Xinying Cai‘s co-authored paper "Neural Correlates of Strategic Reasoning during Competitive Games" was published online in Science Magazine on September 18. This paper identified the dorsal medial frontal cortex as a brain area engaged in strategic reasoning while an animal engaged in competitive games against a computer opponent. Strategic thinking exemplifies higher order cognition, which is critical for making optimal choices in a dynamic environment.
"This study is one of the few that looks into the neural basis underlying such cognitive processes, by recording single neuron activity while the animal applied strategic reasoning to counter its computer opponent," said Cai.
Professor Xinying Cai is currently an Assistant Professor at NYU Shanghai and a core member of the NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai.