Procesamiento numérico y cálculo: evidencia de un caso desde la neuropsicología cognitiva

Abstract

This paper, which deals with cognitive Neuropsychology, attempts to contribute to the understanding of normal cognitive processing by examining and analysing the deficits acquired by individuals who have suffered brain damage.Our aim was to analyse the different cognitive processes involved in numerical processing (NP) and in calculation, together with the relations between them.A quadriplegic patient with sequelae that include motor aphasia and deep dysgraphia as the residual pathologies of a traumatic brain injury, with a history of over four years; language comprehension is preserved (both oral and written) and there is no verbal expression whatsoever. Expression is achieved functionally by means of a specially adapted laser pointer. Assessment of NP and calculation was performed.Alterations were observed in the calculation system, one in the recognition of arithmetical signs and the other in the execution of arithmetical operations.1. Calculation skills are independent of those required to perform numerical recoding and of lexical or encyclopaedic numerical knowledge. 2. Recognition of arithmetical signs is independent of, and therefore dissociated from, data retrieval and the execution of calculation procedures. 3. Data retrieval processes and those required for the execution of calculations are independent. Therefore, the calculation system consists of different elements that are independent from one another.