特质推理的神经机制:来自脑成像的证据

特质推理一直是社会认知研究的重要主题,它包括有意图的特质推理和自发特质推理。随着社会认知神经科学蓬勃发展,研究者开始探讨二者的神经机制。fMRI研究表明,特质推理期间主要大脑活动定位于mPFC和TPJ这两个广泛脑区,有意图和自发特质推理分别更多地激活mPFC与TPJ。ERP研究发现,P300是特质推理期间与不一致信息探测和解决过程相关的EEG成分,有意图和自发特质推理在时间进程上大多同步,却激活了不同脑区。总之,当前已积累了较多可信的脑成像证据,从社会认知神经科学的视角探讨特质推理的神经机制是未来较有前途的一个方向。     

不同阅读能力聋人语篇理解中连接推理的眼动比较

采用记录被试阅读完成后回答问题的正确率、反应时与眼动指标,试图探讨不同阅读能力聋人语篇理解中连接推理的加工特点与效率。结果表明:在语篇局部连贯中断情况下,高低阅读能力聋人在语篇理解过程中的连接推理加工是主动的即时性加工,而非语篇阅读完成后被动的延时性加工;但高阅读能力聋人能有效激活背景知识,所发生的连接推理加工是一个自动化的加工;低阅读能力聋人主动尝试即时激活背景知识、构建句子间的连接推理,但连接推理的加工还未达到自动化程度,推理加工的效率较低。     

Neural Correlates of Reward Processing in Adolescents With a History of Inhibited Temperament

ABSTRACT— Functional imaging data were acquired during performance of a reward-contingency task in a unique cohort of adolescents (ages 14–18 years) who were characterized since infancy on measures of temperamental behavioral inhibition. Neural activation was examined in striatal structures (nucleus accumbens, putamen, caudate) with a known role in facilitating response to salient reward-related cues. Adolescents with a history of behavioral inhibition, relative to noninhibited adolescents, showed increased activation in the nucleus accumbens when they believed their selection of an action would affect reward outcome. Neural responses did not differ between the two groups when participants made a prespecified response that they knew would result in reward or when they produced random motor responses that they knew would not be rewarded. These results link inhibited temperament and perturbed neural responses to reward-contingency cues.     

审美的神经机制

审美能力是人类独有的高级功能。本文介绍了审美的认知神经模型, 以及相关研究的实验范式, 对各种刺激材料和任务进行了评价。回顾了近年来脑成像研究的主要进展, ERP和MEG研究证明审美包含发生在不同时段的不同加工阶段, 与审美判断相关的ERP成分为300~400 ms 额中部负成分和440~880 ms 头皮后部晚期正成分。fMRI研究发现与审美相关的主要脑区包括尾状核、框额部皮质和扣带前回。未来研究应进一步区分审美的不同方面的神经机制之间的差别, 扩大刺激材料范围, 更深入地探讨复杂因素, 如文化因素对审美神经机制的影响。     

Aristotelian Causation and Neural Correlates of Consciousness

Topoi - Neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) are neural states or processes correlated with consciousness. The aim of this article is to present a coherent explanatory model of NCC that is...     

Personality and Neural Correlates of Mentalizing Ability

Theory of mind, or mentalizing, defined as the ability to reason about another's mental states, is a crucial psychological function that is disrupted in some forms of psychopathology, but little is known about how individual differences in this ability relate to personality or brain function. One previous study linked mentalizing ability to individual differences in the personality trait Agreeableness. Agreeableness encompasses two major subdimensions: Compassion reflects tendencies toward empathy, prosocial behaviour, and interpersonal concern, whereas Politeness captures tendencies to suppress aggressive and exploitative impulses. We hypothesized that Compassion but not Politeness would be associated with better mentalizing ability. This hypothesis was confirmed in Study 1 (N = 329) using a theory of mind task that required reasoning about the beliefs of fictional characters. Post hoc analyses indicated that the honesty facet of Agreeableness was negatively associated with mentalizing. In Study 2 (N = 217), we examined whether individual differences in mentalizing and related traits were associated with patterns of resting‐state functional connectivity in the brain. Performance on the theory of mind task was significantly associated with patterns of connectivity between the dorsal medial and core subsystems of the default network, consistent with evidence implicating these regions in mentalization. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology     

