Mathematical giftedness in children and adolescents is characterized by exceptional abilities in logical reasoning, mental imagination, and creativity. This article reviews the literature on the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie such abilities, highlighting general and specific neural characteristics observed in mathematically gifted brains. Neuroimaging and electrophysiology studies have identified enhanced functional connectivity in the frontoparietal network, greater right laterality, and increased interhemispheric interaction, factors that contribute to superior performance in mathematical problem-solving.
Methods:
The review includes data from studies that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate resting brain activity, neuronal response to stimuli, and activation related to mathematical tasks. Selection criteria for gifted individuals included above-average intelligence, superior academic performance, and participation in mathematical competitions. Techniques such as functional connectivity analysis and fractional anisotropy measurements (DTI) were used to correlate mathematical abilities with brain structure and function.
Results:
Gifted individuals showed enhanced activation in specific regions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC), associated with visuospatial working memory and executive control. Furthermore, bilateral patterns of processing and robust structural connectivity in the corpus callosum were identified as distinctive neural markers. EEG studies showed greater neural efficiency, with less allocation of brain resources to equivalent tasks compared to non-gifted individuals.
Discussion:
The findings suggest that mathematical giftedness results from a combination of early cortical development and greater functional integration between brain networks. Sex differences in mathematical abilities, related to biological and cultural factors, were also addressed. It is suggested that future research explore the interaction between creativity and mathematical intelligence, using multimodal neuroimaging approaches.
Conclusion:
This paper provides significant neurobiological insights into mathematical giftedness, proposing that unique features of the gifted brain facilitate superior cognitive performance. Future research should prioritize advanced connectivity analysis methods and integrate behavioral and neural data to better understand the complexity of this exceptional ability.
Reference :
Zhang, L., Gan, J. Q., & Wang, H. (2017). Neurocognitive mechanisms of mathematical giftedness: A literature review. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 6(1), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2015.1119692
