Research fellow: Federico Zorzi
Role: R2 - Recognised Researcher
Project: “Abilità numeriche nell'invecchiamento. Uno studio multidisciplinare sulle dinamiche relative alle abilità numeriche nell'invecchiamento sano e patologico”
Scientific manager: Prof.ssa Rachele Fanari
Area: 11 - Scienze storiche, filosofiche, pedagogiche e psicologiche - SSD:M-PSI/01
Check end date: 11/12/2025.

Research abstract

The ability to understand and use numbers and basic numerical concepts is associated with several important outcomes across the lifespan. Although numerical skills are known to decline in both healthy aging and Parkinson's patients, research on the causes of these arithmetic deficits is still limited. In this project we will investigate numerical skills in both healthy aging people and patients with Parkinson's with a particular focus on the influence of working memory (WM) on numerical representation. The aim of this project is to assess the impact of healthy aging on a model that investigates the relationship between symbolic and non-symbolic numerical skills, numerical representation, mental calculations and visuospatial skills. Since progressive neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) is thought to cause calculation deficits in this condition, this approach will be extended to a group of patients with Parkinson's disease. The research program uses several integrated approaches, including eye movement tracking, electroencephalography and cognitive tasks. We expect to collect data on how number representation is preserved in both populations compared to young adults and what impact this has on the residual visuospatial working memory of older adults.