title: A core system for the implementation of task sets.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. ndosenbach@wustl.edu
authors.forename: Nico U F
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Dosenbach
authors.forename: Kristina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Visscher
authors.forename: Erica D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Francis M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Miezin
authors.forename: Kristin K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wenger
authors.forename: Hyunseon C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: E Darcy
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Burgund
authors.forename: Ansley L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Grimes
authors.forename: Bradley L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Schlaggar
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: 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