Conflict-induced behavioural adjustment: a clue to the executive functions of the prefrontal cortex.

Mansouri FA., Tanaka K., Buckley MJ.

The behavioural adjustment that follows the experience of conflict has been extensively studied in humans, leading to influential models of executive-control adjustment. Recent studies have revealed striking similarities in conflict-induced behavioural adjustment between humans and monkeys, indicating that monkeys can provide a model to study the underlying neural substrates and mechanisms of such behaviour. These studies have advanced our knowledge about the role of different prefrontal brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), in executive-control adjustment and suggest a pivotal role for the DLPFC in the dynamic tuning of executive control and, consequently, in behavioural adaptation to changing environments.

DOI

10.1038/nrn2538

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Rev Neurosci

Publication Date

02/2009

Volume

10

Pages

141 - 152

Keywords

Adaptation, Psychological, Behavior, Conflict, Psychological, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Prefrontal Cortex, Problem Solving

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