Unearthing the Brain's Ancient Math Abilities

A study by Oregon Health and Science University researchers suggests that the ability to process numbers may have originated in a deep brain region, the putamen. This finding implies that humans may have developed numerical processing abilities early in evolution, offering potential insights for improving math learning techniques.

In a groundbreaking revelation, researchers from Oregon Health and Science University propose that the human ability to process numbers may have originated deep within the putamen, a brain region traditionally associated with movement and cognition.

The team, studying epilepsy patients, found activity in this region while subjects engaged in numerical tasks, challenging the conventional understanding of abstract thought predominantly linked to the cerebral cortex.

This discovery opens avenues for enhancing math learning, especially for those with difficulties, by potentially tapping into these deeper brain functions uncovered in their latest PLoS ONE publication.

(With inputs from agencies.)