Distinct Brain Networks for Adaptive and Stable Task Control in Humans

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2007 Jun 20

PMID 17576922

Citations 1354

Authors

Nico U F Dosenbach

Damien A Fair

Francis M Miezin

Alexander L Cohen

Kristin K Wenger

Ronny A T Dosenbach

Michael D Fox

Abraham Z Snyder

Justin L Vincent

Marcus E Raichle

Bradley L Schlaggar

Steven E Petersen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Control regions in the brain are thought to provide signals that configure the brain's moment-to-moment information processing. Previously, we identified regions that carried signals related to task-control initiation, maintenance, and adjustment. Here we characterize the interactions of these regions by applying graph theory to resting state functional connectivity MRI data. In contrast to previous, more unitary models of control, this approach suggests the presence of two distinct task-control networks. A frontoparietal network included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and intraparietal sulcus. This network emphasized start-cue and error-related activity and may initiate and adapt control on a trial-by-trial basis. The second network included dorsal anterior cingulate/medial superior frontal cortex, anterior insula/frontal operculum, and anterior prefrontal cortex. Among other signals, these regions showed activity sustained across the entire task epoch, suggesting that this network may control goal-directed behavior through the stable maintenance of task sets. These two independent networks appear to operate on different time scales and affect downstream processing via dissociable mechanisms.

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