Intelligence Emerges from Coordinated Whole-Brain Networks
Researchers propose the Network Neuroscience Theory: general intelligence arises from system-wide coordination across distributed brain networks rather than a single region. Analyzing data from 831 adults in the Human Connectome Project and 145 in the INSIGHT SHARP study, the team found that intelligence reflects how efficiently and flexibly networks communicate, relying on long-distance integration via hubs and a balance between local specialization and global integration. No one network explains intelligence; rather, system-wide coordination underpins flexible cognition, with implications for aging, brain injury, development, and biologically inspired AI.
