Reverse-engineering the cortical architecture for controlled semantic cognition.

ABSTRACT: We employ a reverse-engineering approach to illuminate the neurocomputational building blocks that combine to support controlled semantic cognition: the storage and context-appropriate use of conceptual knowledge. By systematically varying the structure of a computational model and assessing the functional consequences, we identified the architectural properties that best promote some core functions of the semantic system. Semantic cognition presents a challenging test case, as the brain must achieve two seemingly contradictory functions: abstracting context-invariant conceptual representations across time and modalities, while producing specific context-sensitive behaviours appropriate for the immediate task. These functions were best achieved in models possessing a single, deep multimoda

SUBMITTER: Jackson RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7611056 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature