10.15146/7EZE-SA65
Nee, Derek
0000-0001-7858-6871
DataONE
D'Esposito, Mark
UC Berkeley
Causal Evidence for Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Dynamics Supporting
Cognitive Control
DataONE
2017
2017-09-10T16:16:55Z
en
dataset
10.7554/eLife.28040
9390064401 bytes
2
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is essential for higher-level
cognition, but how its interactions support cognitive control remains
elusive. Previously (Nee and D'Esposito, 2016), dynamic causal
modeling (DCM) indicated that mid LPFC integrates abstract, rostral and
concrete, caudal influences to inform context-appropriate action. Here, we
use continuous theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (cTBS) to
causally test this model. cTBS was applied to three LPFC sites and a
control site in counterbalanced sessions. Behavioral modulations resulting
from cTBS were largely predicted by information flow within the previously
estimated DCM. However, cTBS to caudal LPFC unexpectedly impaired
processes presumed to involve rostral LPFC. Adding a pathway from caudal
to mid-rostral LPFC significantly improved the model fit and accounted for
the observed behavioral findings. These data provide causal evidence for
LPFC dynamics supporting cognitive control and demonstrate the utility of
combining DCM with causal manipulations to test and refine models of
cognition.