University of Miami.
Yale University.
J Cogn Neurosci. 2020 Jun;32(6):1026-1045. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_01536. Epub 2020 Feb 4.
Cognitive flexibility, the ability to appropriately adjust behavior in a changing environment, has been challenging to operationalize and validate in cognitive neuroscience studies. Here, we investigate neural activation and directed functional connectivity underlying cognitive flexibility using an fMRI-adapted version of the Flexible Item Selection Task (FIST) in adults ( = 32, ages 19-46 years). The fMRI-adapted FIST was reliable, showed comparable performance to the computer-based version of the task, and produced robust activation in frontoparietal, anterior cingulate, insular, and subcortical regions. During flexibility trials, participants directly engaged the left inferior frontal junction, which influenced activity in other cortical and subcortical regions. The strength of intrinsic functional connectivity between select brain regions was related to individual differences in performance on the FIST, but there was also significant individual variability in functional network topography supporting cognitive flexibility. Taken together, these results suggest that the FIST is a valid measure of cognitive flexibility, which relies on computations within a broad corticosubcortical network driven by inferior frontal junction engagement.
认知灵活性是指在不断变化的环境中适当调整行为的能力，在认知神经科学研究中一直难以操作和验证。在这里，我们使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）自适应版灵活项目选择任务（FIST）来研究成年人（n=32，年龄 19-46 岁）的认知灵活性的神经激活和有向功能连接。该 fMRI 自适应版 FIST 具有可靠性，与基于计算机的任务版本具有可比性，并在前额顶叶、前扣带皮层、脑岛和皮质下区域产生了强烈的激活。在灵活性试验中，参与者直接参与左侧下额额连接，这影响了其他皮质和皮质下区域的活动。选择脑区之间的内在功能连接强度与 FIST 表现的个体差异有关，但支持认知灵活性的功能网络拓扑也存在显著的个体差异。总之，这些结果表明，FIST 是认知灵活性的有效衡量标准，它依赖于由下额额连接驱动的广泛皮质下网络中的计算。
