External Seminar: Brain networks in cognitive control

Abstract

Brain imaging shows two well-known networks involved in cognitive control – a multiple-demand or MD network, whose activity usually increases with increased task demand, and a default-mode network (DMN), especially active during rest.  Here I shall discuss their complementary contributions to cognitive control, presenting a combination of behavioural, anatomical and imaging data.  The MD system, I suggest, is involved in splitting complex problems into fine-grained, focused parts or attentional episodes, a function closely related to fluid intelligence.  In contrast, the DMN encodes spatial, temporal and other aspects of broad context, providing the setting for more focused cognitive operations.