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Marcel Just, neuroscientist from Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford postdoctoral fellow–Sashank Varma–propose a theory that can accurately predict the change in brain activation that results from some types of brain damage or disease. They observed how the human brain organize itself to give rise to complex cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving and spatial reasoning.

As the conclusion they said, the collaborating parts of the brain, are like members of a sports team whose players substitute in and out of the action. 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.

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. For example, Just and his colleagues have proposed an influential theory of autism, called the under connectivity theory that attributes the disorder to poor connectivity and hence communication between frontal areas of the brain and more posterior areas. The individual areas still have their specializations, according to the theory, but they cannot communicate as well with each other, and may develop a tendency to operate more independently of each. The theory also provides an account of what limits our ability to do multitasking.

Adapted from : www.physorg.com

Topik: General, Technology in Health