The neural basis of strategy choice

Evidence across cognitive domains suggests individual differences in strategy. For example, in a memory retrieval task, some individuals will encode the word “horse” by constructing a sentence while others will mentally visualize a horse. Such variability holds within subjects too: individuals adapt their cognitive strategies both in the short-term, such as adjusting effort during a task, and over longer timescales, by adopting new strategies. 

A fundamental question remains: Why is one strategy “cheaper" or more efficient for one brain than another? In this line of research, we seek to discover the structural and functional predictors that constrain or enable specific strategic choices.

To map this Implementation Level, we combine three pillars of advanced neuroimaging: Functional MRI (fMRI), Diffusion MRI (dMRI) Tractography and Quantitative MRI (qMRI).

By integrating these modalities, we aim to build models that can predict an individual's strategic preferences based on their brain's physical connectivity and microstructure.