A core brain system in assembly of cognitive episodes

old_uid10137
titleA core brain system in assembly of cognitive episodes
start_date2015/10/26
schedule16h
onlineno
detailsHost: Jenny Crinion
summaryAll human cognition is controlled in a series of attentional episodes, breaking complex problems into simpler, more solvable sub-problems.  In human fMRI studies, a common or multiple-demand (MD) pattern of frontal and parietal activity is associated with diverse cognitive demands, and with standard tests of fluid intelligence.  Based on behavioural, neuropsychological, fMRI and single unit data, I suggest that the core function of MD cortex is to control complex cognition in a structured sequence of attentional episodes.  Using multivoxel pattern analysis of human fMRI data, I show widespread coding of attended information across MD regions.  Using single unit data from the behaving monkey, I examine dynamics of task representation as a complex sequence of attentional episodes is constructed and executed.
responsiblesLawrence