Relational integration is required when multiple explicit representations of relations between entities must be jointly considered to make inferences. We provide an overview of the neural substrate of relational integration in humans and the processes that support it, focusing on work on analogical and deductive reasoning. In addition to neural evidence, we consider behavioral and computational work that has informed neural investigations of the representations of individual relations and of relational integration. In very general terms, evidence from neuroimaging, neuropsychological, and neuromodulatory studies points to a small set of regions (generally left lateralized) that appear to constitute key substrates for component processes of relational integration. These include posterior parietal cortex, implicated in the representation of first-order relations (e.g., A:B); rostrolateral pFC, apparently central in integrating first-order relations so as to generate and/or evaluate higher-order relations (e.g., A:B::C:D); dorsolateral pFC, involved in maintaining relations in working memory; and ventrolateral pFC, implicated in interference control (e.g., inhibiting salient information that competes with relevant relations). Recent work has begun to link computational models of relational representation and reasoning with patterns of neural activity within these brain areas.

当必须联合考虑实体之间关系的多个显式表示以进行推理时，需要关系整合。我们概述了人类关系整合的神经基础及其支持过程，重点关注类比和演绎推理的工作。除了神经证据外，我们还考虑了行为和计算工作，这些工作已经为个人关系和关系整合的表示的神经调查提供了信息。笼统地说，来自神经影像学、神经心理学和神经调节研究的证据表明，一小组区域（通常是左偏侧）似乎构成了关系整合组成过程的关键基础。这些包括后顶叶皮层，甲：乙）；rostrolateral pFC，显然是整合一阶关系以生成和/或评估高阶关系的核心（例如，A : B :: C : D）；背外侧 pFC，参与维持工作记忆中的关系；和腹外侧 pFC，涉及干扰控制（例如，抑制与相关关系竞争的显着信息）。最近的工作已经开始将关系表示和推理的计算模型与这些大脑区域内的神经活动模式联系起来。