Open AccessDissociable roles of the posterior parietal and the prefrontal cortex in manipulation and monitoring processes
Author(s) -
Anne Sophie Champod,
Michael Petrides
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0607101104
Subject(s) - working memory , posterior parietal cortex , dissociation (chemistry) , functional magnetic resonance imaging , neuroscience , prefrontal cortex , consumer neuroscience , neuroimaging , psychology , cognitive psychology , computer science , cognition , chemistry
Numerous functional neuroimaging studies reported increased activity in the middorsolateral prefrontal cortex (MDLFC) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during the performance of working memory tasks. However, the role of the PPC in working memory is not understood and, although there is strong evidence that the MDLFC is involved in the monitoring of information in working memory, it is also often stated that it is involved in the manipulation of such information. This event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study compared brain activity during the performance of working memory trials in which either monitoring or manipulation of information was required. The results show that the PPC is centrally involved in manipulation processes, whereas activation of the MDLFC is related to the monitoring of the information that is being manipulated. This study provides dissociation of activation in these two regions and, thus, succeeds in further specifying their relative contribution to working memory.