The capacity constraint in the prefrontal and parietal regions for coordinating dual arithmetic tasks
Journal
Brain Research
Journal Volume
1199
Pages
100 - 110
Date Issued
2008
Author(s)
Abstract
Using a dual-serial-arithmetic paradigm, we examined whether a capacity limitation constrains the neural activation that underlies dual-task performance. Six conditions were run in the experiment (the baseline, single-addition, single-subtraction, dual-addition, dual-subtraction, and the dual-operation condition). In the baseline condition, participants were asked to remember the initial pair of numbers and ignore subsequent stimuli. In the single-addition and single-subtraction conditions, participants had to calculate a running total over a series of stimuli. In the dual-addition and dual-subtraction conditions, they had to do two arithmetic tasks involving the same operand (e.g., + 2 and + 7, - 3 and - 5). Participants performed one addition and one subtraction task (e.g., + 2 and - 7, - 3 and + 5) in the dual-operation condition. The functional magnetic resonance imaging results showed strict left prefrontal and parietal regions in the single-addition condition and bilateral activation in the single-subtraction condition. Greater activation in the prefrontal and parietal regions was observed in both the dual-operation condition and the dual-addition condition in comparison to the single-addition condition. No greater activation was observed in either the dual-operation condition or dual-subtraction condition in comparison to the single-subtraction condition. These results suggest a constraint imposed by a limit in capacity for the neural activity subserving dual-task performance when one of the tasks places high resource demands on the executive network. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Subjects
Arithmetic operation; Capacity constraint; Dual-task processing; Executive process
Other Subjects
adult; arithmetic; article; brain region; female; functional magnetic resonance imaging; human; human experiment; male; nerve cell network; normal human; parietal lobe; prefrontal cortex; priority journal; stimulus; task performance
Type
journal article