The neural bases of resilient cognitive systems: Evidence of variable neuro-displacement in the semantic system

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to initiate exploration of an equally-important research goal: what are the neurocomputational mechanisms that make these cognitive systems “well engineered” and thus resilient across a range of performance demands and to mild levels of perturbation or even damage? We achieved this aim by investigating the neural dynamics of the semantic network with two task difficulty manipulations. We found that intrinsic resilience-related mechanisms were observed in both the domain-specific semantic representational system and the parallel executive control networks. Functional connectivity between these regions was also increased and these increases were related to better semantic task performance. Our results suggest that higher cognitive functions are made resilient by flexible, dynamic changes (variable neuro-displacement) across both domain-specific and multi-demand networks. Our findings provide strong evidence that the compensatory functional alterations in the impaired brain might reflect intrinsic mechanisms of a well-engineered neural system.

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The neural bases of resilient semantic system: evidence of variable neuro-displacement in cognitive systems

Brain Structure and Function ◽

10.1007/s00429-021-02272-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Je Young Jung ◽

Grace E. Rice ◽

Matthew A. Lambon Ralph

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Semantic Processing ◽

Cognitive Systems ◽

Representational System ◽

Semantic System ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Semantic Cognition ◽

Regional Activity ◽

Performance Requirements ◽

Performance Demands

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore an important research goal in cognitive and clinical neuroscience: What are the neurocomputational mechanisms that make cognitive systems “well engineered” and thus resilient across a range of performance demands and to mild levels of perturbation or even damage? A new hypothesis called ‘variable neuro-displacement’ suggests that cognitive systems are formed with dynamic, spare processing capacity, which balances energy consumption against performance requirements and can be resilient to changes in performance demands. Here, we tested this hypothesis by investigating the neural dynamics of the semantic system by manipulating performance demand. The performance demand was manipulated with two levels of task difficulty (easy vs. hard) in two different ways (stimulus type and response timing). We found that the demanding semantic processing increased regional activity in both the domain-specific semantic representational system (anterior temporal lobe) and the parallel executive control networks (prefrontal, posterior temporal, and parietal regions). Functional connectivity between these regions was also increased during demanding semantic processing and these increases were related to better semantic task performance. Our results suggest that semantic cognition is made resilient by flexible, dynamic changes including increased regional activity and functional connectivity across both domain-specific and domain-general systems. It reveals the intrinsic resilience-related mechanisms of semantic cognition, mimicking alterations caused by perturbation or brain damage. Our findings provide a strong implication that the intrinsic mechanisms of a well-engineered semantic system might be attributed to the compensatory functional alterations in the impaired brain.

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Alterations of dynamic functional connectivity between visual and executive-control networks in schizophrenia

Brain Imaging and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s11682-021-00592-8 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Weiliang Yang ◽

Xuexin Xu ◽

Chunxiang Wang ◽

Yongying Cheng ◽

Yan Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Executive Control ◽

Dynamic Functional Connectivity ◽

Control Networks

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Multicomponent Working Memory System with Distributed Executive Control

Working Memory ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198842286.003.0006 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 150-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

André Vandierendonck

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Control ◽

Memory System ◽

General Information ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Term Memory ◽

Episodic Buffer ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Current Task

The working memory model with distributed executive control accounts for the interactions between working memory and multi-tasking performance. The working memory system supports planned actions by relying on two capacity-limited domain-general and two time-limited domain-specific modules. Domain-general modules are the episodic buffer and the executive module. The episodic buffer stores multimodal representations and uses attentional refreshment to counteract information loss and to consolidate information in episodic long-term memory. The executive module maintains domain-general information relevant for the current task. The phonological buffer and the visuospatial module are domain specific; the former uses inner speech to maintain and to rehearse phonological information, whereas the latter holds visual and spatial representations active by means of image revival. For its operation, working memory interacts with declarative and procedural long-term memory, gets input from sensory registers, and uses the motor system for output.

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Effects of dense code-switching on executive control

Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism ◽

10.1075/lab.15052.hof ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 648-668 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Julia Hofweber ◽

Theodoros Marinis ◽

Jeanine Treffers-Daller

Keyword(s):

Executive Functioning ◽

Executive Control ◽

Flanker Task ◽

Code Switching ◽

Switching Frequency ◽

Conflict Monitoring ◽

Control Networks ◽

Dense Code ◽

Executive System ◽

The Impact

Abstract Bilingualism is reported to re-structure executive control networks, but it remains unknown which aspects of the bilingual experience cause this modulation. This study explores the impact of three code-switching types on executive functions: (1) alternation, (2) insertion, and (3) dense code-switching or congruent lexicalisation. Current models hypothesise that different code-switching types challenge different aspects of the executive system because they vary in the extent and scope of language separation. Two groups of German-English bilinguals differing in dense code-switching frequency participated in a flanker task under conditions varying in degree of trial-mixing and resulting demands to conflict-monitoring. Bilinguals engaging in more dense code-switching showed inhibitory advantages in the condition requiring most conflict-monitoring. Moreover, dense code-switching frequency correlated positively with monitoring skills. This suggests that dense code-switching is a key experience shaping bilinguals’ executive functioning and highlights the importance of controlling for participants’ code-switching habits in bilingualism research.

