Right fronto-parietal involvement in monitoring spatial trajectories

This study investigates whether the monitoring role that has been ascribed to the right lateral prefrontal cortex in various cognitive domains also applies to the spatial domain. Specific questions of the study were (i) what kind of spatial contingencies trigger the putative monitoring function of right lateral prefrontal cortex and (ii) which other brain regions are functionally connected to it in monitoring-related conditions. Participants had to track the trajectory of a car moving within a roundabout and detect when the car hit the crash-barrier. Four different trajectories were used with different degrees of regularity and predictability. The results showed that two regions in the right hemisphere, the lateral prefrontal and inferior parietal cortex, were maximally activated and functionally connected when monitoring regular predictable trajectories as compared with unpredictable ones, demonstrating that this fronto-parietal network plays a role in monitoring environmental contingencies that can inform expectancy in a meaningful way.