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It has been proposed that task control is functionally implemented by a distributed frontoparietal system. It has been argued that one component of this system, the lateral frontal cortex, is functionally organized through a caudal to rostral gradient. Here, we tested 2 competing models, the Information Cascade and Rule Abstraction hypotheses, which suggest different principles underlying the rostrocaudal gradient. We presented participants with 4 vertical lines on a screen and asked them to indicate the position of the shortest line. We manipulated the difficulty of the task in 3 simple ways: By increasing the number of lines, by decreasing the difference between short and normal line length, and by changing the stimulus-response mapping. As expected, these manipulations evoked widespread frontoparietal activation, with activity much more anterior than predicted by Information Cascade and Rule Abstraction models. There were also striking individual differences in the rostrocaudal extent of activity. The results suggest an integrated frontoparietal system, which can be recruited as a whole even by very simple task demands.

Original publication

DOI

10.1093/cercor/bhs333

Type

Journal article

Journal

Cereb Cortex

Publication Date

02/2014

Volume

24

Pages

532 - 540

Keywords

Information Cascade, Rule Abstraction, functional magnetic resonance imaging, multiple demand, prefrontal cortex, Adolescent, Adult, Brain, Brain Mapping, Discrimination (Psychology), Female, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Male, Models, Neurological, Neuropsychological Tests, Parietal Lobe, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Task Performance and Analysis, Thinking, Visual Perception, Young Adult