Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2009 - Volume 32, Issue 3-4  

Open Peer Commentary

Symbolic, numeric, and magnitude representations in the parietal cortex

Miriam Rosenberg-Leea1, Jessica M. Tsanga2 and Vinod Menona1a3a4

a1 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305. miriamrl@stanford.edu menon@stanford.edu

a2 Stanford University School of Education, AAA Lab, Stanford, CA 94305-2055. jmtsang@stanford.edu

a3 Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305. menon@stanford.edu

a4 Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. menon@stanford.edu

Abstract

We concur with Cohen Kadosh & Walsh (CK&W) that representation of numbers in the parietal cortex is format dependent. In addition, we suggest that all formats do not automatically, and equally, access analog magnitude representation in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Understanding how development, learning, and context lead to differential access of analog magnitude representation is a key question for future research.

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