Distinct Systems for Automatic and Cognitively Controlled Time Measurement: Evidence from Neuroimaging

A recent review of neuroimaging data on time measurement argued that the brain activity seen in association with timing is not influenced by specific characteristics of the task performed. In contrast, we argue that careful analysis of this literature provides evidence for separate neural timing systems associated with opposing task characteristics. The 'automatic' system draws mainly upon motor circuits and the 'cognitively controlled' system depends upon prefrontal and parietal regions.