title: When planning fails: individual differences and error-related brain activity in problem solving.
abstract: The neuronal processes underlying correct and erroneous problem solving were studied in strong and weak problem-solvers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During planning, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was activated, and showed a linear relationship with the participants' performance level. A similar pattern emerged in right inferior parietal regions for all trials, and in anterior cingulate cortex for erroneously solved trials only. In the performance phase, when the pre-planned moves had to be executed by means of an fMRI-compatible computer mouse, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was again activated jointly with right parahippocampal cortex, and displayed a similar positive relationship with the participants' performance level. Incorrectly solved problems elicited stronger bilateral prefrontal and left inferior parietal activations than correctly solved trials. For both individual ability and trial-specific performance, our results thus demonstrate the crucial involvement of right prefrontal cortex in efficient visuospatial planning.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Germany. josef.unterrainer@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Unterrainer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahm
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kaller
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ruff
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spreer
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarzwald
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hautzel
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Halsband
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012107:Research Design