大脑白质纤维束与算术能力的关系

为了探索大脑白质纤维束与算术运算能力的关系,设计了一个认知功能实验测试所有受试者的算术能力,然后采集T1结构像和弥散张量成像。使用约翰霍普金斯大学白质纤维束图谱提取每条纤维束的平均各向异性分数( fractional anisotropy, FA),并与行为数据进行相关性分析。结果显示：减法得分与右扣带束(扣带回区域)和右下纵束的FA值呈正相关,算术运算的反应时均与右上纵束(颞叶部分)的FA值呈负相关,并且这些相关与任务的困难差异无关。结果表明：大脑白质纤维束连贯性或髓鞘化的增强可能会提高某些算术能力,进一步为算术运算的神经基础提供了新的证据。

Atlas-based Analysis of Association Between Cerebral White Matter Fiber Tracts and Arithmetic Ability

To investigate the association between cerebral white-matter fiber tracts and arithmetic ability, an experiment of cognitive function was designed to test arithmetic ability of all subjects. Then, T1 structural image and diffusion tensor imaging were collected. The average fractional anisotropy ( FA ) value of each fiber bundle was extracted by the white matter tractography atlas of Johns Hopkins University. The correlation between FA values of fiber tracts and behavior data was performed. Results show that the subtraction scores have a positive correlation with the FA values in the right cingulum ( cingulate gyrus ) and the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus. The FA values of the right superior longitudinal fasciculus ( temporal part ) are negatively correlated with the reaction times of arithmetic operations, respectively. These observed significant correlations are not just an effect of task difficulty. The increasing fiber coherence or myelination contribute to the improvement of arithmetic ability. This study further provides new evidences for the neural basis of sarithmetic operations.