Preparatory activity and connectivity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex for cognitive control
Kurt P Schulz1, Anne-Claude V Bédard1, Rosa Czarnecki2
1Department of Psychiatry, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Neuroimage
|April 26, 2011
Summary
The posterior dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) plays a key role in preparing responses. Ready cues activate this region and enhance its connectivity with other brain areas for better behavioral control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has distinct subregions involved in motor control.
- Anterior dACC is linked to conflict monitoring, and caudal dACC to movement execution.
- The role of the posterior dACC in response selection and preparation remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the involvement of the posterior zone of the dACC in the top-down control of response selection and preparation.
- To examine neural activity and functional connectivity within the dACC during a cued go/no-go task.
Main Methods:
- Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used in 16 healthy young adults.
- A cued go/no-go task was employed, designed to minimize response conflicts.
- Standard convolution models and psychophysiological interaction analyses were used to assess dACC activation and connectivity.
Main Results:
- Ready cues, signaling response direction, elicited preparatory neural activity in the posterior dACC.
- These cues strengthened functional connectivity between the posterior dACC and other dACC zones, prefrontal cortex, and motor areas.
- dACC activation exceeded general arousal effects, indicating a specific role in response preparation, even with minimal conflict.
Conclusions:
- The posterior dACC is involved in the top-down control of response selection and preparation.
- Its integration of cognitive, sensorimotor, and incentive signals positions it centrally for preparing goal-directed behaviors.
- Findings highlight the posterior dACC's crucial role in orchestrating appropriate behavioral responses.
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