Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 5, 2025

High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity
Published on: September 26, 2025
Cognitive function: holarchy or holacracy?
Codruta Birle1,2, Dana Slavoaca3,4, Maria Balea1,2
1Department of Neurosciences, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, No. 37 Mircea Eliade Street, 400486, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Abstract:
Cognition is the most complex function of the brain. When exploring the inner workings of cognitive processes, it is crucial to understand the complexity of the brain's dynamics. This paper aims to describe the integrated framework of the cognitive function, seen as the result of organization and interactions between several systems and subsystems. We briefly describe several organizational concepts, spanning from the reductionist hierarchical approach, up to the more dynamic theory of open complex systems. The homeostatic regulation of the mechanisms responsible for cognitive processes is showcased as a dynamic interplay between several anticorrelated mechanisms, which can be found at every level of the brain's organization, from molecular and cellular level to large-scale networks (e.g., excitation-inhibition, long-term plasticity-long-term depression, synchronization-desynchronization, segregation-integration, order-chaos). We support the hypothesis that cognitive function is the consequence of multiple network interactions, integrating intricate relationships between several systems, in addition to neural circuits.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Organization of the Brain
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
Cerebral Hemispheres
Lobes of the Cerebrum
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
Functionalism
James envisioned psychology's...
Cognitivism
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

