Abstract
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 networks. 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.
Highlights
The term neural reuse describes the capacity of the brain to adapt to changing demands by reutilizing some of its structures or resources in a new context (Figure 1)
Brain networks are characterized by a high degree of functional diversity, which provides a building stone for a highly interactive brain and neural reuse. Is this conclusion incompatible with the main assumption of lesion studies, namely that if a lesion produces a deficit in function X, the damaged area must somehow be necessary for that function? We do not think so
We focus on visual object agnosia, a term that refers to patients who are capable of analyzing perceptual characteristics of an image, yet fail to ascribe meaning to it [101]
Summary
The term neural reuse describes the capacity of the brain to adapt to changing demands by reutilizing some of its structures or resources in a new context (Figure 1). Adaptations requiring neural reuse may be triggered by environmental pressures, leading to the reattribution of neural resources to alternative activities while remaining available for the original function They may be driven by individual development, stimulating the use of skills and competencies when a child is confronted with a new problem. Neural reuse results in a structural reorganization of brain circuits, and in a new arrangement of computational operations. This general overview anticipates a more detailed discussion of theoretical proposals taking different perspectives. At least for some theorists, neural reuse is entirely incompatible with a localist and modular organization of the mind
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