title: Neural correlates of cognitive efficiency.
abstract: Since its inception, experimental psychology has sought to account for individual differences in human performance. Some neuroimaging research, involving complex behavioral paradigms, has suggested that faster-performing individuals show greater neural activity than slower performers. Other research has suggested that faster-performing individuals show less neural activity than slower performers. To examine the neural basis of individual performance differences, we had participants perform a simple speeded-processing task during fMRI scanning. In some prefrontal cortical (PFC) brain regions, faster performers showed less cortical activity than slower performers while in other PFC and parietal regions they showed greater activity. Regional-causality analysis indicated that PFC exerted more influence over other brain regions for slower than for faster individuals. These results suggest that a critical determinant of individual performance differences is the efficiency of interactions between brain regions and that slower individuals may require more prefrontal executive control than faster individuals to perform successfully.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University Psychology Department, USA. bart.rypma@utdallas.edu
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rypma
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prabhakaran
authors.forename: Benjamin Martin
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bly
authors.forename: Daniel Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kimberg
authors.forename: Bharat B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Biswal
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Esposito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology