Associations Between Abacus Training And Individual's Executive Function:Combining Functional MRI And Behavioral Studies

Executive function (EF) is a set of purpose control mechanisms that modulate the operation of various cognitive subprocesses and thereby regulate the dynamics of high-order cognition.Generally, EF comprises three separable but integrated components: working memory,inhibition and task switching. Since EF is closely related to the development of various high-order congnitive abilities, EF and its training plasiticity are research hotspots in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Recently, abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) training has received much attention in the field of cognitive and neural plasticity. In this study, we used various experimental paradigms, and combined the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)technique to explore the potential associations between AMC training and EF.Our previous work has shown that AMC training can help children improve mathematical ability (e.g. basic arithmetical ability) and executive function (e.g. working memory). In the first experiment, we further explored effects of AMC training on high-order mathematical ability in visual-spatial domain and the task switching component of executive function. A total of 82 Chinese children (68 valid data) were randomly assigned into AMC and control groups upon starting primary school. Children in AMC group received 2-hour AMC training every week since primary school entry. On the contrary, children in the control group had never received any AMC training. Mathematical ability and task switching were measured in the 2nd and 4th grades respectively. The results showed that AMC children performed better than control children in the math and switching tasks. Using hierarchical regression models, we found that the impact of task switching on mathematical ability was stronger in AMC children than their untrained peers. These findings imply critical roles of AMC training in mathematical ability,task switching and their relationships.In the second experiment, we further explored effects of AMC training on the brain activity underlying task switching. A total of 72 Chinese children (51 valid data) were randomly assigned into AMC and control groups upon starting primary school. The AMC group received AMC learning for two hours every week since primary school entry while the control group had no any abacus experience. Behavioral and imaging data for the switching task was examined for both groups in the 4th and 6th grades respectively. The results showed that the AMC group performed better and exhibited lower activation in the right frontoparietal reigons than the control group in both grades. From the 4th to the 6th grade, the AMC group showed activation decreases in the left precentral gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus, while the control group exhibited an opposite pattern. Furthermore, voxel-wise regression analyses revealed that in the AMC group,higher accuracy in the mixed condition was associated with lower task-relevant frontoparietal brain activity, while for the control group, faster speed in the mixed condtion was associated with greater task-relevant frontoparietal brain activity. These findings suggest that impacts of AMC training on task switching may be associated with enhanced neural processing efficiency in the frontoparietal regions.Previous studies investigating effects of AMC training on working memory (WM) are restricted to the storage aspect. In the third experiment, we further explored effects of AMC training on the manipulation aspect of WM. A total of 64 Chinese children (47 valid data) were randomly assigned into AMC and control groups upon starting primary school. In the 6th grade,WM was measured by an fMRI visuospatial n-back (0-back, 2-back and 3-back), and a digit ordering span. Intelligence and inhibition were also examined using the Raven' s Colored Progressive Matrices,the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence and an animal version of Go/no-go task.The results showed that the AMC group performed better in the visuospatial n-back, the digit ordering span, but not in the intelligence and inhibition tasks. During the n-back, the AMC group also showed greater activation in the frontal, pareital and occipital regions. Furthermore,individual differences in activation of the left inferior parietal lobule were positively correlated with performance in the digit ordering span. These findings support the view that long-term AMC training has the potential to enhance the manipulation aspect of WM in children. We speculated that the extensive engagement of the frontal-parietal-occipital circuity in AMC children might be related to the use of a specific visuospatial WM strategy.Prior research has shown that cognitive plasticity occurs not only in typically developing children, but also in adults. In the fourth experiment, we further explored effects of AMC training on arithmetical and EF abilities among adults. A total of 36 undergraduate students were recruited and were randomly assigned them into two groups, an AMC group and a control group. Mathematical and EF abilities were measured by a calculation task and several EF tasks before and after succesive 20 days of AMC training. The results showed significant behavioral improvements on calculation and digit 4-back tasks for the AMC group, which was not present for the control group. Furthermore, for the AMC group, individual differences in the accuracy of the digit 4-back were positively correlated with performance gains in the calculation task. These findings suggest that succesive 20 days of AMC training can improve arithmetical ability and high-level WM in adults, and that baseline numerical working memory skills contributes to training gains in calculation ability.In the literature, most previous studies about EF plasticity have often designed training programs that directly target one specific aspect of EF, which show narrow transfer effects.Recently, several studies have concerned impacts of specific skills learning on EF. Although the original target of specific skills learning is not EF, such kinds of training have demonstrated robust effects on EF. However, research in this field is not rich. Using a series of behavioral and fMRI studies, this paper provide important evidence for the roles of AMC in the field of EF plasticity. It is of great importance to better understand associations between specific skills learning and EF plasticity, and may also help promoting the practical application of AMC.