Di Bello Fabio, Mione Valentina, Pani Pierpaolo, Brunamonti Emiliano, Ferraina Stefano
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Commun Biol. 2024 Dec 31;7(1):1715. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-07418-5.
Transitive inference allows people to infer new relations between previously experienced premises. It has been hypothesized that this logical thinking relies on a mental schema that spatially organizes elements, facilitating inferential insights. However, recent evidence challenges the need for these complex cognitive processes. To dig into the neural substrate driving TI cognitive processes, we examine the role of beta and gamma local field potential bands in the prefrontal cortex of 2 monkeys. During the inferential problem-solving period, we discover a tight link between beta and gamma bands modulation and TI complexity. This correlation diminishes its strength before initiating the motor response, indicating the chosen item. Notably, while the beta band maintains a constant relationship with TI performance throughout the trial, the gamma band shows a flexible relationship. This research highlights the role of beta and gamma interplay in cognitive computations when solving TI problems.
传递性推理使人们能够推断先前经历的前提之间的新关系。据推测，这种逻辑思维依赖于一种在空间上组织元素的心理模式，从而促进推理洞察力。然而，最近的证据对这些复杂认知过程的必要性提出了挑战。为了深入探究驱动传递性推理认知过程的神经基质，我们研究了两只猴子前额叶皮质中β和γ局部场电位频段的作用。在推理问题解决期间，我们发现β和γ频段调制与传递性推理复杂性之间存在紧密联系。这种相关性在启动运动反应（即指示所选项目）之前会减弱其强度。值得注意的是，虽然在整个试验过程中β频段与传递性推理表现保持恒定关系，但γ频段显示出一种灵活的关系。这项研究突出了β和γ相互作用在解决传递性推理问题时的认知计算中的作用。
