Our brain shows incredible adaptability in generating varied responses to seemingly similar situations. The same sensory inputs can result in different choices based on the behavior context. A prime illustration of this is a penalty kick in soccer: a player might target the unoccupied corner of the goal or aim at the goalkeeper, hoping he will move aside. Both choices stem from the player’s perception of the goalkeeper’s stance but result in entirely different outcomes.
Our brain shows incredible adaptability in generating varied responses to seemingly similar situations. The same sensory inputs can result in different choices based on the behavior context. A prime illustration of this is a penalty kick in soccer: a player might target the unoccupied corner of the goal or aim at the goalkeeper, hoping he will move aside. Both choices stem from the player’s perception of the goalkeeper’s stance but result in entirely different outcomes.
Researchers at the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen, aimed to uncover how the brain manages this flexibility. Their findings indicate that, based on the situation’s demands, our brain either reuses established neural pathways or creates new patterns to determine actions according to the context. This demonstrates that goal-directed behavior and cognitive adaptability can be achieved in various ways, depending on the specific needs for behavioral adjustment. The results provide insight into why some new situations can be more challenging to adjust to than others, whether in social situations or physical activities (Nature Communications).
The researchers trained rhesus monkeys to plan arm movements while monitoring neuron activity involved in this planning. The monkeys were tested in two different scenarios. In the first scenario, they had to apply a learned rule to decide whether to point at the on-screen target (the “goalkeeper”) or choose the opposite side (the “empty corner”). In the second scenario, the monkeys were tasked with adapting to an altered sensory environment, requiring them to operate under mirror-inverted viewing conditions. Again, a target shown on one side was linked to a movement on the opposite side.
The study revealed that the brain engages differently in both situations. In the first scenario, which was based on learned rules, the brain relied on established neural pathways. It utilized these pre-existing networks to plan movements without needing significant alterations in neural connections. However, in the second scenario, where the sensory environment had shifted, the brain needed to establish new neural patterns to succeed in the task. Thus, the brain’s capacity to interpret and respond to identical sensory data differently based on context operates via distinct methodologies.
“The ability to flexibly associate assorted behaviors with a particular situation is a fundamental skill of our brain,” remarks Alexander Gail, leader of the Sensorimotor Research Group and the study. “At times, this necessitates a complex reconfiguration of neuronal circuits, but often, what we call cognitive control suffices, where — as our new findings imply — the brain reutilizes neuron patterns that it already knows. We suspect that this mechanism also applies when we navigate decision-making in dynamic social contexts, which can range from competitive to cooperative, for example. Yet, we have yet to confirm this.”
