Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215316, China.
Commun Biol. 2022 Aug 9;5(1):799. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03762-6.
Metacognition refers to the ability to be aware of one's own cognition. Ample evidence indicates that metacognition in the human primate is highly dissociable from cognition, specialized across domains, and subserved by distinct neural substrates. However, these aspects remain relatively understudied in macaque monkeys. In the present study, we investigated the functionality of macaque metacognition by combining a confidence proxy, hierarchical Bayesian meta-d' computational modelling, and a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation technique. We found that Brodmann area 46d (BA46d) played a critical role in supporting metacognition independent of task performance; we also found that the critical role of this region in meta-calculation was time-sensitive. Additionally, we report that macaque metacognition is highly domain-specific with respect to memory and perception decisions. These findings carry implications for our understanding of metacognitive introspection within the primate lineage.
元认知是指对自身认知的意识。大量证据表明，人类灵长类动物的元认知与认知高度分离，具有跨领域的专业性，并由不同的神经基质支持。然而，这些方面在猕猴中仍然相对研究不足。在本研究中，我们通过结合置信度代理、分层贝叶斯元 d'计算建模和单次经颅磁刺激技术，研究了猕猴元认知的功能。我们发现，Brodmann 区 46d（BA46d）在独立于任务表现的情况下对支持元认知起着关键作用；我们还发现，该区域在元计算中的关键作用是时间敏感的。此外，我们报告说，猕猴的元认知在记忆和感知决策方面具有高度的领域特异性。这些发现对我们理解灵长类动物谱系中的元认知内省具有重要意义。