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Using a semantic network for information extraction

Natural Language Engineering ◽

10.1017/s1351324997001769 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 147-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

ROBERT GAIZAUSKAS ◽

KEVIN HUMPHREYS

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Representation ◽

Information Extraction ◽

Text Analysis ◽

Semantic Network ◽

Logical Form ◽

General Purpose ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Discourse Model ◽

Comparable Performance ◽

Entire Text

This paper describes the approach to knowledge representation taken in the LaSIE Information Extraction (IE) system. Unlike many IE systems that skim texts and use large collections of shallow, domain-specific patterns and heuristics to fill in templates, LaSIE attempts a fuller text analysis, first translating individual sentences to a quasi-logical form, and then constructing a weak discourse model of the entire text from which template fills are finally derived. Underpinning the system is a general ‘world model’, represented as a semantic net, which is extended during the processing of a text by adding the classes and instances described in that text. In the paper we describe the system's knowledge representation formalisms, their use in the IE task, and how the knowledge represented in them is acquired, including experiments to extend the system's coverage using the WordNet general purpose semantic network. Preliminary evaluations of our approach, through the Sixth DARPA Message Understanding Conference, indicate comparable performance to shallower approaches. However, we believe its generality and extensibility offer a route towards the higher precision that is required of IE systems if they are to become genuinely usable technologies.

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Selective enhancement of attentional networks in college table tennis athletes: a preliminary investigation

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.2762 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e2762 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Biye Wang ◽

Wei Guo ◽

Chenglin Zhou

Keyword(s):

Executive Control ◽

Preliminary Investigation ◽

Table Tennis ◽

Control Networks ◽

Attentional Networks ◽

Attentional Network ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Attentional Network Test ◽

Selective Enhancement ◽

Athlete Group

The purpose of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the attentional network in college table tennis athletes. A total of 65 college students categorized as table tennis athlete group or non-athlete group participated in the study. All participants completed the attentional network test (ANT) which measured the alerting, orienting and executive control networks. The results showed a significant difference between the athlete and non-athlete group for executive control network (p < 0.01), while no differences were observed for alerting (p > 0.05) or orienting (p > 0.05) networks. These results combined suggest that college table tennis athletes exhibited selectively enhanced executive control of attentional networks.

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A working memory intervention weakens the reconsolidation of a threat memory and its biases processing towards threat

10.1101/2020.01.08.898643 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Soledad Picco ◽

Luz Bavassi ◽

Rodrigo S. Fernández ◽

María E. Pedreira

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Implicit Memory ◽

Attentional Bias ◽

Executive Control ◽

Cognitive Biases ◽

Memory Task ◽

Behavioral Responses ◽

Memory Retention ◽

Experimental Psychopathology ◽

Control Networks

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDThreat-conditioning (TC) memory plays a central role in anxiety disorders, but not in a simple way. This memory impacts on complex cognitive systems by modifying behavioral responses with a bias to fearful stimuli and overestimating potential threats. In this study we proposed a global approach analyzing the scope of disrupting TC memory reconsolidation in the implicit memory, the declarative contingency and the cognitive biases.METHODSDay 1: Subjects were trained on TC. Day 2: after Threat-memory reactivation, one group performed a high demanding working memory task (HWM) and the other a low demanding working memory task (LWM). The last group, only performed the HWM task. Day 3: TC memory was tested by an extinction session followed by reinstatement. Finally, all subjects completed tasks targeting stimuli representation, valuation and attentional bias towards threat.RESULTSDisrupting reconsolidation of TC memory with a HWM weakened the implicit memory retention and faded the representation and valuation towards threat but it had no effect on attentional bias. Moreover, we revealed that subjects’ performance during the working memory task was specifically associated in TC memory retention.CONCLUSIONSOur findings reveal a strong impairment of the threat-memory restabilization and associated emotional biases. This may result from the competition between defensive survival and central-executive control networks. Our results fits with Experimental Psychopathology approach, disentangling the relation between the implicit memory, cognitive, valenced systems and the possibility to weaken both the threatening memory and the systems associated with the maintenance of anxiety profile.

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