Changing plans: neural correlates of executive control in monkey and human frontal cortex

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Primate Research

Background:

• Executive control orchestrates behavior based on goals and context.
• Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are key brain regions involved in executive control.
• The AX version of the continuous performance task (AX-CPT) is a standard measure for assessing cognitive function and executive control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural mechanisms of executive control during the AX-CPT task.
• To compare intracranial recordings in monkeys with scalp-recorded human evoked potentials (ERPs).
• To elucidate the specific roles of DLPFC and ACC subregions in action initiation and inhibition.

Main Methods:

• Intracranial recordings were obtained from a monkey performing the AX-CPT task.
• Human event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded using scalp electrodes during the same task.
• Data from monkey and human recordings were directly compared.

Main Results:

• Monkey DLPFC showed activation primarily during conditions requiring action inhibition, consistent with human ERP findings.
• Different subregions within the monkey ACC were selectively activated by either action initiation or inhibition.
• Human ERPs indicated ACC activation in both initiation and inhibition scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Monkey DLPFC plays a crucial role in inhibiting actions, mirroring human findings.
• The ACC exhibits functional specialization, with distinct subregions dedicated to initiating or inhibiting actions.
• Simultaneous activation of ACC subregions during conflict may explain widespread ACC activation observed in human fMRI and ERP studies.