Language and Cognition seminar - Dr Yael Benn

The role of linguistic processing in numerical cognition, and the impact of core and surface acalculia after stroke

Acalculia is an acquired cognitive impairment following brain damage. Core symptoms include difficulties with processing magnitudes, while surface-symptoms impact aspects such as number production. Both core and surface acalculia can impact calculation as well as everyday tasks such as using telephone numbers, money or managing medication dosage. Despite relatively good theoretical understanding of both core and surface number-processing in the brain, this has not been translated into interventions for acquired numerical disabilities. Acalculia is not currently screened for within the standard post-stroke care, and as such, the condition is under-diagnosed and inadequately treated in current clinical practice. This is despite current estimates of high prevalence (35%-60% of stroke survivors).

In this talk, I will look at the involvement of linguistic processing in numerical cognition, in relation to claims from a couple of theoretical models, and present neuroimaging findings of calculation in healthy adults and those with severe aphasia. I will then present recent evidence of how numerical disabilities impact the life of stroke survivors, and discuss what can and should be done to improve post-stroke care. ​