Neural representation of newly instructed rule identities during early implementation trials.

ABSTRACT: By following explicit instructions, humans instantaneously get the hang of tasks they have never performed before. We used a specially calibrated multivariate analysis technique to uncover the elusive representational states during the first few implementations of arbitrary rules such as 'for coffee, press red button' following their first-time instruction. Distributed activity patterns within the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) indicated the presence of neural representations specific of individual stimulus-response (S-R) rule identities, preferentially for conditions requiring the memorization of instructed S-R rules for correct performance. Identity-specific representations were detectable starting from the first implementation trial and continued to be present across early impl

SUBMITTER: Ruge H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6884394 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature