The Multilayer Processing Theory of Human Intelligence

Understanding the brain mechanisms underlying complex human cognition, such as general intelligence, remains a central goal in neuroscience. Previous research has linked intelligence to brain characteristics assessed at distinct temporal and spatial scales. However, cognition and behavior likely emerge from neural processes that unfold and interact across multiple scales. At the macroscale, slow, long-range interactions operate between integrative and associative brain networks within higher levels of the cortical hierarchy, whereas at the microscale, fast, short-range processes occur within local neuronal assemblies. Building on this perspective, we propose that intelligence should be conceptualized as a multilayer phenomenon across temporal and spatial scales. To formalize this view, we introduce the Multilayer Processing Theory of Intelligence (MLPT) as a testable theoretical framework. Specifically, the MLPT posits that higher intelligence results from an interplay between efficient short-range processes and more complex long-range processes that flexibly coordinate local computations.