Summary: Cognitive Brain Research 12 (2001) 467­473
www.elsevier.com/locate/bres
Research report
The relative involvement of anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex in
attentional control depends on nature of conflict
1
*M.P. Milham , M.T. Banich , A. Webb, V. Barad, N.J. Cohen, T. Wszalek, A.F. Kramer
The Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana­Champaign, 405 N. Matthews, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Accepted 3 July 2001
Abstract
While numerous studies have implicated both anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex in attentional control, the nature of their
involvement remains a source of debate. Here we determine the extent to which their relative involvement in attentional control depends
upon the levels of processing at which the conflict occurs (e.g., response, non-response). Using a combination of blocked and rapid
presentation event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques, we compared neural activity during incongruent Stroop trial
types that produce conflict at different levels of processing. Our data suggest that the involvement of anterior cingulate and right
prefrontal cortex in attentional control is primarily limited to situations of response conflict, while the involvement of left prefrontal cortex
extends to the occurrence of conflict at non-response levels. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Theme: Neural basis of behavior
Topic: Cognition
Keywords: Attentional control; Anterior cingulate; Prefrontal; Conflict; Stroop

Source: Andrews, Anne M. - Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
Banich, Marie T. - Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Boulder

Collections: Biology and Medicine