情感一致性及其对认知加工的影响

具身情绪观认为情感的核心功能是评价,这种评价信息会同时表征在低层感知系统和高层认知系统中,它们相互影响、互为因果。情感一致性反映的是情感具身反应（心理感受、情感相关的身体动作和表情等）与情感认知评价（情感的观念性内容,积极与消极）在效价上的耦合关系。这种关系突出的表现为效价上是否一致,情感一致促进其后的认知加工,情感不一致的作用相反。该观点在短时记忆、叙事建构、刻板印象和说服效果等领域得到了证实。未来的研究应重视情感一致性的情感意义,扩展情感一致性定义及假设,并检验情感一致性的评价本质。     

知觉觉知的神经相关物研究

近年来随着脑认知成像技术的引入 ,关于意识问题的研究取得了很大进展。在过去的几年时间里 ,对意识的神经相关物 (ｎｅｕｒａｌｃｏｒｒｅｌａｔｅｓ)的研究[1] 显得尤为突出 ,大量研究都发现了特定的神经信号与知觉体验 (ｐｅｒｃｅｐｔｕａｌｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ)之间的高度关联。这类研究的一个基本假设是 :每种心理状态(如意识状态 )都有一个相关联的神经活动状态 ;心理状态发生变化 ,它所对应的神经活动状态不可能不发生变化。意识的神经相关物的研究也就是对心理状态和神经活动状态之间关系的研究[2 ] 。首先要正确理解知觉觉知 (ｐ…     

刻板印象激活的无意图性及其大脑神经活动特征

采用启动Stroop范式, 对刻板印象激活的无意图性及其大脑神经活动特征进行了探讨。操纵了启动和“无启动”条件以及与启动所激活的刻板印象一致、冲突和无关的3类靶子词, 记录了36名大学生被试对靶子词进行颜色判别的行为反应和脑电图(EEG, electroencephalogram)。结果发现：(1)“无启动”条件下对3类靶子的反应时基本一致; 启动条件下对一致靶子做出颜色判别的反应时显著快于对冲突靶子的, 对无关靶子的反应时介于两者之间。(2)“无启动”条件下无关靶子诱发的N400波幅最大--显著大于一致和冲突靶子诱发的, 后两者诱发的N400无差异; 启动条件下一致靶子诱发的N400波幅显著小于冲突和无关靶子诱发的N400波幅, 无关靶子诱发的N400波幅也小于冲突靶子诱发的N400波幅。这表明刻板印象激活是一个发生在知觉后加工阶段的具有无意图性的自动化加工过程, 刻板印象激活效应具有抑制冲突信息加工同时促进一致信息加工的“双刃剑”模式, N400可以作为考察这一认知过程特征的电生理学指标。     

内隐面孔记忆的编码机制*

为了探究内隐面孔再认在记忆形成过程中的认知加工状态,该实验以陌生面孔为刺激,采用事件相关电位(ERP)技术,并结合相继记忆(Dm)范式和迫选再认测验,把学习阶段的面孔分为相继记住、相继启动及相继忘记三类,以相继记住与相继启动的 ERP 差异为外显记忆 Dm 效应,以相继启动与相继忘记的差异为内隐记忆的 Dm效应。结果表明,内隐记忆表现为400~500 ms额中央区负走向的 Dm效应,可能反映了额叶皮层对信息的精加工过程,而外显记忆表现为400 ms开始顶区正走向的Dm效应,可能反映了记忆系统对加工后信息的自动登记过程。由此推测,只有经过额叶加工并被内侧颞叶自动登记的信息,随后才能被有意识地提取出来,而未进入内侧颞叶的信息在随后测验中不可能产生有意识地记忆提取现象,但储存的知觉表征可能触发微弱的记忆痕迹,从而产生内隐面孔记忆。     

