A core system for the implementation of task sets.
When performing tasks, humans are thought to adopt task sets that configure moment-to-moment data processing. Recently developed mixed blocked/event-related designs allow task set-related signals to be extracted in fMRI experiments, including activity related to cues that signal the beginning of a task block, "set-maintenance" activity sustained for the duration of a task block, and event-related signals for different trial types. Data were conjointly analyzed from mixed design experiments using ten different tasks and 183 subjects. Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/medial superior frontal cortex (dACC/msFC) and bilateral anterior insula/frontal operculum (aI/fO) showed reliable start-cue and sustained activations across all or nearly all tasks. These regions also carried the most reliable error-related signals in a subset of tasks, suggesting that the regions form a "core" task-set system. Prefrontal regions commonly related to task control carried task-set signals in a smaller subset of tasks and lacked convergence across signal types.
Dosenbach
Nico U F
NU
Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. ndosenbach@wustl.edu
Visscher
Kristina M
KM
Palmer
Erica D
ED
Miezin
Francis M
FM
Wenger
Kristin K
KK
Kang
Hyunseon C
HC
Burgund
E Darcy
ED
Grimes
Ansley L
AL
Schlaggar
Bradley L
BL
Petersen
Steven E
SE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology