Gender-dependent variations in optical illusions: evidence from N400 waveforms.

OBJECTIVE: The cognitive mechanisms (especially the gender-related ones) underlying optical illusion processing remain elusive. Since the N400 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is an index of the semantic integration of information processing tasks, the present study focuses on gender-related differences in N400 waveforms elicited during the reasoning process applied to reach a valid conclusion of optical illusions engaging working memory (WM). APPROACH: Fifty-one healthy participants (28 males, age = 34.25 years ± 10.25, years of education = 16.00 years ± 1.78; and 23 females, age = 33.43 ± 7.93, years of education = 15.56 ± 1.82) were measured. The N400 ERP component was evoked by 39 optical illusions adjusted to induce WM. We compared brain activation patterns while participants maintained conclusions of the optical illusions in WM. The N400 of ERPs was recorded during the WM phase, during which participants were required to draw a logical conclusion regarding the correctness of the optical illusions. MAIN RESULTS: Analysis revealed that females compared to males exhibited significantly increased N400 amplitudes located at parietal and occipital sites, whereas males exhibited significantly higher N400 amplitudes located at frontal areas. Furthermore, females compared to males demonstrated significantly prolonged latencies of the N400 component located at right frontotemporal abductions. SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that coupling of optical illusions with WM engages distinct gender-related variations of brain semantic processing as reflected by the N400 ERP component. Based on the dual process account, our study gives support to the notion that women tend to employ a more deliberate and slower semantic reasoning than the men who tend to employ an automatic and fast one. Topographically, within the network sub-serving the semantic operation, the posterior brain areas responsible for sensorimotor integration-related processes elicit a greater brain activation among females while the anterior brain areas responsible for control and storage/retrieval operation elicit a greater brain activation among males.

Aristotle Meets Zeno: Psychophysiological Evidence.

This study, a tribute to Aristotle's 2400 years, used a juxtaposition of valid Aristotelian arguments to the paradoxes formulated by Zeno the Eleatic, in order to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of attentional and /or memory processing effects in the course of deductive reasoning. Participants undertook reasoning tasks based on visually presented arguments which were either (a) valid (Aristotelian) statements or (b) paradoxes. We compared brain activation patterns while participants maintained the premises / conclusions of either the valid statements or the paradoxes in working memory (WM). Event-related brain potentials (ERPs), specifically the P300 component of ERPs, were recorded during the WM phase, during which participants were required to draw a logical conclusion regarding the correctness of the valid syllogisms or the paradoxes. During the processing of paradoxes, results demonstrated a more positive event-related potential deflection (P300) across frontal regions, whereas processing of valid statements was associated with noticeable P300 amplitudes across parieto-occipital regions. These findings suggest that paradoxes mobilize frontal attention mechanisms, while valid deduction promotes parieto-occipital activity associated with attention and/or subsequent memory processing.