Evolutionary Cognitive Enhancement: Stimulating Whole-Body Problem-Solving Capacities

Abstract This article argues that understanding the primary functions of cognitive processes in our evolutionary past can help to develop effective cognitive enhancement methods. The adaptive problems our ancestors faced forged interconnected cognitive and motor mechanisms supporting various movement-based problem-solving processes. However, the physical and social challenges these cognitive-motor capacities originally evolved to address are no longer prevalent in modern societies. Consequently, many adaptive problem-solving mechanisms linked to a wide range of body movements are often underused and insufficiently developed in modern contexts, contributing to age-related cognitive decline. From this view, and considering current cognitive enhancement techniques such as cognitive training, neurostimulation, physical exercise, and combined cognitive and physical training, the present article introduces an evolutionary-inspired cognitive enhancement framework. This framework advocates for developing strategies and training methods that stimulate our evolved cognitive-motor adaptations. In particular, therapeutic interventions should incorporate adaptive problems and whole-body movement solutions into modern technologies and computer-based tasks.