The specialization of function: Cognitive and neural perspectives

Abstract

A unifying theme that cuts across all research areas and techniques in the cognitive and brain sciences is whether there is specialization of function at levels of processing that are “abstracted away” from sensory inputs and motor outputs. Any theory that articulates claims about specialization of function in the mind/brain confronts the following types of interrelated questions, each of which carries with it certain theoretical commitments. What methods are appropriate for decomposing complex cognitive and neural processes into their constituent parts? How do cognitive processes map onto neural processes, and at what resolution are they related? What types of conclusions can be drawn about the structure of mind from dissociations observed at the neural level, and vice versa? The contributions that form this Special Issue of Cognitive Neuropsychology represent recent reflections on these and other issues from leading researchers in different areas of the cognitive and brain sciences.

Keywords:

• Modularity
• Additive factors
• Brain function
• Cognition
• Neuropsychology
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Jorge Almeida, Max Coltheart, Karl Friston, Cathy Price, Brenda Rapp, and Wayne Wu for their comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. J.F.C. was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant R01-HD064636 and a grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation.