Top-down control-signal dynamics in anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex neurons following task switching.

Kathleen Cullen

Kathleen Cullen

Kathleen Cullen

+ -1 Evaluators

In this study, the authors show that neuronal responses in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), but not in prefrontal cortex are altered immediately following task switching. Single unit responses were recorded in monkeys that were trained to generate a prosaccade or antisaccade in response to a visual stimulus, and the task rule was determined on the basis of whether or not a reward had been delivered. The most robust changes in preparatory activity were observed in ACC neurons for the trials that immediately followed task switching, and these changes then continually declined for successive trials. These results suggest that the ACC is recruited whenever a task requires enhanced cognitive control, rather than for the detection of errors or performance monitoring as has been previously proposed.

Russell Poldrack

Russell Poldrack

Russell Poldrack

+ -1 Evaluators

This study examined how anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortex neurons respond to task switching, showing that cingulate neurons exhibit task-selectivity immediately after a switch that declines over trials, whereas lateral prefrontal cortex neurons exhibit consistent selectivity after a switch. These results suggest that, rather than simply signaling the need for lateral prefrontal cortex to exert control, the cingulate may also be involved in directly exerting cognitive control in the face of conflict.

Earl Miller

Earl Miller

Earl Miller

+ -1 Evaluators

The authors recorded prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices of monkeys during task switching; monkeys were trained to switch between prosaccades and antisaccades. The authors found higher levels of selectivity in the anterior cingulate (AC) than in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) immediately following a task switch and that selectivity was peaked in the AC after the switch, while it was constant in the PFC. These findings suggest that these areas play different roles in cognitive flexibility.