Development of the numerical brain

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liane Kaufmann ◽  
Karin Kucian ◽  
Michael von Aster
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Cognition ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Numerical Development ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The One ◽  
Neural Signatures

This article focuses on typical trajectories of numerical cognition from infancy all the way through to adulthood (please note that atypical pathways of numerical cognition will be dealt in‘Brain Correlates of Numerical Disabilities’). Despite the fact that developmental imaging studies are still scarce to date there is converging evidence that (1) neural signatures of non-verbal number processing may be observed already in infants; and (2) developmental changes in neural responsivity are characterized by increasing functional specialization of number-relevant frontoparietal brain regions. It has been suggested that age and competence-related modulations of brain activity manifest as an anterior-posterior shift. On the one hand, the recruitment of supporting frontal brain regions decreases, while on the other hand, reliance on number-relevant (fronto-)parietal neural networks increases. Overall, our understanding of the neurocognitive underpinnings of numerical development grew considerably during the last decade. Future research is expected to benefit substantially from the fast technological advances enabling researchers to gain more fine-grained insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of the neural signatures underlying numerical development.

scholarly journals Visual Number Beats Abstract Numerical Magnitude: Format-dependent Representation of Arabic Digits and Dot Patterns in Human Parietal Cortex

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1376-1387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Bulthé ◽  
Bert De Smedt ◽  
Hans P. Op de Beeck
Keyword(s):  
Activity Pattern ◽  
Numerical Cognition ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Numerical Magnitude ◽  
Visual Objects ◽  
Arabic Digits ◽  
The One ◽  
Object Cognition

In numerical cognition, there is a well-known but contested hypothesis that proposes an abstract representation of numerical magnitude in human intraparietal sulcus (IPS). On the other hand, researchers of object cognition have suggested another hypothesis for brain activity in IPS during the processing of number, namely that this activity simply correlates with the number of visual objects or units that are perceived. We contrasted these two accounts by analyzing multivoxel activity patterns elicited by dot patterns and Arabic digits of different magnitudes while participants were explicitly processing the represented numerical magnitude. The activity pattern elicited by the digit “8” was more similar to the activity pattern elicited by one dot (with which the digit shares the number of visual units but not the magnitude) compared to the activity pattern elicited by eight dots, with which the digit shares the represented abstract numerical magnitude. A multivoxel pattern classifier trained to differentiate one dot from eight dots classified all Arabic digits in the one-dot pattern category, irrespective of the numerical magnitude symbolized by the digit. These results were consistently obtained for different digits in IPS, its subregions, and many other brain regions. As predicted from object cognition theories, the number of presented visual units forms the link between the parietal activation elicited by symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. The current study is difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that parietal activation elicited by numbers would reflect a format-independent representation of number.

scholarly journals Resting‐State EEG Microstates Parallel Age‐Related Differences in Allocentric Spatial Working Memory Performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeline Jabès ◽  
Giuliana Klencklen ◽  
Paolo Ruggeri ◽  
Christoph M. Michel ◽  
Pamela Banta Lavenex ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAlterations of resting-state EEG microstates have been associated with various neurological disorders and behavioral states. Interestingly, age-related differences in EEG microstate organization have also been reported, and it has been suggested that resting-state EEG activity may predict cognitive capacities in healthy individuals across the lifespan. In this exploratory study, we performed a microstate analysis of resting-state brain activity and tested allocentric spatial working memory performance in healthy adult individuals: twenty 25–30-year-olds and twenty-five 64–75-year-olds. We found a lower spatial working memory performance in older adults, as well as age-related differences in the five EEG microstate maps A, B, C, C′ and D, but especially in microstate maps C and C′. These two maps have been linked to neuronal activity in the frontal and parietal brain regions which are associated with working memory and attention, cognitive functions that have been shown to be sensitive to aging. Older adults exhibited lower global explained variance and occurrence of maps C and C′. Moreover, although there was a higher probability to transition from any map towards maps C, C′ and D in young and older adults, this probability was lower in older adults. Finally, although age-related differences in resting-state EEG microstates paralleled differences in allocentric spatial working memory performance, we found no evidence that any individual or combination of resting-state EEG microstate parameter(s) could reliably predict individual spatial working memory performance. Whether the temporal dynamics of EEG microstates may be used to assess healthy cognitive aging from resting-state brain activity requires further investigation.

