Flux of life
Developmental cognitive neuroscience is flourishing but there are new challenges and new questions to be asked. I argue that we need a bigger picture and an evolutionary framework. This brings some challenges, such as the need to rewrite the old story of nature and nurture, and the need to systemati...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929319301872 |
| _version_ | 1818204196482056192 |
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| author | Uta Frith |
| author_facet | Uta Frith |
| author_sort | Uta Frith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Developmental cognitive neuroscience is flourishing but there are new challenges and new questions to be asked. I argue that we need a bigger picture and an evolutionary framework. This brings some challenges, such as the need to rewrite the old story of nature and nurture, and the need to systematically investigate innate predispositions. While brain imaging has provided some splendid insights and new puzzles to solve, its limitations must not be ignored. Can they help us to find out more about the extent to which the infant brain already configures the adult brain? Can we find out why neurodevelopmental disorders often have severe consequences on cognition and behaviour, despite the mitigating force of brain plasticity? I wish to encourage researchers of the future to take risks by letting their imagination inspire theories to pursue hard questions. I end with a wish list of topics, from start-up kits to abstract reasoning, that I hope can be tackled afresh. However, collecting physiological and behavioural data is not enough. We need a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cognitive development. Keywords: autism, brain imaging limitations, cognition, evolution, non-linear trajectories, plasticity, resilience, social start-up kits, theory |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:37:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6387f3c6ff1499aaef55a119f247c71 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1878-9293 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:37:24Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6387f3c6ff1499aaef55a119f247c712022-12-22T00:39:47ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932019-08-0138Flux of lifeUta Frith0UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, United KingdomDevelopmental cognitive neuroscience is flourishing but there are new challenges and new questions to be asked. I argue that we need a bigger picture and an evolutionary framework. This brings some challenges, such as the need to rewrite the old story of nature and nurture, and the need to systematically investigate innate predispositions. While brain imaging has provided some splendid insights and new puzzles to solve, its limitations must not be ignored. Can they help us to find out more about the extent to which the infant brain already configures the adult brain? Can we find out why neurodevelopmental disorders often have severe consequences on cognition and behaviour, despite the mitigating force of brain plasticity? I wish to encourage researchers of the future to take risks by letting their imagination inspire theories to pursue hard questions. I end with a wish list of topics, from start-up kits to abstract reasoning, that I hope can be tackled afresh. However, collecting physiological and behavioural data is not enough. We need a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cognitive development. Keywords: autism, brain imaging limitations, cognition, evolution, non-linear trajectories, plasticity, resilience, social start-up kits, theoryhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929319301872 |
| spellingShingle | Uta Frith Flux of life Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| title | Flux of life |
| title_full | Flux of life |
| title_fullStr | Flux of life |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flux of life |
| title_short | Flux of life |
| title_sort | flux of life |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929319301872 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT utafrith fluxoflife |