Chapter 13 Summary

Executive functions support the flexible control of goal-directed behavior. These processes may be conscious or nonconscious, depending on the circumstances in which they are evoked.
Several brain systems interact to support executive function, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and basal ganglia.
The prefrontal cortex receives much of its input from the secondary sensory cortices and is richly interconnected with the parietal cortex. Projections from the prefrontal cortex extend primarily to the basal ganglia and the cortical motor systems, which together contribute to initiating and inhibiting actions.
In general, the lateral prefrontal cortex supports the initiating, inhibiting, shifting, and relating of novel rules for behavior. Its subregions are organized in a hierarchical fashion, such that the most posterior regions support the execution of relatively simple rules, while the most anterior implement and update higher-order goals that might be distant from immediate task demands.
In contrast, the ventral portions of the prefrontal cortex facilitate behavioral control in situations with well-established behavioral rules, as in social situations or in interactions with objects in the environment.
The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex monitors behavior and signals the need for increased allocation of executive control. Recent work indicates that dorsomedial prefrontal cortex may be organized along a posterior-to-anterior topography similar to that of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Working memory refers to the maintenance and manipulation of information that is no longer directly available to the senses. Regions of the prefrontal cortex and parietal contribute to the successful engagement of working memory, through their influences on information processing in sensory regions.
Together, these executive control systems allow behavior to transcend simple stimulus-response associations, providing a foundation for many complex aspects of human activity.