On the structure and neural correlates of the numerical magnitude representation and its influence in the assessment of verbal working memory [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von André Knops

Aknops

Sujets

• Psychologie

Informations

• Publié par: rheinisch-westfalischen_technischen_hochschule_-rwth-_aachen
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

On the Structure and Neural Correlates of the Numerical Magnitude
Representation and its Influence in the Assessment of Verbal Working
Memory





Von der Philosophischen Fakultät der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen
zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie genehmigte Dissertation



vorgelegt von



André Knops, Diplom-Psychologe


aus


Viersen, Deutschland


Berichter: Universitätsprofessor Dr. Klaus Willmes-von Hinckeldey
Universitätsprofessor Dr. Will Spijkers

Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 30.06.2006





Diese Dissertation ist auf den Internetseiten der Hochschulbibliothek online verfügbar.1 General Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 1
1.1 Theoretical Background ________________________________________________________ 1
1.1.1 Magnitude Representation of Two-Digit Numbers____________________________________ 3
1.1.2 The Neural Correlates of Number Magnitude Processing ______________________________ 9
1.1.2.1 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies Examining Number Representations _______ 10
1.1.2.2 Neural Correlates of Two-Digit Number Processing _____________________________ 11
1.1.2.3 Differential Involvement of Both Hemispheres__________________________________ 12
1.1.3 Models of Number Processing _________________________________________________ 14
1.1.3.1 Dehaene’s Triple Code Model ______________________________________________ 14
1.1.3.2 McCloskey’s Model of Number Processing 17
1.1.3.3 The Hybrid Model by Nuerk & Willmes _______________________________________ 18
1.1.4 The Role of the hIPS in Other Cognitive Domains 20
1.1.5 Numbers and Verbal Working Memory ___________________________________________ 23
1.2 A Brief Outline of the Experiments of the Current Thesis ____________________________ 27
2 Study 1: Is Numerical Processing Analogue? How Decomposed Two-Digit Number Processing can
be Affected by Strategy _______________________________________________________________ 29
2.1 Experiment 1 ________________________________________________________________ 30
2.1.1 Methods___________________________________________________________________ 31
2.1.1.1 Participants ____________________________________________________________ 31
2.1.1.2 Stimuli and Design_______________________________________________________ 31
2.1.1.3 Procedure _____________________________________________________________ 31
2.1.2 Results____________________________________________________________________ 33
2.1.2.1 Analysis Over All SOAs and Stimulus-Specificity _______________________________ 35
2.1.2.2 Time Course-Specificity and Separate Analyses for Short SOAs ___________________ 36
2.1.3 Discussion _________________________________________________________________ 38
2.1.3.1 Separate Processing of Decade and Unit Magnitudes ___________________________ 38
2.1.3.2 Null Compatibility Effect for an SOA of Zero ___________________________________ 38
2.2 Experiment 2 40
2.2.1 Methods___________________________________________________________________ 40
2.2.1.1 Participants ____________________________________________________________ 40
2.2.1.2 Stimuli and Design_______________________________________________________ 40
2.2.1.3 Procedure _____________________________________________________________ 40
2.2.2 Re 41
2.2.2.1 Different Decade Trials ___________________________________________________ 41
2.2.2.2 Within-Decade Trials _____________________________________________________ 44
2.2.3 Discussion _________________________________________________________________ 45
2.3 Experiment 3 ________________________________________________________________ 46
2.3.1 Methods 46
2.3.1.1 Participants 46
2.3.1.2 Stimuli and Design 46
2.3.1.3 Procedure 46
2.3.2 Results____________________________________________________________________ 48
2.3.3 Discussion 58
2.4 General Discussion of Experiments 1 to 3 ________________________________________ 60
2.4.1 Strategic Modulation of the Unit-Decade Compatibility Effect __________________________ 60
2.4.2 e SOA Alteration of the Compatibility Effect ___________________ 62
3 Study 2: The Contribution of the Parietal Cortex to Semantic Conflict Resolution – an fMRI Study 65
3.1 Introduction 66
3.2 Methods ____________________________________________________________________ 67
