Missing links: The functional unification of language and memory (L∪M)

Area of Science:

• Neurocognition
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Traditional neurocognitive models view language and declarative memory as distinct functions.
• Emerging perspectives suggest dynamic integration and interaction between cognitive domains.
• Shared anatomical structures and cognitive processes highlight potential overlap between language and memory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel integrative model, L∪M (Language/union/Memory), for cognitive functioning.
• To challenge the modular view of the brain by emphasizing interactive cognitive domains.
• To reconcile functional specialization with neural plasticity, particularly in neurological disorders.

Main Methods:

• Fractionating language and declarative memory into three fundamental systems: Receiver-Transmitter, Controller-Manager, and Transformer-Associative.
• Formalizing the reciprocal communication between these systems using a connectivity-based approach at the brain level.
• Developing a new taxonomy to describe cognitive interactions.

Main Results:

• The L∪M model posits reciprocal communication between language and memory systems.
• Demonstrates shared neural substrates and cognitive processes between language and declarative memory.
• Provides a framework that integrates distinct cognitive functions.

Conclusions:

• The proposed L∪M model offers a dynamic and integrative vision of cognitive functioning.
• This approach overcomes the limitations of modular cognitive models.
• It reconciles functional specialization with brain plasticity, offering new insights into neurological disorders.