Anterior medial prefrontal cortex exhibits activation during task preparation but deactivation during task execution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC) exhibits activation during some cognitive tasks, including episodic memory, reasoning, attention, multitasking, task sets, decision making, mentalizing, and processing of self-referenced information. However, the medial part of anterior PFC is part of the default mode network (DMN), which shows deactivation during various goal-directed cognitive tasks compared to a resting baseline. One possible factor for this pattern is that activity in the anterior medial PFC (MPFC) is affected by dynamic allocation of attentional resources depending on task demands. We investigated this possibility using an event related fMRI with a face working memory task.

Methodology/principal findings

Sixteen students participated in a single fMRI sessi

SUBMITTER: Koshino H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3148238 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature