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Higher nervous activity

Higher nervous activity is a complex system of interrelated cognitive functions, such as the ability to think, perceive, concentrate attention, remember, and use language. This concept is often used to characterize the unique intellectual capacities of humans that distinguish people from other animal species.

This structure of cognitive processes makes it possible to engage in abstraction, form plans, make choices, exert volitional effort, and reflect.

From a physiological point of view, higher nervous activity encompasses numerous complexly organized neurophysiological mechanisms carried out by the cerebral cortex and related structures. This enables an individual to find optimal ways of adapting to the surrounding world, acquire new knowledge, and form adequate behavior patterns in accordance with changes in the environment.