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The Tuned Cortex: Convergent Expertise-Related Structural and Functional Remodeling across the Adult Lifespan
Erik A Wing1, Jordan A Chad2,3, Geneva Mariotti2,4
1Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada erikwing@yorku.ca.
Summary
Expertise reshapes the brain through structural and functional changes. Bird identification experts show modified brain structure and selective engagement of attention and perception regions, enhancing performance across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Neuroplasticity enables structural and functional brain changes following learning and extensive practice.
- Expertise, particularly in domains requiring complex perception, attention, and memory, leads to significant cortical reorganization.
- Understanding the interplay between structural remodeling and functional tuning is crucial for comprehending experience-dependent brain adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate multimodal cortical reorganization in bird identification experts compared to novices.
- To examine the relationship between structural brain changes, functional activation, and identification performance.
- To explore how expertise influences age-related brain changes.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) was used to assess cortical structure in bird identification experts and novices.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measured task-related brain activity (BOLD timecourses) during a bird identification task.
- Behavioral data on identification accuracy were collected and correlated with neuroimaging findings.
Main Results:
- Experts exhibited lower mean diffusivity (MD) in frontoparietal and posterior cortical regions, indicative of increased structural complexity.
- A trend for attenuated age-related increases in MD was observed in experts, suggesting potential mitigation of decline.
- Selective engagement of frontoparietal regions was observed in experts when identifying less-familiar nonlocal birds, with response magnitude correlating with performance.
Conclusions:
- Expertise in bird identification is associated with convergent structural remodeling and functional tuning in relevant brain regions.
- These brain modifications support expert performance and may attenuate age-related structural decline.
- The findings highlight how extensive practice shapes specific neural circuits for high-level cognitive functions across the lifespan.
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