Activity in the fronto-parietal network indicates numerical inductive reasoning beyond calculation: An fMRI study combined with a cognitive model.

Peipeng Liang,Jelmer P Borst,Xiuqin Jia,Niels A Taatgen,Kuncheng Li

doi:10.1038/srep25976

Abstract

Numerical inductive reasoning refers to the process of identifying and extrapolating the rule involved in numeric materials. It is associated with calculation, and shares the common activation of the fronto-parietal regions with calculation, which suggests that numerical inductive reasoning may correspond to a general calculation process. However, compared with calculation, rule identification is critical and unique to reasoning. Previous studies have established the central role of the fronto-parietal network for relational integration during rule identification in numerical inductive reasoning. The current question of interest is whether numerical inductive reasoning exclusively corresponds to calculation or operates beyond calculation, and whether it is possible to distinguish between them based on the activity pattern in the fronto-parietal network. To directly address this issue, three types of problems were created: numerical inductive reasoning, calculation, and perceptual judgment. Our results showed that the fronto-parietal network was more active in numerical inductive reasoning which requires more exchanges between intermediate representations and long-term declarative knowledge during rule identification. These results survived even after controlling for the covariates of response time and error rate. A computational cognitive model was developed using the cognitive architecture ACT-R to account for the behavioral results and brain activity in the fronto-parietal network.

Highlights

Integration and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) for mental representation[2,3,4,5]
It was hypothesized that the fronto-parietal network will be more active in response to numerical inductive reasoning than in response to pure calculation, as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) will be used for relation detection and the IPS will be used for mental representation during the processes of rule identification
Declarative memory retrievals should lead to activity in the prefrontal cortex, the problem state module to the posterior parietal cortex, and visual encoding to the middle occipital cortex[14]

Summary

Introduction

Integration and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) for mental representation[2,3,4,5]. it is unknown whether the activation in the fronto-parietal network can distinguish between these processes. ACT-R has four central cognitive modules for processing information: the procedural module that implements the central production system, the declarative memory module that manages retrieval requests from declarative memory, the goal module that keeps track of one’s intentions and controls the information processing, and the problem state module (sometimes referred as imaginal module) that maintains intermediate representations necessary for performing a task[11,12]. The problem state module, which is used to maintain intermediate representations necessary for performing a task, is important for numerical inductive reasoning Together these two modules map onto the fronto-parietal network, activity in that network is, according to ACT-R, attributable to the exchange of information between intermediate representations and long-term declarative knowledge

Objectives

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion