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SUMMARY:Clay Holroyd (UGhent): "The Controllosphere: A Control-theoretic A
 ccount of Cognitive Effort and its Neural Origins"
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260504T120000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260504T130000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260530T041038Z
UID:indico-event-600@indico.giga.uliege.be
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Why do some mental activities feel harder than other
 s? The answer to this question is surprisingly controversial. Current theo
 ries propose that cognitive effort affords a computational benefit\, such 
 as instigating a switch from an activity with low reward value to a differ
 ent activity with higher reward value. By contrast\, in this presentation 
 I relate cognitive effort to the fact that brain neuroanatomy and neurophy
 siology render some neural states more energy-efficient than others. I int
 roduce the concept of the "controllosphere\," an energy-inefficient region
  of neural state space associated with high control\, which surrounds the 
 better known "intrinsic manifold\," an energy-efficient subspace associate
 d with low control. Integration of control-theoretic principles with class
 ic neurocomputational models of cognitive control suggests that dorsolater
 al prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) implements a controller that can drive the sy
 stem state into the controllosphere\, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) impl
 ements an observer that monitors changes of state of the controlled system
 \, and cognitive effort reflects a mismatch between DLPFC and ACC energies
  for control and observation. On this account\, cognitive effort scales wi
 th the energetic demands of the DLPFC control signal\, especially when the
  consequences of the control are unobservable by ACC. Further\, I propose 
 that neural transitions through the controllosphere lead to a buildup of n
 eural waste. Cognitive effort therefore prevents against neural damage by 
 discouraging extended periods of high control.\n\n \n\nBio: I am a cogni
 tive neuroscientist interested in the neural mechanisms that support cogni
 tive control and decision making. Much of my career has focused on figurin
 g out the function of anterior cingulate cortex\, a poorly understood brai
 n area that is involved in many cognitive tasks. My laboratory is presentl
 y funded by an ERCAdvanced Grant to investigate the neurocognitive mechani
 sms of cognitive effort. This project applies control-theoretic principle
 s to neural network models of cognitive phenomena\, which we then test in 
 humans using a combination of electroencephalography\, magnetoencephalogra
 phy\, and functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques.\n\nInvited by:
  Fabienne COLLETTE\n\nhttps://indico.giga.uliege.be/event/600/
LOCATION:CRC B-30/0-000 - FLUOR (Big meeting room)
URL:https://indico.giga.uliege.be/event/600/
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