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Prefrontal interactions reflect future task operations

Nature Neuroscience volume 6, pages 75–81 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

When task instructions are given, the human brain establishes a task set before the task is actually performed. By introducing a delay between the instruction and the task, we have identified the neural correlates of task sets using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects were instructed to remember a sequence of positions or letters, either in the order presented or in the reverse order. Spatial or verbal processing areas were active during the delay, depending on whether positions or letters were to be remembered, whereas the anterior region of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was active regardless of the domain of the items. Furthermore, the nature of the interaction between the anterior PFC and the domain-specific posterior prefrontal areas (superior frontal sulcus and left inferior frontal gyrus) depended on whether the items were to be remembered in the forward or backward order. Thus we have identified inter-regional interactions that reflect preparation for task performance.

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Figure 1: Behavioral paradigm.
Figure 2: Areas with sustained activation during the instruction delay.
Figure 3: Peaks of pre-task activity and their time course of activation.
Figure 4: Time course of activation collapsed across trials with different length of delay.
Figure 5: Correlation of activation during the instruction delay.
Figure 6: Time course of changes in the correlation.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust. K.S. was supported by the Human Frontier Science Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK

    Katsuyuki Sakai & Richard E. Passingham

  2. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK

    Richard E. Passingham

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  1. Katsuyuki Sakai
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  2. Richard E. Passingham
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Correspondence to Katsuyuki Sakai.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Sakai, K., Passingham, R. Prefrontal interactions reflect future task operations. Nat Neurosci 6, 75–81 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn987

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