Protocol Number: 03-N-0178

Title:

Functional Neuroimaging of Calculus Problem Solving

Number:

03-N-0178

Summary:

This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify brain regions involved in solving algebraic math problems. It will examine brain activation according to the level of difficulty and the number of steps required to solve the problem. This information will help identify a possible correlation between problem-solving strategies and patterns of brain activation.

Undergraduate or graduate students between 19 and 36 years of age who have completed at least 2 years of college, have had at least one college course in integral calculus, and who have no history of neurological disease may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, including psychiatric and neurological information.

Participants will be asked to mentally solve a variety of integral calculus problems while undergoing MRI scanning, a procedure that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of structural and chemical changes in the brain. During the scan, the subject lies on a table in a narrow cylinder (the scanner) containing a magnetic field. A problem and possible solution are presented to the subject, who presses a button to verify if the answer is correct. At the end of the test, the participant completes a follow-up questionnaire to determine the problem-solving strategies used.

Sponsoring Institute:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Recruitment Detail

Type: Active Accrual Of New Subjects

Gender: Male & Female

Referral Letter Required: No

Population Exclusion(s): Children

Eligibility Criteria:

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Graduate students and undergraduate students who have completed two years of college.

They also must have taken at least one college course in Integral Calculus.

Age range: 19-40.

Right-handedness (some left-handed subjects may be recruited for preliminary behavioral studies).

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Individuals with a neurological or psychiatric history or medical condition that would constrain interpretation of their performance during functional neuroimaging studies will be excluded.

Individuals with contraindications to exposure to high magnetic field.

Special Instructions: Currently Not Provided

Keywords:

Prefrontal Cortex

Calculation

Mathematician

Cognition

Brain Mapping

Recruitment Keywords:

Healthy Volunteer

HV

Conditions:

Healthy

Investigational Drug(s):

None

Investigational Device(s):

None

Contacts:

Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office
Building 61
10 Cloister Court
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4754
Toll Free: 1-800-411-1222
TTY: 301-594-9774 (local),1-866-411-1010 (toll free)
Fax: 301-480-9793

Electronic Mail:prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov

Citations:

Campbell JI. Architectures for numerical cognition. Cognition. 1994 Oct;53(1):1-44. PMID: 7988104

Cordes D, Turski PA, Sorenson JA. Compensation of susceptibility-induced signal loss in echo-planar imaging for functional applications. Magn Reson Imaging. 2000 Nov;18(9):1055-68. PMID: 11118760

Foundas AL, Leonard CM, Hanna-Pladdy B. Variability in the anatomy of the planum temporale and posterior ascending ramus: do right- and left handers differ? Brain Lang. 2002 Dec;83(3):403-24 PMID: 12468396

• Questions about participating in a study, please contact the Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office, CC.
• Technical questions regarding the Clinical Center web site, please contact the Department of Networks and Applications, CC.

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Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (CC)
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Bethesda, Maryland 20892. Last update: 10/22/2004