Project description
Decoding the brain’s number sense
Understanding how children learn to associate numerals with quantities is crucial for grasping symbolic mathematics. However, the symbolic estrangement hypothesis suggests that extensive exposure to numerals may weaken the link between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. While previous studies have observed brain activity shifts in young children and simulated number processing through artificial neural networks (ANNs), the connection between brain representations and ANN features remains unclear. The ERC-funded MathDevCCN project aims to bridge this gap by integrating multimodal neuroimaging data from children and ANN models. Using fMRI and EEG, the project tracks brain development in 5- and 7-year-olds, exploring how neural patterns evolve with education and comparing them with ANN-generated models of symbolic-nonsymbolic number associations.
Objective
Learning the association between numerals (symbolic numbers) and quantity (nonsymbolic numbers) is the initial step toward comprehending symbolic mathematics. According to the symbolic estrangement hypothesis, extensive experience of exposure to numerals and their manipulation may significantly weaken any preexisting relation between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. Previous studies have independently reported representational shifts of brain activity patterns in young children and simulation of number processing systems using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Nonetheless, it has remained largely unclear how such brain representations and ANN features are related to each other in terms of development. The current project aims to address these issues by constructing computational models that integrate multimodal neuroimaging data of young children and ANN models for symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) data will be collected while children engage in number perception tasks at the outset (5-year-olds) and after two years (7-year-olds) of formal education. In parallel with the neuroimaging experiments, I will implement ANNs that learn the association between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. To determine whether ANNs exhibit a similar developmental trajectory as the human brain, I will construct voxel-wise encoding models based on the latent ANN features. Encoding models based on the fMRI and EEG data will be further integrated into fine-scale spatiotemporal data showing functional dynamics across multiple brain regions. Finally, I will investigate how these dynamics change with formal education by comparing data from 5- and 7-year-olds. This project integrates interdisciplinary knowledge from cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and artificial intelligence to establish a novel computational approach to understanding the development of mathematical abilities.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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75794 PARIS
France
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