title: Different types of target probability have different prefrontal consequences.
abstract: One of the factors known to affect target detection is target probability. It is clear, though, that target probability can be manipulated in different ways. Here, in order to more accurately characterize the effects of target probability on frontal engagement, we examined the effects of two commonly-used but different target probability manipulations on neural activity. We found that manipulations that affected global stimulus class probability had a pronounced effect on ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula, an effect which was absent with manipulations that only affected the likelihood of specific target stimuli occurring. This latter manipulation only modulated activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the precentral sulcus. Our data suggest two key points. First, different types of target probability have different neural consequences, and may therefore be very different in nature. Second, the data indicate that ventral and dorsal portions of prefrontal cortex respond to different types of task-relevant information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, 9 Arts Link, S117570, Singapore. psyhonn@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Tang Hsiang
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*