Neurodynamic of Cognition Laboratory, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8320000 Santiago, Chile; Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, 38000 Grenoble, France.
Neurodynamic of Cognition Laboratory, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8320000 Santiago, Chile; Laboratory for Brain-Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8320000 Santiago, Chile.
Neuroimage. 2021 Feb 1;226:117557. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117557. Epub 2020 Nov 12.
Cognitive planning, the ability to develop a sequenced plan to achieve a goal, plays a crucial role in human goal-directed behavior. However, the specific role of frontal structures in planning is unclear. We used a novel and ecological task, that allowed us to separate the planning period from the execution period. The spatio-temporal dynamics of EEG recordings showed that planning induced a progressive and sustained increase of frontal-midline theta activity (FMθ) over time. Source analyses indicated that this activity was generated within the prefrontal cortex. Theta activity from the right mid-Cingulate Cortex (MCC) and the left Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) were correlated with an increase in the time needed for elaborating plans. On the other hand, left Frontopolar cortex (FP) theta activity exhibited a negative correlation with the time required for executing a plan. Since reaction times of planning execution correlated with correct responses, left FP theta activity might be associated with efficiency and accuracy in making a plan. Associations between theta activity from the right MCC and the left ACC with reaction times of the planning period may reflect high cognitive demand of the task, due to the engagement of attentional control and conflict monitoring implementation. In turn, the specific association between left FP theta activity and planning performance may reflect the participation of this brain region in successfully self-generated plans.
认知规划，即制定有序计划以实现目标的能力，在人类目标导向行为中起着至关重要的作用。然而，前额叶结构在规划中的具体作用尚不清楚。我们使用了一种新颖的生态任务，使我们能够将规划期与执行期分开。EEG 记录的时空动力学显示，规划会随着时间的推移逐渐引起额中线θ活动（FMθ）的持续增加。源分析表明，这种活动是在前额叶皮层中产生的。右中央扣带皮层（MCC）和左前扣带皮层（ACC）的θ活动与详细规划所需时间的增加相关。另一方面，左额极（FP）θ活动与执行计划所需的时间呈负相关。由于规划执行的反应时间与正确反应相关，因此左额极θ活动可能与制定计划的效率和准确性有关。右 MCC 和左 ACC 的θ活动与规划期反应时间之间的关联可能反映了任务的高认知需求，这是由于注意力控制和冲突监测实施的参与。反过来，左额极θ活动与规划表现之间的特定关联可能反映了该脑区在成功自我生成计划中的参与。
