Furthering Understanding Of Brain Function, Carnegie Mellon Neuroscientist Proposes New Theory Of Brain Flexibility

Some researchers have been tempted to conclude that a simple one-to-one relationship exists between high-level mental tasks and brain areas. However, Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Marcel Just and Stanford postdoctoral fellow Sashank Varma have shown that this is not the case. They propose the brain acts as a collaborating network, with several areas of the brain constantly adapting themselves to the task at hand based on the brain's own resources and biological limitations. This teamwork of the parts of the brain has been compared to members of a sports team whose players substitute in and out of the action. Their theory, called 4CAPS (an acronym for Capacity Constrained Concurrent Cortical Activation-based Production System), proposes a decentralized process by which members of the cortical team volunteer themselves when their strengths are called for, but also permits less efficient but capable members to step forward when the primary player is injured or disabled, as might occur as a result of a stroke. This has been used to predict which areas of the brain will become activated to replace the function of damaged regions. For instance, if a stroke causes damage to the Bronca's area-- which is located in the left prefrontal cortex and is involved in language processing -- the corresponding site on the right side of the brain often becomes activated during language processing, even within hours after a stroke. This dynamic allocation mechanism allows brain areas to volunteer themselves on a moment-by-moment basis, and provides an explanation for why semi-dormant brain regions become activated after injury to other areas of the brain. 4CAPS provides a framework for scientists and medical researchers to better understand nascent topics in neuroscience, such as how brain areas communicate and collaborate with one another during the thought process and how this can go awry.

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