Killam Seminar Series: The Modular Brain
Speaker: Mark D'Esposito, MD
Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Registration: available now on Eventbrite
Livestreaming via Vimeo: Vimeo
Abstract: What type of system is the brain? The brain is widely assumed to be one of many modular systems in nature, which are thought to be computational tractable and favored by evolution. While focal brain lesions lead to very specific cognitive deficits, suggesting a modular structure, other focal lesions can have a widespread impact on cognition, suggesting that some cognitive processes emerge from interactions between many brain regions that are not functionally organized as modules. Thus, how information is functionally segregated yet integrated across brain modules remains an open question. In this talk, I will discuss a series of empirical findings from fMRI studies that begin to elucidate the neural architecture of modular processing by showing that brain modules execute discrete processes and connector hubs are likely integrating and sending information across modules in support of goal-directed cognition. I will also discuss how a better understanding of this type of large scale organization of the brain may lead to new approaches in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of cognitive disorders.
The Killam Seminar Series at The Neuro
Supported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts, The Neuro’s Killam Seminar series hosts outstanding guest speakers whose research is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill University.
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