Common mechanisms for number and finger representation in the dorsal stream

Andres, Michael
(2015) Satellite Symposium at the Psychologie & Gehrin conference Between embodiment and neuronal recycling – Contribution of the dorsal stream to visual perception — Location: Frankfurt, Germany (7.June.2015)

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Numbers provide a critical test for the idea that sensory-motor systems are reused to support cognition because of their abstract nature and their distinct representation in the human brain. Unlike other semantic categories, numbers are processed in the dorsal stream that is associated with perception for action. A possible explanation is that the representation of numbers overlaps the representation of fingers in the dorsal stream because children often rely on their fingers for counting. Several studies actually show that the scores of children in fingers gnosis tests predict their future achievement in mathematics. Here, I will describe behavioural, electrophysiological and brain imaging data showing that the representation of fingers continues to be activated covertly, i.e. in the absence of movement, in adults performing mental calculation tasks. In an attempt to further specify the mechanisms shared by fingers and numbers, I will describe an atypical case of finger agnosia suggesting that attention shifts may contribute to localize the relative position of fingers and numbers on a spatial continuum. I will finally ask whether the practice of finger counting is a necessary condition to process numbers normally and efficiently by looking at the numerical skills of an individual with a congenital absence of upper limbs. To conclude, I will discuss the implications of these findings for embodied cognition theories and highlight directions for future research.
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Andres, M. (2015). Common mechanisms for number and finger representation in the dorsal stream. Satellite Symposium at the Psychologie & Gehrin conference Between embodiment and neuronal recycling – Contribution of the dorsal stream to visual perception, Frankfurt, Germany. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/64338