Goel V, Buchel C, Frith C, Dolan R J
Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Queens Square, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
Neuroimage. 2000 Nov;12(5):504-14. doi: 10.1006/nimg.2000.0636.
A key question for cognitive theories of reasoning is whether logical reasoning is inherently a sentential linguistic process or a process requiring spatial manipulation and search. We addressed this question in an event-related fMRI study of syllogistic reasoning, using sentences with and without semantic content. Our findings indicate involvement of two dissociable networks in deductive reasoning. During content-based reasoning a left hemisphere temporal system was recruited. By contrast, a formally identical reasoning task, which lacked semantic content, activated a parietal system. The two systems share common components in bilateral basal ganglia nuclei, right cerebellum, bilateral fusiform gyri, and left prefrontal cortex. We conclude that syllogistic reasoning is implemented in two distinct systems whose engagement is primarily a function of the presence or absence of semantic content. Furthermore, when a logical argument results in a belief-logic conflict, the nature of the reasoning process is changed by recruitment of the right prefrontal cortex.
推理认知理论的一个关键问题是，逻辑推理本质上是一个句子语言过程，还是一个需要空间操作和搜索的过程。我们在一项关于三段论推理的事件相关功能磁共振成像研究中探讨了这个问题，使用了有语义内容和无语义内容的句子。我们的研究结果表明，在演绎推理中涉及两个可分离的网络。在基于内容的推理过程中，会调用左半球颞叶系统。相比之下，一个形式相同但缺乏语义内容的推理任务会激活一个顶叶系统。这两个系统在双侧基底神经节核、右小脑、双侧梭状回和左前额叶皮质中具有共同的组成部分。我们得出结论，三段论推理是在两个不同的系统中实现的，其参与主要取决于语义内容的有无。此外，当一个逻辑论证导致信念 - 逻辑冲突时，推理过程的性质会因右前额叶皮质的调用而改变。
