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Updated: Feb 6, 2026
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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
Published on: February 1, 2012
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Environmentally induced changes to brain morphology predict cognitive performance.
Thomas W Pike1, Michael Ramsey2,3, Anna Wilkinson2,4
1School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK tpike@lincoln.ac.uk.
Summary
Short-term brain plasticity significantly impacts cognitive performance. Manipulating fish brain regions showed that changes in optic tectum or olfactory bulbs altered sensory information reliance during conflicting cues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Cognition
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- The link between brain size/structure and cognitive capacity is well-studied.
- Brain structure exhibits short-term plasticity influenced by environmental and social factors.
- The impact of this plasticity on cognitive performance remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how short-term changes in specific brain regions affect cognitive performance in fish.
- To examine the influence of manipulated optic tectum and olfactory bulb size on sensory information processing.
Main Methods:
- Non-invasive manipulation of relative brain region sizes (optic tectum, olfactory bulbs) in fish.
- Testing cognitive performance in a task involving conflicting visual and chemical sensory information.
- Assessing reliance on different sensory modalities based on brain structure.
Main Results:
- Fish could process visual and chemical information independently.
- When presented simultaneously, individuals with larger optic tecta prioritized visual cues.
- Individuals with larger olfactory bulbs prioritized chemical cues when information conflicted.
Conclusions:
- Short-term alterations in brain structure can significantly influence cognitive decision-making.
- Brain plasticity may reflect adaptive strategies to manage energetically costly neural resources.
- Individual differences in cognitive abilities can arise from dynamic changes in brain morphology.
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