注意瞬脱神经机制的研究

在很短的时间间隔内连续呈现两个目标刺激时,被试对第二个目标刺激的正确报告率显著下降,这种现象就是注意瞬脱.该文简述了注意瞬脱的概念、容量有限性等方面,尤其详细介绍了注意瞬脱神经机制研究的新进展,并对今后的研究提出展望.     

Neural Correlates of Emotional Reactivity in Sensation Seeking

ABSTRACT— High sensation seeking has been linked to increased risk for drug abuse and other negative behavioral outcomes. This study explored the neurobiological basis of this personality trait using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). High sensation seekers (HSSs) and low sensation seekers (LSSs) viewed high- and low-arousal pictures. Comparison of the groups revealed that HSSs showed stronger fMRI responses to high-arousal stimuli in brain regions associated with arousal and reinforcement (right insula, posterior medial orbitofrontal cortex), whereas LSSs showed greater activation and earlier onset of fMRI responses to high-arousal stimuli in regions involved in emotional regulation (anterior medial orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate). Furthermore, fMRI response in anterior medial orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate was negatively correlated with urgency. Finally, LSSs showed greater sensitivity to the valence of the stimuli than did HSSs. These distinct neurobiological profiles suggest that HSSs exhibit neural responses consistent with an overactive approach system, whereas LSSs exhibit responses consistent with a stronger inhibitory system.     

Neural Correlates of Age-related Reduction in Visual Motion Priming

ABSTRACT

Previously we reported that priming of visual motion perception is reduced in older adults compared to younger adults (Jiang, Greenwood, & Parasuraman, 1999 Jiang, Y., Greenwood, P. and Parasuraman, R. 1999. Age-related reduction in 3-D motion priming. Psychology and Aging, 14(4): 619–626.  [Google Scholar], Psychology and Aging, 14(4), 619; Jiang, Luo, & Parasuraman, 2002b Jiang, Y., Luo, Y. J. and Parasuraman, R. 2002b. Two-dimensional visual motion priming is reduced in older adults. Neuropsychology, 16(2): 140–145.  [Google Scholar], Neuropsychology, 16(2), 140). To examine the neural mechanisms underlying this age-related effect, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during perceptual judgments of motion directions by younger and older adults in two experiments. When judging single-step motion, both younger and older adults evoked significantly larger ERP late positive component (LPC) responses to unambiguous motion compared to LPC responses elicited by ambiguous motion. In contrast, compared to the younger adults, the older adults evoked comparable but delayed ERP responses to single motion steps. In the second experiment the younger and older groups judged the directions of two successive motion-steps (either motion priming or motion reversals). Under short (200–400 ms) stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), the difference between the ERP responses to priming and reversal conditions was significantly larger for the younger than for the older adults. This study provides the first electrophysiological evidence that brain aging leads to delayed processing of single motion direction and visual motion priming as early as 100 ms in the early visual cortex. Age-related changes in strength and temporal characteristics of neural responses in temporal-parietal regions were particularly pronounced in older adults when successive motion signals are placed closely in time, within 400 ms.     

