The suitability of a previously hypothesized triple-code model of
numerical processing, involving analog magnitude, auditory verbal,
and visual Arabic codes of representation, was investigated for the
complex mathematical task of the mental addition and subtraction of
fractions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 15
normal adult subjects were processed using exploratory group
Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Separate task-related components
were found with activation in bilateral inferior parietal, left
perisylvian, and ventral occipitotemporal areas. These results support
the hypothesized triple-code model corresponding to the activated
regions found in the individual components and indicate that the triplecode
model may be a suitable framework for analyzing the
neuropsychological bases of the performance of complex mathematical
tasks.