Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Nat Commun. 2013;4:2041. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3041.
The lateral prefrontal cortex is known to be organized by cognitive hierarchies following a posterior-to-anterior gradient. Here we test whether this model applies across different cognitive domains by varying levels of cognitive hierarchy in first language, second language and non-language domains. These domains vary in their degree of automaticity with first language being the most automatic. For second language/non-language a clear gradient pattern of activation depending on the level of hierarchy is observed in the prefrontal cortex with the highest level of hierarchy recruiting its most anterior region, whereas for first language the highest level of hierarchy recruits its most posterior region. Moreover, second language/non-language and first language differ in the structural connectivity of their underlying networks. The current data strongly suggest that functional segregation of the prefrontal cortex is determined by cognitive hierarchy and the degree of automaticity.
外侧前额叶皮层被认为是按照从后向前的梯度组织的，遵循认知层次结构。在这里，我们通过改变第一语言、第二语言和非语言领域的认知层次结构来测试这个模型是否适用于不同的认知领域。这些领域的自动化程度不同，第一语言的自动化程度最高。对于第二语言/非语言，我们在前额叶皮层中观察到了一个清晰的激活梯度模式，取决于层次结构的水平，最高层次结构招募其最前区域，而对于第一语言，最高层次结构招募其最后区域。此外，第二语言/非语言和第一语言在其基础网络的结构连接上有所不同。目前的数据强烈表明，前额叶皮层的功能分离是由认知层次结构和自动化程度决定的。