Building the Arrow of Time… Over Time: A Sequence of Brain Activity Mapping Imagined Events in Time and Space

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 4398-4414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baptiste Gauthier ◽  
Karin Pestke ◽  
Virginie van Wassenhove
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Spatial Task ◽  
Brain Response ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
The Future ◽  
Spatial Dimensions ◽  
Future Events ◽  
Neural Signatures

Abstract When moving, the spatiotemporal unfolding of events is bound to our physical trajectory, and time and space become entangled in episodic memory. When imagining past or future events, or being in different geographical locations, the temporal and spatial dimensions of mental events can be independently accessed and manipulated. Using time-resolved neuroimaging, we characterized brain activity while participants ordered historical events from different mental perspectives in time (e.g., when imagining being 9 years in the future) or in space (e.g., when imagining being in Cayenne). We describe 2 neural signatures of temporal ordinality: an early brain response distinguishing whether participants were mentally in the past, the present or the future (self-projection in time), and a graded activity at event retrieval, indexing the mental distance between the representation of the self in time and the event. Neural signatures of ordinality and symbolic distances in time were distinct from those observed in the homologous spatial task: activity indicating spatial order and distances overlapped in latency in distinct brain regions. We interpret our findings as evidence that the conscious representation of time and space share algorithms (egocentric mapping, distance, and ordinality computations) but different implementations with a distinctive status for the psychological “time arrow.”

scholarly journals Decoding images in the mind’s eye: The temporal dynamics of visual imagery

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia M. Shatek ◽  
Tijl Grootswagers ◽  
Amanda K. Robinson ◽  
Thomas A. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Santa Claus ◽  
Physical Stimuli ◽  
Multivariate Pattern ◽  
The Mind

AbstractMental imagery is the ability to generate images in the mind in the absence of sensory input. Both perceptual visual processing and internally generated imagery engage large, overlapping networks of brain regions. However, it is unclear whether they are characterized by similar temporal dynamics. Recent magnetoencephalography work has shown that object category information was decodable from brain activity during mental imagery, but the timing was delayed relative to perception. The current study builds on these findings, using electroencephalography to investigate the dynamics of mental imagery. Sixteen participants viewed two images of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and two images of Santa Claus. On each trial, they viewed a sequence of the four images and were asked to imagine one of them, which was cued retroactively by its temporal location in the sequence. Time-resolved multivariate pattern analysis was used to decode the viewed and imagined stimuli. Our results indicate that the dynamics of imagery processes are more variable across, and within, participants compared to perception of physical stimuli. Although category and exemplar information was decodable for viewed stimuli, there were no informative patterns of activity during mental imagery. The current findings suggest stimulus complexity, task design and individual differences may influence the ability to successfully decode imagined images. We discuss the implications of these results for our understanding of the neural processes underlying mental imagery.

scholarly journals A spatiotemporal complexity architecture of human brain activity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Krohn ◽  
Nina von Schwanenflug ◽  
Leonhard Waschke ◽  
Amy Romanello ◽  
Martin Gell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Signal Complexity ◽  
The Brain

The human brain operates in large-scale functional networks, collectively subsumed as the functional connectome1-13. Recent work has begun to unravel the organization of the connectome, including the temporal dynamics of brain states14-20, the trade-off between segregation and integration9,15,21-23, and a functional hierarchy from lower-order unimodal to higher-order transmodal processing systems24-27. However, it remains unknown how these network properties are embedded in the brain and if they emerge from a common neural foundation. Here we apply time-resolved estimation of brain signal complexity to uncover a unifying principle of brain organization, linking the connectome to neural variability6,28-31. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we show that neural activity is marked by spontaneous "complexity drops" that reflect episodes of increased pattern regularity in the brain, and that functional connections among brain regions are an expression of their simultaneous engagement in such episodes. Moreover, these complexity drops ubiquitously propagate along cortical hierarchies, suggesting that the brain intrinsically reiterates its own functional architecture. Globally, neural activity clusters into temporal complexity states that dynamically shape the coupling strength and configuration of the connectome, implementing a continuous re-negotiation between cost-efficient segregation and communication-enhancing integration9,15,21,23. Furthermore, complexity states resolve the recently discovered association between anatomical and functional network hierarchies comprehensively25-27,32. Finally, brain signal complexity is highly sensitive to age and reflects inter-individual differences in cognition and motor function. In sum, we identify a spatiotemporal complexity architecture of neural activity — a functional "complexome" that gives rise to the network organization of the human brain.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Brain Responses: New Opportunities for Tailoring Health Communication Campaigns

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Huskey ◽  
Benjamin O. Turner ◽  
René Weber
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Message Processing ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Message Tailoring ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Prevention neuroscience investigates the brain basis of attitude and behavior change. Over the years, an increasingly structurally and functionally resolved “persuasion network” has emerged. However, current studies have only identified a small handful of neural structures that are commonly recruited during persuasive message processing, and the extent to which these (and other) structures are sensitive to numerous individual difference factors remains largely unknown. In this project we apply a multi-dimensional similarity-based individual differences analysis to explore which individual factors—including characteristics of messages and target audiences—drive patterns of brain activity to be more or less similar across individuals encountering the same anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs). We demonstrate that several ensembles of brain regions show response patterns that are driven by a variety of unique factors. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for neural models of persuasion, prevention neuroscience and message tailoring, and methodological implications for future research.

