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Reasoning with programs in replay
Sebastijan Veselic1, Nour Mohsen2, Lennart Luettgau3
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|November 24, 2025
Summary
The brain uses fast neural sequences along the time axis to solve new problems by composing known elements. This study reveals how sequences replay during reasoning, supporting program execution and complex problem-solving.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Flexible reasoning involves composing known elements for novel problem-solving.
- Theories propose the brain utilizes the temporal axis to sequence elements for reasoning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms of reasoning by testing the temporal sequencing hypothesis.
- To explore how the brain composes elements using fast neural sequences.
Main Methods:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to record brain activity.
- Participants mentally executed programs with linked steps and operations.
- Behavioral performance and neural representations were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Behavioral performance correlated with program complexity.
- Prefrontal and parietal cortices represented inferred program solutions.
- Neural representations of program steps reactivated in fast sequences, suggesting candidate solution sampling.
Conclusions:
- Fast neural sequence replay supports reasoning and program execution.
- A temporal micro-architecture underlies complex reasoning processes.
- This provides evidence for a mechanism of composing solutions through sequential element replay.
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