A special role for numbers in working memory? An fMRI study
| Autor: | André Knops, Bruno Fimm, René Vohn, Hans-Christoph Nuerk, Klaus Willmes |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2006 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Cognitive Neuroscience Prefrontal Cortex Intraparietal sulcus Stimulus (physiology) behavioral disciplines and activities Parietal Lobe Image Processing Computer-Assisted Reaction Time Humans Working memory Brain Distance effect Magnitude processing Magnetic Resonance Imaging Phonological code Functional imaging Memory Short-Term Reading Neurology Mental number line Psychology Photic Stimulation Psychomotor Performance Cognitive psychology |
| Zdroj: | NeuroImage. 29:1-14 |
| ISSN: | 1053-8119 |
| Popis: | Although numbers carry averbal semantics (i.e., magnitude), they are often utilized in verbal Working Memory (vWM) tasks. However, vWM is thought to rely on a purely phonological code. Here, we tested the influence of (a) averbal semantics and (b) different tasks on performance in a vWM context by examining stimulus and task-specific variation of activity in the horizontal parts of the intraparietal sulcus (hIPS). The hIPS has previously been shown to subserve magnitude processing modulated by (a) specific stimuli and (b) specific tasks. Two variants of an n-back paradigm (comparison and identity match tasks) utilizing letters and numbers as stimulus material at different levels of vWM load were administered in 16 participants. Behavioral and functional imaging data reveal stimulus-specific modulation of activity in the hIPS suggesting a semantic influence of numbers. In the identity match task, numbers induced additional hIPS activation compared to letters while letters never induced additional hIPS activation when compared to numbers. Letters as compared to numbers only induced additional hIPS activation in the comparison task. These results question the assumption of a purely phonological code in vWM because hIPS activation subserving magnitude processing is modulated by stimulus semantics and task demands. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full Text from ScienceDirect