NIRS in motion-unraveling the neurocognitive underpinnings of embodied numerical cognition

Abstract

The central representation of numerical cognition is commonly considered an abstract magnitude representation serving as one key precursor for higher mathematical thinking. However, recent research indicates that the representation might not be purely abstract. In fact, accumulating evidence suggests that numerical representations are rooted in and shaped by specific motor activities and sensory-bodily experiences and, therefore, are influenced by so-called embodied numerical representations. If we want to understand how numerical understanding develops, it is crucial to elucidate the basic cognitive tools with which we develop a sense of number. We argue that it is necessary to address this issue on both a behavioral and a neural level. Contrasting the view of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) being the generally preferable neuroimaging technique, we argue that particularly in embodied cognition, restrictions and benefits of different imaging methods should guide the chosen research question. In our opinion, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is optimally suited to investigate embodied cognition paradigms that explicitly involve motion. In the following, recent research will be outlined showing that numerical cognition is not purely abstract, but influenced by embodied representations. NIRS will then be introduced as a feasible technique for the investigation of embodied cognitions. Since research in this domain is largely restricted to the perception of embodied experiences, but fails to address motion itself, we will finally argue that NIRS offers a good opportunity to fill this research gap. © 2014 Bahnmueller, Dresler, Ehlis, Cress and Nuerk.