Flexibility in behavior is a critical and ubiquitous component of intelligence. The brain adapts to control our behavior in different ways depending on the specific situation. Frontal cortex plays a fundamental role in flexible and adaptive behavior but the mechanisms underlying such cognitive control are poorly understood and are often studied in the context of deciding how to interpret conflicting sets of information. In this proposal we aim to systematically investigate whether there are invariant computations underlying cognitive control across multiple different scenarios and tasks by taking advantage of a rare opportunity to invasively and directly investigate the neural signals in the human brain. Furthermore, we aim to take initial steps towards interfering with such cognitive control signals via invasive electrical stimulation of the underlying circuits.
Intelligent behavior requires flexibly adapting to circumstances. The ability to display such flexibility is dependent on neural circuits in frontal cortex but the mechanisms orchestrating cognitive control are poorly understood. Understanding how the brain implements cognitive control is critical towards addressing multiple neurological and psychiatric conditions that affect frontal cortex including autism, schizophrenia, addition and depression.
