The what and how components of cognitive control

In daily life, people show remarkable flexibility in adapting to novel circumstances. Although there is general agreement on which brain areas are involved in cognitive flexibility, little is known about the precise representational content of these cognitive control areas in different sub-processes involved in cognitive control. In the present study, we used an adaptation approach to differentiate the brain areas selectively representing the what and the how components of cognitive control in task preparation. When selectively repeating the task goal (the what component) without repeating the stimulus-response (S-R) mapping (the how component), task goal preferential adaptation was found in the left lateral prefrontal cortex, the medial prefrontal cortex and the left posterior parietal cortex. Within these areas, task goal specific adaptation was found in the left inferior frontal gyrus, the posterior part of the left inferior parietal lobule and the precuneus. Selectively repeating the S-R mapping, by contrast, resulted in S-R mapping preferential adaptation in the bilateral pre-central gyrus extending bilaterally to the intra-parietal lobule, indicating representation of the how component in these areas. Adaptation general to both task goal and S-R mapping was only found in Broca's area extending to the inferior frontal junction, suggesting that the what and the how components of cognitive control are similarly represented in this part of the brain.

► Brain areas representing the what and the how of cognitive control were examined. ► Adaptation to selectively repeating the task goal and the SR-mapping was studied. ► Adaptation offers an opportunity to study representations in cognitive control areas.