Neural mechanisms of non-verbal thinking

为了了解决策的神经机制，我们记录了猴子在执行推理任务时前额叶皮层和基底神经节的神经元活动。基底神经节的神经元不能推断出猴子直接经历过的事情，而前额叶神经元可以通过内部连接经验关联来推断没有经历过的事件之间的关系。此外，我们还通过功能磁共振成像实验发现了人脑中的双重神经过程。

To understand neural mechanisms of decision making, we recorded neuronal activity from the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia of monkeys while animals performed an inference task. While neurons in the basal ganglia couldn't infer more than what monkeys had directly experienced, the prefrontal neurons could infer the relation of events without experience through connecting experienced associations internally. Furthermore, we found such dual neural processes in the human brain by means of fMRI experiments.