3.2.1 Participants ________________________________________________________________ 67
3.2.2 Task and Stimuli ____________________________________________________________ 67
3.2.3 Imaging ___________________________________________________________________ 67
3.2.4 Data Analysis_______________________________________________________________ 68
3.3 Results _____________________________________________________________________ 69
3.3.1 Behavioural Data 69
3.3.2 fMRI Data _________________________________________________________________ 70
3.4 Discussion __________________________________________________________________ 81
3.4.1 Number Magnitude __________________________________________________________ 81
3.4.2 Semantic Interference ________________________________________________________ 82
3.4.3 Hemispheric Specialization – Left- or Right-Lateralized? _____________________________ 84
3.4.4 Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activation _____________________________________________ 86
4 Study 3: On the Functional Role of Human Parietal Cortex in Number Processing: How Gender
Mediates the Impact of a ‘Virtual Lesion’ Induced by rTMS __________________________________ 87
4.1 Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 88
4.2 Materials and Methods 90
4.2.1 Participants ________________________________________________________________ 90
4.2.2 Stimuli and Procedure 90
4.2.3 TMS Parameters ____________________________________________________________ 92
4.2.4 Data Analysis_______________________________________________________________ 93
4.3 Results _____________________________________________________________________ 95
4.3.1 Error Rates 95
4.3.2 Reaction Times _____________________________________________________________ 96
4.4 Discussion 101
4.4.1 Distance Effect 101
4.4.2 Compatibility Effect _________________________________________________________ 105
4.4.3 Gender Specific Susceptibility to rTMS __________________________________________ 107
5 Study 4 A Special Role for Numbers in Working Memory? – An fMRI Study. _________________ 110
5.1 Introduction ________________________________________________________________ 111
5.2 Methods ___________________________________________________________________ 112
5.2.1 Participants _______________________________________________________________ 112
5.2.2 Stimuli 112
5.2.3 Procedure 113
5.2.4 MRI Scanning Procedure ____________________________________________________ 114
5.3 Results ____________________________________________________________________ 115
5.3.1 Behavioral Data____________________________________________________________ 115
5.3.2 Imaging Data ______________________________________________________________ 117
5.4 Discussion _________________________________________________________________ 130
6 General Discussion 132
6.1 On the Structure of the Numerical Magnitude Representation and Two-Digit Number
Magnitude Comparison 133
6.1.1 The Structure of the Mental Representation of Two-Digit Number Magnitude ____________ 133
6.1.2 The Magnitude Comparison of Two-Digit Numbers_________________________________ 137
6.1.3 Extended Framework of Two-Digit Number Magnitude Comparison ___________________ 141
6.2 Neural Implementation of Two-Digit Number Magnitude Comparison_________________ 145
6.3 The Impact of Numbers in the Assessment of Verbal Working Memory _______________ 150
6.3.1 Semantic Influence of Numbers in vWM _________________________________________ 150
6.3.2 Is the hIPS Stimulus-Driven and Number Specific? ________________________________ 153
6.3.3 Increased Activity in the hIPS when Processing Magnitude/Alphabetical Order? __________ 154
7 Future Directions __________________________________________________________________ 157
8 References _______________________________________________________________________ 158

Summary
This thesis is divided into two parts: The first part is concerned with the mental representation
of numbers. It elaborates the structure of the mental representation of two-digit numbers and the
process of integrating unit and decade magnitude information into a coherent two-digit number
representation. The neural implementation of the comparison process of two-digit numbers is
discussed. The second part investigates the impact of numbers in a working memory context: That
is, do numerical semantics (numerical magnitude) influence performance in a task presumably
assessing verbal working memory capacity.
The magnitude of two-digit numbers has been assumed to be represented along one
analogue mental number line (Dehaene, Dupoux & Mehler, 1990). Dehaene and colleagues
argued that if decades and units are represented separately, the effects o