Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome, Italy; University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Trends Cogn Sci. 2024 Oct;28(10):884-895. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.004. Epub 2024 Jul 10.
Decoding mental and perceptual states using fMRI has become increasingly popular over the past two decades, with numerous highly-cited studies published in high-profile journals. Nevertheless, what have we learned from these decoders? In this opinion, we argue that fMRI-based decoders are not neurophysiologically informative and are not, and likely cannot be, applicable to real-world decision-making. The former point stems from the fact that decoding models cannot disentangle neural mechanisms from their epiphenomena. The latter point stems from both logical and ethical constraints. Constructing decoders requires precious time and resources that should instead be directed toward scientific endeavors more likely to yield meaningful scientific progress.
在过去的二十年中，使用 fMRI 解码心理和感知状态变得越来越流行，许多在高知名度期刊上发表的备受关注的研究都证明了这一点。然而，我们从这些解码器中学到了什么呢？在这篇观点文章中，我们认为基于 fMRI 的解码器没有神经生理学信息，也不能（而且可能无法）适用于现实世界中的决策。前者源于解码模型无法将神经机制与其伴随现象区分开来的事实。后者源于逻辑和伦理方面的限制。构建解码器需要宝贵的时间和资源，而这些资源应该用于更有可能产生有意义的科学进展的科学努力。
