From Action to Cognition: Neural Reuse, Network Theory and the Emergence of Higher Cognitive Functions

Radek Ptak, Naz Doganci, Alexia Bourgeois
2021 Brain Sciences  
The aim of this article is to discuss the logic and assumptions behind the concept of neural reuse, to explore its biological advantages and to discuss the implications for the cognition of a brain that reuses existing circuits and resources. We first address the requirements that must be fulfilled for neural reuse to be a biologically plausible mechanism. Neural reuse theories generally take a developmental approach and model the brain as a dynamic system composed of highly flexible neural
more » ... orks. They often argue against domain-specificity and for a distributed, embodied representation of knowledge, which sets them apart from modular theories of mental processes. We provide an example of reuse by proposing how a phylogenetically more modern mental capacity (mental rotation) may appear through the reuse and recombination of existing resources from an older capacity (motor planning). We conclude by putting arguments into context regarding functional modularity, embodied representation, and the current ontology of mental processes.
doi:10.3390/brainsci11121652 pmid:34942954 pmcid:PMC8699577 fatcat:3ngmeegyyvdg7emvucjeepfdfi