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The role of sustained posterior brain activity in the serial chaining of two cognitive operations: A MEG study
Author(s) -
Fan Zhao,
Muthukumaraswamy Suresh D.,
Singh Krish D.,
Shapiro Kimron
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01391.x
Subject(s) - magnetoencephalography , chaining , psychology , cognition , task (project management) , cognitive psychology , electroencephalography , brain activity and meditation , neuroscience , developmental psychology , management , economics
A fundamental necessity in human cognition is to link sequential mental operations where appropriate execution of the second task requires input from the first. The present study explores the neural basis of such “chaining” using a novel psychological refractory period ( PRP ) task. Participants were required to make speeded responses to two sequential visual tasks that were chained or independent. Magnetoencephalography ( MEG ) signals were recorded simultaneously to reveal the brain's response to these similar but fundamentally different conditions. RTs to T ask 1 and 2 were slower in the C hained condition, and their temporal coupling weakened, relative to the Independent condition. MEG analysis of the accompanying event‐related fields ( ERFs ) revealed an increased sustained posterior component in the C hained condition beginning approximately 350 ms after T ask 2 onset and lasting for 450 ms. Beamformer localization of this ERF effect revealed a left hemisphere source near the junction of the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. These results extend our understanding of the behavioral and corresponding neural mechanisms required by everyday decision making.