Arithmetic learning in children: An fMRI training study

Arithmetic learning is characterized by a change from procedural strategies to fact retrieval. fMRI training studies in adults have revealed that this change coincides with decreased activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and that within the parietal lobe, a shift occurs from the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) to the angular gyrus (AG). It remains to be determined whether similar changes can be observed in children, particularly because children often recruit the hippocampus (HC) during arithmetic fact retrieval, an observation that has not been consistently found in adults. In order to experimentally manipulate arithmetic strategy change, 26 typically developing 9-to 10-year-olds completed a six day at-home training of complex multiplication items (e.g. 16 x 4). Before and after training, children were presented with three multiplication conditions during fMRI: (1) complex to-be-trained/ trained items, (2) complex untrained items and (3) single-digit items. Behavioral data indicated that training was successful. Similar to adults, children showed greater activity in the IPS and PFC for the untrained condition post training, indicating that the fronto-parietal network during procedural arithmetic problem solving is already in place in children of this age. We did not observe the expected training-related changes in the HC. In contrast to what has been observed in adults, greater activity in the AG was not observed for the trained items. These results show that the brain processes that accompany the learning of arithmetic facts are different in children as compared to adults.