睡眠不足对人际交互的影响及其认知神经机制

睡眠不足会对人的认知、情感和人际交互产生诸多影响。这种影响在社会情绪层面表现为个体情绪共情和认知共情的减少,易激惹性与愤怒情绪的增加;在社会行为层面则表现为亲社会行为的减少和攻击行为的增加。在睡眠不足状态下,情绪系统和认知系统功能连接的减弱可能是这些变化的潜在机制。未来应结合生态效度较高的睡眠操作手段,系统考察睡眠不足如何导致各种高级社会情绪的改变,以及这些社会情绪的变化如何导致社会行为的变化。     

提取学习有利于学习与记忆的认知神经基础

研究表明提取学习相比简单重复学习更加益于记忆的保持。近期的脑成像研究发现, 与简单重复学习相比, 提取学习时前额叶、顶下叶、颞叶及一些皮层下结构的脑激活更大, 这些脑区的激活也能预测随后的记忆成绩。这些研究表明, 在更多认知资源的投入和工作记忆系统的参与下, 提取学习是一个获得、加工、整合和巩固语义关系的过程。提取学习充分调用认知和情感、皮层与皮层下机能, 同时还发挥语义和情景记忆优势来促进学习与记忆。     

ERP研究反映感数与计数的不同脑机制

对于较小数目的快速准确认知的“感数”现象一直是一个引人兴趣的问题,这一感数过程到底本质是什么,它与计数过程究竟是同一种加工还是分属两种不同类别,对于这个问题多年来一直存在着争论。本实验的目的在于研究感数加工的本质,运用ERP手段来探索其与计数的不同机制;并且以分心物变量为指标,研究在有分心物呈现时,感数与计数过程将会有哪些变化以及其潜在的神经机制。对14名正常青年人记录感数与计数加工过程中的事件相关脑电位（ERP）。刺激图片由位于屏幕中心的靶(白色矩形)或者靶+分心物(白色圆形)组成,靶的数目分为感数（1－3个靶）及计数（4－6）;而分心物的数目有三种水平：零（无分心物）,与靶的数目相同及两倍于靶的数目。被试计算图片上白色矩形的个数并对所得数目进行奇偶判断,最后根据奇偶性用左右手进行按键反应。行为结果表明,感数与计数的反应时在靶数目之间有显著性差异,靶数目相同时,分心物越多,则被试所需要的反应时就越长。ERP测量表明P1波幅随着靶数目的增加而增大,随着分心物数目的增加而增加;N1波潜伏期随着靶数目的增加和分心物数目增加而减小,N1波幅随着靶数目和分心物的增加而增加;P3波幅随着靶数目的增加而减小,在某些记录点具有靶效应和干扰效应。研究结果提示感数加工具有明显的分心物效应,而计数加工则不然,支持感数与计数分属两种不同功能加工过程的观点,感数加工更易受到分心物出现的干扰。     

Event-Related Potential Correlates of Attention to Mediated Message Processing

The aim of this article is to find neural correlates of attention allocated to processing mediated messages. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for auditory distractors were recorded while subjects were engaged in watching a movie telling a short story (audio-video condition) or listening to a radio program describing the same events (audio condition). The amplitudes of the N1 and P3a components for distractors were larger in the audio than in the audio-video condition. The results indicate a stronger orienting response to auditory distractors when listening to the radio than when listening to and watching television. It confirmed predictions of the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP), which assumes that the less complex the encoded message, the more attentional resources are left for additional tasks. The largest amplitude of the P3a was observed during the first stage of encoding the message compared to the next stages. P3a amplitude to repeated auditory distractors seems to be a strong indicator of habituation. Results are discussed in the context of LC4MP and perceptual load theory of attention.     

创新思维中原型激活促发顿悟的认知神经机制

创造性是人类智能的高级表现, 创新思维则是个体创造性的核心过程。我们以创造性问题解决中的顿悟过程为研究对象, 提出并验证了创新思维中原型激活促发顿悟的理论构想; 综合运用事件相关电位(ERP)和功能性核磁共振(fMRI)的技术优势, 初步揭示了原型激活促发顿悟的大脑机制。具体表现为, 楔前叶的激活可能与原型激活和关键信息提取有关; 左侧额下回/额中回的激活可能与与思维定势打破和新异联结形成有关; 同时研究也表明大脑的特定准备状态(额中回/扣带前回的激活)对顿悟的产生有积极的促进作用。