencies in the multiplication (left) and figural‐spatial task (right) for both math competence groups. Error bars indicate ±1 SE of the mean. N = 25 (n = 12 lower, n = 13 higher math competence).

Figure 3

Similarities and differences between the multiplication (M) and figural‐spatial task (F) in untrained (left) and trained (right) condition. (a) Conjunction analysis of both tasks. (b) Multiplication minus figural‐spatial task. (c) Figural‐spatial task minus multiplication. Activation clusters (voxelwise P < 0.05 family wise error corrected) are depicted on the standard single‐subject volume‐rendered brain implemented in SPM5 (sagittal views). [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.]

Figure 4

Training effects in the multiplication (upper row) and figural‐spatial task (lower row). Activation clusters from the contrast untrained minus trained are depicted in red colour; activation clusters from the contrast trained minus untrained in green colour. All effects at voxelwise P < 0.05 family wise error corrected. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.]

Figure 5

Results of ROI analysis in the left (upper row) and right (lower row) angular gyrus. *Post‐hoc comparison significant at P < 0.05 Bonferroni corrected.