TY - JOUR
T1 - Arithmetic tasks in different formats and their influence on behavior and brain oxygenation as assessed with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)
T2 - A study involving primary and secondary school children
AU - Dresler, Thomas
AU - Obersteiner, Andreas
AU - Schecklmann, Martin
AU - Vogel, A. Carina M.
AU - Ehlis, Ann Christine
AU - Richter, Melany M.
AU - Plichta, Michael M.
AU - Reiss, Kristina
AU - Pekrun, Reinhard
AU - Fallgatter, Andreas J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the teachers, staff, and students of the participating schools for their dedicated support, Tim Hahn for programming the experiment, and the Hitachi Medical Corp. for providing the ETG 4000 NIRS equipment. The study was financed by the research Grant 01GJ0617 1518/7 from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to A.J.F., K.R., and R.P.
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - This study investigated whether near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used to measure the processing of arithmetic problems in school children. Another aim was to assess whether distinct formats of such problems would lead to different neural processing. Two large samples of school children from different age groups were examined while calculating or reading arithmetic problems that were either presented in numeric or in word format. As expected, we found that, compared to reading, calculation resulted in greater average oxygenation in parietal and posterior frontal regions. Neither format nor age had a significant effect on brain oxygenation. We were able to demonstrate that NIRS measurements can readily be conducted with children and in school settings, which is an indication for the ecological validity of this measurement technique.
AB - This study investigated whether near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used to measure the processing of arithmetic problems in school children. Another aim was to assess whether distinct formats of such problems would lead to different neural processing. Two large samples of school children from different age groups were examined while calculating or reading arithmetic problems that were either presented in numeric or in word format. As expected, we found that, compared to reading, calculation resulted in greater average oxygenation in parietal and posterior frontal regions. Neither format nor age had a significant effect on brain oxygenation. We were able to demonstrate that NIRS measurements can readily be conducted with children and in school settings, which is an indication for the ecological validity of this measurement technique.
KW - Mathematics
KW - Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)
KW - Neuroimaging
KW - School setting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70949087927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00702-009-0307-9
DO - 10.1007/s00702-009-0307-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 19756362
AN - SCOPUS:70949087927
SN - 0300-9564
VL - 116
SP - 1689
EP - 1700
JO - Journal of Neural Transmission
JF - Journal of Neural Transmission
IS - 12
ER -