Essay No. 02
Neurotenacity
This essay introduces Neurotenacity as a proposed conceptual principle in neuroscience, defined as the capacity of the nervous system to preserve sufficient structural and functional continuity across time to sustain memory, cognitive coherence, and personal identity. The argument begins from a biological paradox: whereas many tissues maintain viability through cellular renewal, many neurons appear to persist across decades while participating in networks that remain capable of learning, adaptation, and reorganization. Rather than treating neuronal longevity solely as a limitation of regenerative biology, the essay proposes that neural persistence may constitute a necessary condition for the continuity of memory and identity. Neurotenacity is developed through three interrelated dimensions: structural persistence, functional continuity, and identity preservation. The concept is positioned not against neuroplasticity, but alongside it, as a complementary principle: plasticity explains how the brain changes, whereas Neurotenacity asks how the brain remains sufficiently continuous through change. The essay further situates the hypothesis within debates on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, memory architecture, neurodegeneration, and the philosophy of personal continuity. Its central claim is that neuroscience may require a more explicit theoretical vocabulary for persistence, not only for transformation. Neurotenacity is therefore proposed as a framework for examining how enduring neural architecture may support memory, autobiographical coherence, and the biological continuity of the self.
Alexis O. Kaya, MD, PhD, Neuroscientist
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