Flexible Redistribution in Cognitive Networks

Previous work has emphasized that cognitive functions in the human brain are organized into large-scale networks. However, the mechanisms that allow these networks to compensate for focal disruptions remain elusive. I suggest a new perspective on the compensatory flexibility of cognitive networks. F...

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Veröffentlicht in:Trends in cognitive sciences 2018-08, Vol.22 (8), p.687-698
1. Verfasser: Hartwigsen, Gesa
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Previous work has emphasized that cognitive functions in the human brain are organized into large-scale networks. However, the mechanisms that allow these networks to compensate for focal disruptions remain elusive. I suggest a new perspective on the compensatory flexibility of cognitive networks. First, I demonstrate that cognitive networks can rapidly change the functional weight of the relative contribution of different regions. Second, I argue that there is an asymmetry in the compensatory potential of different kinds of networks. Specifically, recruitment of domain-general functions can partially compensate for focal disruptions of specialized cognitive functions, but not vice versa. Considering the compensatory potential within and across networks will increase our understanding of functional adaptation and reorganization after brain lesions and offers a new perspective on large-scale neural network (re-)organization. Cognitive brain networks are characterized by a high degree of flexibility in their organization and reorganization potential. There are several mechanisms that might support adaptive plasticity and enable robustness against focal perturbation. After (virtual) lesions, networks can rapidly redistribute the weight of the contribution of different regions. This dynamic regulation of network interactions enables compensation for a disruption of a key node within the network. Compensatory flexibility within networks may include a stronger contribution of the remaining regions, a shift towards other regions in the network or recruitment of homologous regions in the other hemisphere. Compensatory flexibility across networks may include recruitment of alternative pathways or recruitment of domain-general regions. The recruitment of domain-general processes (processes that contribute to a variety of cognitive functions) may partially compensate for the disruption of specialized cognitive functions, but not vice versa.
ISSN:1364-6613
1879-307X
DOI:10.1016/j.tics.2018.05.008