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Neural foundations of logical and mathematical cognition

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 4, pages 507–514 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Brain-imaging techniques have made it possible to explore the neural foundations of logical and mathematical cognition. These techniques are revealing more than simply where these high-order processes take place in the human cortex. Imaging is beginning to answer some of the oldest questions about what logic and mathematics are, and how they emerge and evolve through visuospatial cognition, language, executive functions and emotion.

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Figure 1: Imaging error-inhibition training in a deductive logic task.
Figure 2: Prefrontal activation during deductive-logic and cognitive-inhibition tasks.
Figure 3: The right ventromedial prefrontal cortex and its relation to emotion and reason.
Figure 4: Imaging cortical activity in a calculating prodigy.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank S. Moutier, L. Zago and B. Mazoyer for their contribution to our work on logical and mathematical cognition. Support for our work is provided by The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Université de Caen, Université Paris-5 (René-Descartes) and the Institut Universitaire de France. We are also grateful to V. Waltz for her help in preparing the manuscript.

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  1. the Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle (GIN), Unité Mixte de Recherche 6095, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Université de Caen and Université Paris-5, France

    Olivier Houdé & Nathalie Tzourio-Mazoyer

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Correspondence to Olivier Houdé.

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Houdé, O., Tzourio-Mazoyer, N. Neural foundations of logical and mathematical cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci 4, 507–514 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1117

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