Solving future problems: default network and executive activity associated with goal-directed mental simulations.

ABSTRACT: Mental simulations are often focused on a goal in the future or a problem to be solved. Recent neuroimaging studies have associated mental simulations of the future with default network activity, but the simulations in these studies were not typically directed toward achieving a particular goal. Goal-directed simulation requires cognitive control to maintain information, make decisions, and coordinate abstract action sequences. Therefore, it should recruit not only the default network, but also executive regions. To investigate whether default network and executive regions can be coactive in the context of goal-directed simulation, we designed a problem-solving task in which participants simulated solving several specific problems in imaginary scenarios while in the MRI scanner. We analyze

SUBMITTER: Gerlach KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3855008 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature