Abstract Rule Learning:Behavioral And Electrophysiological Evidence

Abstract rule learning, by which we mean the ability to encode and represent the order of discrete elements occurring in a sequence and predict the coming sequence of events on the basis of preceding events, plays an import role in human and animals’ cognition. Most previous researches are mainly focused on infants, adults and non-human primates. The neural mechanism behind it and the developmental characteristics of rule learning in children are not well understood. In the present study, we explore the neural mechanism of abstract rule learning on rats with electrophysiological recording and behavioral pattern on children with eye tracking.In the electrophysiological experiment, we use the "local-global" paradigm.4 rats were presented with 4 days’ training and one day’s test, with standard stimuli in training period and three deviants in test period (including new frequency, rule deviants and omission). Electrophysiological recording results in primary auditory cortex (A1) and anterior cingutate cortex (ACC) show that:1) There was no difference between local standard and new frequency stimuli in event-related potentials (ERP) and time-frequency analysis. We didn’t find functional connectivity between the two brain areas; 2) A few electrodes in A1 showed the significant amplitude difference and power increase between local deviant and and local standard; 3) The results of ERP, time-frequency and functional connnectivity analysis suggested that rats may be hardly master the complex global rule; 4) A few electrodes in Al showed the significant amplitude difference and power increase between standard sequence and omission sequence in XXY task; 5) No solid fuctional connectivity between A1 and ACC has been found.In the children eyetracking experiment, we use the geometric paradigm. A basketball picture appeared in one of eight dots on a circle.36 children watched stimuli on eyetracking screen and finished 11 kinds of rule. The results show that:1) Using paired T test, we found children in the pre-operation stage had a good performance in one-level rule. They also could master two and three-level rule partly, but reaction time index is higher and accuracy is lower; 2) Compared to skew symmetry, children showed a bias to vertical and horizontal symmetry.Based on our current study, we think more electrophysiological research should be conducted to clarify neural mechanism behind abstract rule learning. The comparative study between infants, children and adults also has a significance in understanding the development characteristics of rule learning.