Comprehension of computer code relies primarily on domain-general executive brain regions.
computer code
fMRI
human
language
multiple demand
neuroscience
programming
Journal
eLife
ISSN: 2050-084X
Titre abrégé: Elife
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101579614
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
15 12 2020
15 12 2020
Historique:
received:
15
05
2020
accepted:
06
11
2020
entrez:
15
12
2020
pubmed:
16
12
2020
medline:
18
3
2021
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Computer programming is a novel cognitive tool that has transformed modern society. What cognitive and neural mechanisms support this skill? Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate two candidate brain systems: the multiple demand (MD) system, typically recruited during math, logic, problem solving, and executive tasks, and the language system, typically recruited during linguistic processing. We examined MD and language system responses to code written in Python, a text-based programming language (Experiment 1) and in ScratchJr, a graphical programming language (Experiment 2); for both, we contrasted responses to code problems with responses to content-matched sentence problems. We found that the MD system exhibited strong bilateral responses to code in both experiments, whereas the language system responded strongly to sentence problems, but weakly or not at all to code problems. Thus, the MD system supports the use of novel cognitive tools even when the input is structurally similar to natural language.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33319744
doi: 10.7554/eLife.58906
pii: 58906
pmc: PMC7738192
doi:
pii:
Types de publication
Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Subventions
Organisme : National Science Foundation
ID : #1744809
Pays : International
Informations de copyright
© 2020, Ivanova et al.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
AI, SS, YS, HK, RD, UO, MB, EF No competing interests declared
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