顿悟的大脑机制

自从柯勒1917年提出顿悟的概念以来，这个问题一直吸引着心理学家的关注。但有关顿悟过程的精确的大脑机制却始终未被触及。从心理过程上看，顿悟是一个瞬间实现的、问题解决视角的“新旧交替”过程；它包含两个方面，一是新的有效的问题解决思路如何实现，二是旧的无效的思路如何被抛弃（即打破思维定势）。我们以谜语作为材料，利用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）技术精确记录了人类的大脑在实现顿悟的一瞬间的活动状况。结果显示顿悟过程激活了包括额叶、颞叶、扣带前回、以及海马在内的广泛脑区。根据各方面的综合证据，本文认为：顿悟过程中，新异而有效的联系的形成依赖于海马，问题表征方式的有效转换依赖于一个“非语言的” 视觉空间信息加工网络，而思维定势的打破与转移则依赖于扣带前回与左腹侧额叶。

NEURAL CORRELATES OF INSIGHT

Since the work of Wolfgang Kohler, the process of insight in problem solving has been the subject of considerable investigation. Yet, the neural correlates of insight remains unknown. As the sudden and unexpected change of one's point of view that illuminates a short and elegant solution path to a particular problem, insight means forming of novel, efficient associations among the old concepts and breaking of the unwarranted mental set. Subjects were imaged by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) when they were solving the riddles and puzzles. Results showed activities in frontal, temporal, and parietal areas to be associated with the process of insight. These results, together with other evidences, suggested that (1) hippocampus mediated the process of forming of novel, efficient associations in insight; (2) a spatial neural network including bilateral middle temporal/occipital gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus mediated the representational change in insight; and (3) anterior cingulate cortex and left lateral prefrontal cortex mediated the breaking of unwarranted mental set in insight.