Neurocognition

Neurocognition refers to the cognitive functions that are mediated by the brain, including perception, attention, memory, language, executive functions, and social cognition. It encompasses how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information and how higher-order processes such as reasoning and decision-making are implemented neurally.

The field integrates cognitive psychology with neuroscience, employing behavioral assessments and neural measures to characterize the neural substrates of cognition. Key domains include attention and perception, memory (working and long-term), language, executive functions (planning, inhibition, set shifting), visuospatial processing, and social cognition (theory of mind, emotion recognition).

Methods commonly used in neurocognition include neuropsychological testing, neuroimaging (functional MRI, PET), electrophysiology (EEG/MEG), and studies of brain lesions. These tools help map cognitive processes to brain networks, such as the frontoparietal control network supporting executive function and the default mode network involved in internally directed thought. Computational modeling and pharmacological studies also contribute to understanding how neural activity supports cognition.

Development and aging influence neurocognition. Cognitive abilities typically mature with development and experience, while aging and neurological disease can produce declines in certain domains. Concepts such as cognitive reserve and neural plasticity explain variability in resilience to brain injury or degeneration and the capacity for recovery or compensation.

Clinically, neurocognition is central to diagnosing and understanding disorders that affect thinking, memory, and behavior, including neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s), traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, ADHD, and schizophrenia. Assessments inform prognosis and intervention planning.