Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Neuronavigated Focalized Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Administered During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: November 15, 2024
Medio-lateral functional dissociation of the rostral prefrontal cortex with focal/non-focal cues during a prospective
Francesco Barban1,2,3, Francesco Scalici4,5, Giovanni Augusto Carlesimo1,6
1Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
The rostral prefrontal cortex (rPFC) is crucial in prospective memory (PM) behavior. Several functional magnetic resonance imaging studies showed that its medial (mrPFC) and lateral (lrPFC) portions dissociate during PM tasks. In light of the Multiprocess theory (McDaniel and Einstein 2000), here we tested whether the two portions of the rPFC are dissociable by modulating strategic vs. spontaneous processes during a PM task. We investigated these two processes by means of a 2 × 2 experimental design in which focal vs. non-focal conditions were modulated by varying the conjoint nature of the ongoing task (i.e., lexical decision vs. syllable matching) and the PM cue (words vs. syllables). Using the two portions of the rPFC as regions of interest, we found an effect of the non-focal condition in the lrPFC and, conversely, an effect of the focal condition in the mrPFC. In the whole-brain analysis we found an effect of the non-focal condition in the bilateral intraparietal sulcus, the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, the supplementary motor areas and the vermis of the cerebellum, whereas we found an effect of the focal condition in the ventromedial PFC. Overall, our results show that different brain regions are involved when multiple processes underlying PM behavior are modulated.
Related Concept Videos
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Non-Verbal Cues
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
Dissociative Amnesia

