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Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network
Despite the importance of programming to modern society, the cognitive and neural bases of code comprehension are largely unknown. Programming languages might ‘recycle’ neurocognitive mechanisms originally developed for natural languages. Alternatively, comprehension of code could depend on fronto-p...
Autores principales: | , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
2020
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7738180/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33319745 http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.59340 |
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author | Liu, Yun-Fei Kim, Judy Wilson, Colin Bedny, Marina |
author_facet | Liu, Yun-Fei Kim, Judy Wilson, Colin Bedny, Marina |
author_sort | Liu, Yun-Fei |
collection | PubMed |
description | Despite the importance of programming to modern society, the cognitive and neural bases of code comprehension are largely unknown. Programming languages might ‘recycle’ neurocognitive mechanisms originally developed for natural languages. Alternatively, comprehension of code could depend on fronto-parietal networks shared with other culturally-invented symbol systems, such as formal logic and symbolic math such as algebra. Expert programmers (average 11 years of programming experience) performed code comprehension and memory control tasks while undergoing fMRI. The same participants also performed formal logic, symbolic math, executive control, and language localizer tasks. A left-lateralized fronto-parietal network was recruited for code comprehension. Patterns of activity within this network distinguish between ‘for’ loops and ‘if’ conditional code functions. In terms of the underlying neural basis, code comprehension overlapped extensively with formal logic and to a lesser degree math. Overlap with executive processes and language was low, but laterality of language and code covaried across individuals. Cultural symbol systems, including code, depend on a distinctive fronto-parietal cortical network. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-7738180 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2020 |
publisher | eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-77381802020-12-16 Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network Liu, Yun-Fei Kim, Judy Wilson, Colin Bedny, Marina eLife Neuroscience Despite the importance of programming to modern society, the cognitive and neural bases of code comprehension are largely unknown. Programming languages might ‘recycle’ neurocognitive mechanisms originally developed for natural languages. Alternatively, comprehension of code could depend on fronto-parietal networks shared with other culturally-invented symbol systems, such as formal logic and symbolic math such as algebra. Expert programmers (average 11 years of programming experience) performed code comprehension and memory control tasks while undergoing fMRI. The same participants also performed formal logic, symbolic math, executive control, and language localizer tasks. A left-lateralized fronto-parietal network was recruited for code comprehension. Patterns of activity within this network distinguish between ‘for’ loops and ‘if’ conditional code functions. In terms of the underlying neural basis, code comprehension overlapped extensively with formal logic and to a lesser degree math. Overlap with executive processes and language was low, but laterality of language and code covaried across individuals. Cultural symbol systems, including code, depend on a distinctive fronto-parietal cortical network. eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd 2020-12-15 /pmc/articles/PMC7738180/ /pubmed/33319745 http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.59340 Text en © 2020, Liu et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited. |
spellingShingle | Neuroscience Liu, Yun-Fei Kim, Judy Wilson, Colin Bedny, Marina Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
title | Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
title_full | Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
title_fullStr | Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
title_full_unstemmed | Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
title_short | Computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
title_sort | computer code comprehension shares neural resources with formal logical inference in the fronto-parietal network |
topic | Neuroscience |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7738180/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33319745 http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.59340 |
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