Mapping the neural systems that mediate the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT)

The paced auditory serial addition task (PASAT), in which subjects hear a number-string and add the two most-recently heard numbers, is a neuropsychological test sensitive to cerebral dysfunction. We mapped the brain regions activated by the PASAT using positron emission tomography (PET) and O-15-water to measure cerebral blood flow. We parsed the PASAT by mapping sites activated by immediate repetition of numbers and by repetition of the prior number after the presentation of the next number in the series. The PASAT activated dispersed non-contiguous foci in the superior temporal gyri, bifrontal and biparietal sites, the anterior cingulate and bilateral cerebellar sites. These sites are consistent with the elements of the task that include auditory perception and processing, speech production, working memory, and attention. Sites mediating addition were not identified. The extent of the sites activated during the performance of the PASAT accounts for the sensitivity of this test and justifies its use in a variety of seemingly disparate conditions.