Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tu¨ bingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Trends Cogn Sci. 2012 Mar;16(3):157-66. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.02.002.
Whereas much is known about how we categorize and reason based on absolute quantity, data exploring ratios of quantities, as in proportions and fractions, are comparatively sparse. Until recently, it remained elusive whether these two representations of number are connected, how proportions are implemented by neurons and how language shapes this code. New data derived with complementary methods and from different model systems now shed light on the mechanisms of magnitude ratio representations. A coding scheme for proportions has emerged that is remarkably reminiscent of the representation of absolute number. These novel findings suggest a sense for ratios that grants the brain automatic access to proportions independently of language and the format of presentation.
虽然我们对如何根据绝对数量进行分类和推理有了很多了解，但关于数量比例（如比例和分数）的数据探索相对较少。直到最近，人们仍然不清楚这两种数量表示形式是否相关，神经元如何实现比例，以及语言如何塑造这种代码。现在，使用互补方法和来自不同模型系统的数据提供了新的见解，揭示了数量比表示的机制。已经出现了一种比例编码方案，该方案与绝对数量的表示方式惊人地相似。这些新发现表明，大脑有一种对比例的感觉，可以让大脑自动获得比例，而无需语言和呈现格式。
