Arithmetic reportedly involves left parietal areas.

To test this in independent groups of healthy persons.

Which brain regions are activated / inhibited during mental arithmetic compared to task-free resting?

We examined four independent groups of healthy adults (N=15, 14, 14, 23, respectively) during simple arithmetic (continuous subtraction of 7) and task-free resting before and after arithmetic, all with closed eyes. Multichannel head surface EEG (19–58 channels) was continually recorded, then recomputed (using sLORETA functional tomography) into current density for 6239 cortical voxels, for each of the eight EEG frequency bands (delta through gamma, 1.5–44Hz). Pre- and post-arithmetic resting was averaged. Using paired t-tests, frequency band-wise normalized and log-transformed current density was compared between arithmetic and resting for each group. The resulting p-values were combined across groups using Fisher’s combination procedure. For each frequency band, sLORETA voxels differing between conditions at Fisher’s (across groups) p < 0.05 were computed into centers of gravity separately for increased and decreased activation.

Activity that was stronger during arithmetic compared to resting had gravity centers in midline anterior regions for slow frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha-1) and in right posterior regions for fast frequency bands (alpha-2 through gamma). Activity that was weaker during arithmetic compared to resting was centered around left parietal areas for all eight frequency bands.

The results suggest that arithmetic compared to resting involves frontal inhibition coupled with increased right parietal activation, and left parietal reduced facilitatory and reduced inhibitory activity.