Functional magnetic resonance imaging Study of Cerebral Activation by a Simple Auditory Mental Addition Task: Problem Presentasion Speed Adjust for Individual Differences

We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of cerebral activation elicited by auditorily-presented and speed-adjusted simple mental addition tasks. The subjects were 8 healthy, right-handed men. We devised a method for determining the appropriate speed for auditory presentation of the mental addition task to each sujest. A block design was used for this study. In the task state, simple mental addition problems were presented auditorily. The left medial frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, bilateral precentral gyri, left middle and inferior frontal gyri, bilateral insulae, left superior and inferior pariental lobuli, and right cerebellum were shown to be activateting cerebral areas associated with mental calculation when the difficulty of the mathematical task is controlled. The spped-adjusted simple addition task is useful for functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation of higher cognitive function.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

mental addition

mathematical task

cognitive function

controlled task