Category-based thinking is a fundamental form of logical thinking. Here, we aimed to investigate its neural process at the local circuit level in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We recorded single-unit PFC activity while male monkeys (Macaca fuscata) performed a task in which the category and rule were prerequisites of logical thinking and the outcome contingency was its consequence. Different groups of neurons coded a single type of information discretely or multiple types in a transitional form. Results of time-by-time analysis of neuronal activity suggest an information flow from category-coding and rule-coding neurons to transitional intermediate neurons, and then to contingency-coding neurons. Category-coding, rule-coding, and contingency-coding neurons showed stable coding of information, whereas intermediate neurons showed dynamic coding, as if it integrated category and rule to derive contingency. A similar process was confirmed by using a spiking neural network model that consisted of subnetworks coding category and rule on the input layer and those coding contingency on the output layer, with a subnetwork for integration in the intermediate layer. These results suggest that category-based logical thinking is realized in the PFC by separated neural populations organized for working in a feedforward manner.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To elucidate the neural process for logical thinking, we combined an in-depth analysis of single-unit activity data with a biologically plausible computational model. Results of time-by-time analysis of prefrontal neuronal activity suggest an information flow from category-coding and rule-coding neurons to transitional intermediate neurons, and then to contingency-coding neurons. Category-coding, rule-coding, and contingency-coding neurons showed stable coding, whereas intermediate neurons showed dynamic coding, as if they integrated category and rule to derive contingency. A spiking neural network model reproduced similar temporal changes of information as the recorded neuronal data. Our results suggest that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critically involved in category-based thought process, and this process may be produced by separated neural populations organized for working in a feedforward manner.

基于范畴的思维是逻辑思维的一种基本形式。在这里，我们的目的是在前额叶皮层 (PFC) 的局部电路水平上研究其神经过程。我们记录了雄性猴子（Macaca fuscata) 执行了一项任务，其中类别和规则是逻辑思维的先决条件，结果的偶然性是其结果。不同的神经元组离散地编码单一类型的信息或以过渡形式编码多种类型的信息。神经元活动的逐时分析结果表明，信息从类别编码和规则编码神经元流向过渡中间神经元，然后流向应急编码神经元。类别编码、规则编码和偶然性编码神经元表现出稳定的信息编码，而中间神经元表现出动态编码，就好像它整合了类别和规则来导出偶然性。通过使用尖峰神经网络模型确认了类似的过程，该模型由输入层上的编码类别和规则的子网络以及输出层上的编码偶然性组成，中间层有一个用于集成的子网络。这些结果表明，基于类别的逻辑思维是在 PFC 中通过以前馈方式组织工作的分离神经群体实现的。

重要性声明为了阐明逻辑思维的神经过程，我们将对单个单元活动数据的深入分析与生物学上合理的计算模型相结合。前额叶神经元活动的逐时分析结果表明，信息从类别编码和规则编码神经元流向过渡中间神经元，然后流向权变编码神经元。类别编码、规则编码和偶然性编码神经元表现出稳定编码，而中间神经元表现出动态编码，就好像它们整合了类别和规则来推导偶然性。尖峰神经网络模型再现了与记录的神经元数据相似的信息时间变化。我们的结果表明，前额叶皮层 (PFC) 与基于类别的思维过程密切相关，