scholarly journals The sensory and motor components of the cortical hierarchy are coupled to the rhythm of the stomach during rest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Rebollo ◽  
Catherine Tallon-Baudry
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Piriform Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cognitive Networks ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Temporal Organization ◽  
Resting State Networks ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Bodily rhythms appear as novel scaffolding mechanisms orchestrating the spatio-temporal organization of spontaneous brain activity. Here, we follow up on the discovery of the gastric resting-state network (Rebollo et al, 2018), composed of brain regions in which the fMRI signal is phase-synchronized to the slow (0.05 Hz) electrical rhythm of the stomach. Using a larger sample size (n=63 human participants), we further characterize the anatomy and effect sizes of gastric-brain coupling across resting-state networks, a fine grained cortical parcellation, as well as along the main gradients of cortical organization. Most (67%) of the gastric network is included in the somato-motor-auditory (38%) and visual (29%) resting state networks. Gastric brain coupling also occurs in the granular insula and, to a lesser extent, in the piriform cortex. Thus, all sensory and motor cortices corresponding to both exteroceptive and interoceptive modalities are coupled to the gastric rhythm during rest. Conversely, little gastric-brain coupling occurs in cognitive networks and transmodal regions. These results suggest not only that gastric rhythm and sensory-motor processes are likely to interact, but also that gastric-brain coupling might be a mechanism of sensory and motor integration that mostly bypasses cognition, complementing the classical hierarchical organization of the human brain.

scholarly journals Spotting the path that leads nowhere: Modulation of human theta and alpha oscillations induced by trajectory changes during navigation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir-Homayoun Javadi ◽  
Eva Zita Patai ◽  
Aaron Margois ◽  
Heng-Ru M. Tan ◽  
Darshan Kumaran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Map ◽  
Lava Flows ◽  
Neural Dynamics ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Alpha Oscillations ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Desert Island

AbstractThe capacity to take efficient detours and exploit novel shortcuts during navigation is thought to be supported by a cognitive map of the environment. Despite advances in understanding the neural basis of the cognitive map, little is known about the neural dynamics associated with detours and shortcuts. Here, we recorded magnetoencephalography from humans as they navigated a virtual desert island riven by shifting lava flows. The task probed their ability to take efficient detours and shortcuts to remembered goals. We report modulation in event-related fields and theta power as participants identified real shortcuts and differentiated these from false shortcuts that led along suboptimal paths. Additionally, we found that a decrease in alpha power preceded ‘back-tracking’ where participants spontaneously turned back along a previous path. These findings help advance our understanding of the fine-grained temporal dynamics of human brain activity during navigation and support the development of models of brain networks that support navigation.

scholarly journals How the incentive to contribute affects contributions in the one-shot public goods game

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter van den Berg ◽  
Peter Dewitte ◽  
Ine Aertgeerts ◽  
Tom Wenseleers
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Public Goods ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Common Interest ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Goods Game ◽  
Group Project ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
The One

Abstract Enmeshed in various social structures, humans must often weigh their own interest against the interest of others—including the common interest of groups they belong to. The Public Goods Game (PGG), which succinctly pits individual interest against group interest, has been a staple of research into how people make such decisions. It has been studied in many variations, in the laboratory and (increasingly) online. One of the defining parameters of the PGG is the marginal per capita return of the group project (MPCR), which determines the incentive for contributing to the group project relative to the incentive of keeping points in the personal account. The effect of MPCR on contributions has been investigated before, but its effects have never been characterised with high resolution. Here, we present a systematic and high-resolution investigation of the effect of MPCR in groups of three. We do this in a large-scale online decision making experiment recruiting participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our results provide a fine-grained account of the relationship between incentive to cooperate on the one hand and cooperation on the other, and can help to provide a basis for choosing MPCR magnitudes for future research endeavours using online PGG studies.

scholarly journals Decoding Images in the Mind’s Eye: The Temporal Dynamics of Visual Imagery

Vision ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Sophia M. Shatek ◽  
Tijl Grootswagers ◽  
Amanda K. Robinson ◽  
Thomas A. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Santa Claus ◽  
Multivariate Pattern ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Mind's Eye

Mental imagery is the ability to generate images in the mind in the absence of sensory input. Both perceptual visual processing and internally generated imagery engage large, overlapping networks of brain regions. However, it is unclear whether they are characterized by similar temporal dynamics. Recent magnetoencephalography work has shown that object category information was decodable from brain activity during mental imagery, but the timing was delayed relative to perception. The current study builds on these findings, using electroencephalography to investigate the dynamics of mental imagery. Sixteen participants viewed two images of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and two images of Santa Claus. On each trial, they viewed a sequence of the four images and were asked to imagine one of them, which was cued retroactively by its temporal location in the sequence. Time-resolved multivariate pattern analysis was used to decode the viewed and imagined stimuli. Although category and exemplar information was decodable for viewed stimuli, there were no informative patterns of activity during mental imagery. The current findings suggest stimulus complexity, task design and individual differences may influence the ability to successfully decode imagined images. We discuss the implications of these results in the context of prior findings of mental imagery.

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