Neural Mechanisms of Expertise

Abstract

This chapter summarizes key findings from the literature on neuroanatomical and functional correlates of expertise, concluding that expertise is related to macroanatomical properties of domain-relevant brain regions and ultrastructural properties of both the gray and the white matter. The consequence of these neural adaptations is a capacity for vastly more efficient performance of domain-specific tasks. In functional terms, this depends on multiple mechanisms that are situated at different levels of neural processing. These mechanisms include automation and alterations in functional connectivity, as well as specializations within memory systems and sensorimotor systems that optimize the pro..