将数量零表示为符号概念被认为是抽象人类思想的独特成就。1,2将零概念化,一个人必须从(缺乏)感官证据中抽象出来,以构建数字缺失的表示:从“无”中创造“某物”。\“2,3,4先前对自然数的神经表示的研究揭示了不同的数字选择性神经群体,它们的调谐曲线与相邻的数字重叠。5,6重要的是,该神经代码的一个组成部分被认为在非符号和符号数字格式中是不变的7,8,9,10,11尽管行为证据表明零占据了这个心理数字线的开头位置,与自然数相比,人类中的12,13,14零也与独特的行为和发育概况有关,4,15,16,17暗示零的明显神经基础。我们通过与脑磁图(MEG)记录配合使用两个定性不同的数字任务18,19来表征人脑中零的神经表示。我们分析了非符号数字的两种神经表示(点模式),包括零(空集),和符号数字,包括象征性的零。我们的结果表明,零的神经表示沿着与其他自然数共享的分级神经数线。值得注意的是,零广义的符号表示来预测非符号空集。我们继续将数值零的抽象表示定位到后关联皮层,将人类数字认知中的顶叶皮层的范围扩展到包含零的表示10,20。
Representing the quantity zero as a symbolic concept is considered a unique achievement of abstract human thought.1,2 To conceptualize zero, one must abstract away from the (absence of) sensory evidence to construct a representation of numerical absence: creating \"something\" out of \"nothing.\"2,3,4 Previous investigations of the neural representation of natural numbers reveal distinct numerosity-selective neural populations that overlap in their tuning curves with adjacent numerosities.5,6 Importantly, a component of this neural code is thought to be invariant across non-symbolic and symbolic numerical formats.7,8,9,10,11 Although behavioral evidence indicates that zero occupies a place at the beginning of this mental number line,12,13,14 in humans zero is also associated with unique behavioral and developmental profiles compared to natural numbers,4,15,16,17 suggestive of a distinct neural basis for zero. We characterized the neural representation of zero in the human brain by employing two qualitatively different numerical tasks18,19 in concert with magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings. We assay both neural representations of non-symbolic numerosities (dot patterns), including zero (empty sets), and symbolic numerals, including symbolic zero. Our results reveal that neural representations of zero are situated along a graded neural number line shared with other natural numbers. Notably, symbolic representations of zero generalized to predict non-symbolic empty sets. We go on to localize abstract representations of numerical zero to posterior association cortex, extending the purview of parietal cortex in human numerical cognition to encompass representations of zero.10,20.