The relationship between brain activity pattern and math skill: An event-related potential based study

Cognitive neuroscience has developed several indicators and tools for use in education. It has also led to the discovery of neuro-markers to assess learning and individual differences. The present study aimed to investigate individual differences in mathematical skills using event-related potentials.

Thirty-eight right-handed participants were assigned into two groups of high and low math skills. After that, their electroencephalograms were recorded during the completion of a number verification task. The accuracy scores, reaction times, and peak amplitude of the negativity in the 200-400 ms time window were analyzed. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance.

The results showed that the high skill group performs better in the accuracy and reaction time than the low skill group (P<0.001). The amplitude of the study’s ERP component was significantly higher in the high skill group at the parietal area, whereas in the low skill group, the component was more prevalent in frontal and prefrontal areas. Besides, there was a significant difference between the peak amplitude of anterior and posterior areas in the low skill group, while no such difference was observed in the high skill group.

In general, students with different math skills demonstrated different brain activity and the negative component in the time window of the 200-400 ms was different for individual differences in math performance.