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Related Experiment Videos

Planning and spatial working memory: a positron emission tomography study in humans

A M Owen1, J Doyon, M Petrides

  • 1Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|February 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

High-level cognitive planning involves the prefrontal cortex and striatum. This study used positron emission tomography (PET) to show that difficult planning tasks activate specific brain regions, including the caudate nucleus and thalamus.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Previous research suggests frontostriatal circuitry underpins high-level planning.
  • The specific roles of different prefrontal cortex subregions and their interaction with the striatum require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional anatomy of cognitive planning using positron emission tomography (PET).
  • To differentiate brain activation patterns associated with planning difficulty and working memory demands.

Main Methods:

  • Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 12 healthy volunteers.
  • Participants performed easy and difficult versions of a modified Tower of London task, including a mnemonic variant and a control condition.

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  • Task conditions involved varying levels of planning complexity and short-term memory load.

    • Main Results:

    • Difficult planning tasks significantly increased rCBF in the left mid-dorsolateral frontal cortex and caudate nucleus compared to controls.
    • Comparing difficult planning to simple planning revealed focal rCBF increases in the caudate nucleus and thalamus.
    • Mnemonic task variants showed bilateral activation in the mid-dorsolateral frontal cortex and ventral frontopolar regions, with ventral foci differentiating planning from memory.

    Conclusions:

    • Findings reinforce the involvement of frontostriatal circuitry in high-level cognitive planning.
    • Evidence suggests distinct functional contributions of ventral and dorsolateral frontal regions to spatial working memory and planning.