Looi C Y, Cohen Kadosh R
University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Prog Brain Res. 2016;227:353-88. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.04.009. Epub 2016 Jun 8.
Mathematical abilities that are correlated with various life outcomes vary across individuals. One approach to improve mathematical abilities is by understanding the underlying cognitive functions. Theoretical and experimental evidence suggest that mathematical abilities are subserved by "core" and "noncore" skills. Core skills are commonly regarded as the "innate" capacity to attend to and process numerical information, while noncore skills are those that are important for mathematical cognition, but are not exclusive to the mathematical domain such as executive functions, spatial skills, and attention. In recent years, mathematical training has been combined with the application of noninvasive brain stimulation to further enhance training outcomes. However, the development of more strategic training paradigms is hindered by the lack of understanding on the contributory nature of core and noncore skills and their neural underpinnings. In the current review, we will examine the effects of brain stimulation with focus on transcranial electrical stimulation on core and noncore skills, and its impact on mathematical and numerical training. We will conclude with a discussion on the theoretical and experimental implications of these studies and directions for further research.
与各种生活结果相关的数学能力因人而异。提高数学能力的一种方法是了解其潜在的认知功能。理论和实验证据表明，数学能力由“核心”和“非核心”技能支撑。核心技能通常被视为处理数字信息的“先天”能力，而非核心技能则是对数学认知很重要，但并非数学领域所独有的技能，如执行功能、空间技能和注意力。近年来，数学训练已与非侵入性脑刺激的应用相结合，以进一步提高训练效果。然而，由于对核心和非核心技能的贡献性质及其神经基础缺乏了解，阻碍了更具战略性的训练范式的发展。在当前的综述中，我们将研究脑刺激的效果，重点关注经颅电刺激对核心和非核心技能的影响，以及它对数学和数字训练的影响。我们将以对这些研究的理论和实验意义以及进一步研究方向的讨论作为总结。
