Voxel-based regional analysis reveals special brain structure for mental abacus experts.
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| Title: | Voxel-based regional analysis reveals special brain structure for mental abacus experts. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Zhang, Yuhan1,2 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Jieting1,2 (AUTHOR), Li, Mianjun3 (AUTHOR), Zhou, Xinlin1,2 (AUTHOR) zhou_xinlin@bnu.edu.cn |
| Source: | ZDM - Mathematics Education. Jun2026, Vol. 58 Issue 3, p489-503. 15p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Mental arithmetic, Fusiform gyrus, Voxel-based morphometry, Gray matter (Nerve tissue), Brain anatomy, Large-scale brain networks, Hippocampus development |
| Abstract: | Differences in behavioral performance between experts and novices have been reported to be closely associated with variations in brain structure. However, results and conclusions from comparisons between experts and novices remain inconsistent. One possible explanation for this inconsistency is the lack of sufficiently sensitive statistical approaches to detecting subtle structural differences in the brain. This study employed a novel voxel-based regional analysis to enhance statistical power, examining structural differences in the brain between mental abacus experts and controls without any abacus experience. After multiple-comparison correction, significant differences in grey matter volume were still observed throughout the brain, including larger volumes in key regions of the situational network consisting of the right hippocampus and fusiform gyrus, and smaller volumes in the sensorimotor network consisting of the bilateral dorsal caudate nucleus, left precentral gyrus, and right cerebellum for experts. The differences were closely associated with the duration of abacus training. The widely distributed structural differences are discussed in line with previous similar studies within and beyond the abacus domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of ZDM - Mathematics Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 193277631 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Voxel-based regional analysis reveals special brain structure for mental abacus experts. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Yuhan%22">Zhang, Yuhan</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Jieting%22">Zhang, Jieting</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Mianjun%22">Li, Mianjun</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhou%2C+Xinlin%22">Zhou, Xinlin</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> zhou_xinlin@bnu.edu.cn</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22ZDM+-+Mathematics+Education%22">ZDM - Mathematics Education</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 58 Issue 3, p489-503. 15p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+arithmetic%22">Mental arithmetic</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fusiform+gyrus%22">Fusiform gyrus</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Voxel-based+morphometry%22">Voxel-based morphometry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gray+matter+%28Nerve+tissue%29%22">Gray matter (Nerve tissue)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain+anatomy%22">Brain anatomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Large-scale+brain+networks%22">Large-scale brain networks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hippocampus+development%22">Hippocampus development</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Differences in behavioral performance between experts and novices have been reported to be closely associated with variations in brain structure. However, results and conclusions from comparisons between experts and novices remain inconsistent. One possible explanation for this inconsistency is the lack of sufficiently sensitive statistical approaches to detecting subtle structural differences in the brain. This study employed a novel voxel-based regional analysis to enhance statistical power, examining structural differences in the brain between mental abacus experts and controls without any abacus experience. After multiple-comparison correction, significant differences in grey matter volume were still observed throughout the brain, including larger volumes in key regions of the situational network consisting of the right hippocampus and fusiform gyrus, and smaller volumes in the sensorimotor network consisting of the bilateral dorsal caudate nucleus, left precentral gyrus, and right cerebellum for experts. The differences were closely associated with the duration of abacus training. The widely distributed structural differences are discussed in line with previous similar studies within and beyond the abacus domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of ZDM - Mathematics Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s11858-026-01788-2 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 489 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Mental arithmetic Type: general – SubjectFull: Fusiform gyrus Type: general – SubjectFull: Voxel-based morphometry Type: general – SubjectFull: Gray matter (Nerve tissue) Type: general – SubjectFull: Brain anatomy Type: general – SubjectFull: Large-scale brain networks Type: general – SubjectFull: Hippocampus development Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Voxel-based regional analysis reveals special brain structure for mental abacus experts. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhang, Yuhan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhang, Jieting – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Li, Mianjun – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhou, Xinlin IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Text: Jun2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 18639690 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 58 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: ZDM - Mathematics Education Type: main |
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