Berlin NeuroImaging Center Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin CCM AG Wartenburger Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 (0)30 450 539 023 franziska.preusse@charite.de

• fluid intelligence and reasoning
  
• mathematical thinking
  
• educational neuroscience
  
• functional brain development in adolescence

I am interested to find out how mathematical tasks are processed in the brain. Therefore, I study functional neuroanatomical correlates of behavioral performance and strategy-use in math-gifted and averagely gifted students solving mathematical and cognitive tasks.
Also, I examine longitudinal training effects of full-scale furtherance in math-gifted and averagely gifted students.
Another interesting question I try to elucidate is how mathematical giftedness is related to fluid intelligence, processing speed, working memory abilities and attention.
Beside functional differences in processing various tasks, there may also be structural or connectivity differences in the brains of math-gifted and averagely gifted students.
I aim to provide evidence-based educational research results that help implementing new and effective educational strategies to classrooms.


Methods

• fMRI
  
• eye tracking
  
• behavioral measures

Papers in reviewed journals

Preusse, F., van der Meer, E., Ullwer, D., Brucks, M., Krueger, F., Wartenburger, I. (2010). Long-term characteristics of analogical processing in high-school students with high fluid intelligence: an fMRI study. ZDM The International Journal on Mathematics Education. link

Wartenburger, I., Heekeren, H.R., Preusse, F., Kramer, J., van der Meer, E. (2009). Cerebral correlates of analogical processing and their modulation by training. NeuroImage, 48, 291-302. link

Talks and posters at conferences

Preusse, F., van der Meer, E., Wartenburger, I. (June 2010). Fluid intelligence modulates cerebral correlates of processing geometric analogies. Poster presented at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Barcelona, Spain.

Mehnert, J., Preusse, F., Margulies, D.S., Villringer, A., van der Meer, E., Wartenburger, I. (June 2010). Intelligence modulates deactivation of the default-mode network. Poster presented at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Barcelona, Spain.

Preusse, F., van der Meer, E., Ullwer, D., Wartenburger, I. (June 2010). All roads lead to Rome!? Fluid intelligence and geometric reasoning performance – integrating results from three different methods. Poster presented at the Meeting of the Special Interest Group "Neuroscience and Education" of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) in Zurich, Switzerland.

Preusse, F., Landgraf, S., van der Meer, E., Wartenburger, I. (August 2009). LOOK AT THIS! High-school students with high fluid intelligence use shorter fixation durations in a geometric reasoning task. Poster presented at the 15th European Conference on Eye Movements (ECEM) in Southampton, UK.

Landgraf, S., Amado, I., Preusse, F., Purkhart, R., Krebs, M.-O., Olié, J.-P., van der Meer, E. (August 2009). Different task, different strategy? Inflexible information acquisition mediates visuo-spatial task performance in chronic schizophrenia patients. Talk presented at the 15th European Conference on Eye Movements (ECEM) in Southampton, UK.

Ullwer, D., Bornemann, B., van der Meer, E., Wartenburger, I., Preusse, F., Ries, J., Horn, J., Foth, M. (July 2009). Resource Allocation and Problem Solving Strategies During a Geometric Analogy Task in Individuals Differing in Fluid Intelligence. Poster presented at the 2nd International Analogy Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Preusse, F., Ullwer, D., van der Meer, E., Heekeren, H.R., Kramer, J., Wartenburger, I. (March 2009). Usage of strategies solving an abstract mathematical task. A combined fMRI and eye-movement analysis. Talk presented at the EARLI Advanced Study Colloquium "Cognitive Neuroscience Meets Mathematics Education" in Brugge, Belgium.

Preusse, F., Foth, M., van der Meer, E., Wartenburger, I. (July 2008). Learning Induced Improvements in Mathematical Cognition: Cerebral Correlates and Sources of Individual Differences. Talk presented at the XXIX International Congress of Psychology (ICP) in Berlin, Germany.

Preusse, F., Wartenburger, I., Foth, M., van der Meer, E. (March 2008). Mechanismen der Verarbeitung mathematischer Anforderungen bei mathematisch hochbegabten Schuelern. Poster presented at the Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP) in Marburg, Germany.


Current Support

BMBF grant NIL Neuroscience ~ Instruction ~ Learning

Berlin School of Mind and Brain

Berlin NeuroImaging Center



Thesis Advisors

Prof. Isabell Wartenburger, Neurocognition of Language, Universitaet Potsdam

Prof. Elke van der Meer, Cognitive Psychology, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin