A team of scientists from University College London has found a part of the brain that supports a person’s ability to solve problems without prior experience. Research results published In the brain magazine.
The ability to think logically, analyze and solve problems that go beyond previous experiences is called mobile (flexible) intelligence. It is considered a fundamental feature of active human thinking – a set of complex mental processes associated with abstraction, judgment, attention, strategy development. All these skills can be used in everyday activities, from hosting a dinner party to filing a tax return.
The researchers recruited 227 patients who had had a brain tumor or stroke in certain parts of the brain. All passed the flexible intelligence test.
Researchers have found that fluid intelligence disorders are predominantly characteristic of patients with lesions in the right frontal lobe. In patients with traumatic brain injury or dementia, this area of the brain is also often damaged. In the future, the team plans to continue investigating which areas of the human brain are responsible for cognitive functions.