Disentangling the neural correlates of semantic and domaingeneral control: The roles of stimulus domain and task process

TY - JOUR

T1 - Disentangling the neural correlates of semantic and domaingeneral control

T2 - The roles of stimulus domain and task process

AU - Hodgson, Victoria J.

AU - Lambon Ralph, Matthew A.

AU - Jackson, Rebecca Louise

N1 - © 2024 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PY - 2024/2/12

Y1 - 2024/2/12

N2 - Control processes are critical for the context-appropriate use of meaningful stimuli. Similar definitions have been adopted in two distinct literatures focusing on identifying the neural correlates of ‘semantic control’ and of executive control across domains (the ‘multiple demand network’). Surprisingly, despite their proposed functions varying only in relation to domain-specificity, these networks appear to differ anatomically. However, prior comparisons are confounded by variations in task design. To what extent might varying task requirements drive differences in activation patterns that are typically attributed to stimulus domain? Here, for the first time, we use functional MRI to disentangle the effects of task process and stimulus domain during cognitively demanding tasks. Participants performed an odd-one-out task requiring rule-switching, inhibition and selection processes, and an n-back working memory task, each with meaningful semantic and non-semantic stimuli, in a factorial design. Both stimulus domain and task process affected the control regions activated, indicating that task process is indeed a key factor confounding prior studies. However, core semantic control regions (left inferior frontal gyrus, left posterior temporal cortex) also showed a preference for semantic stimuli even with matched task processes, while more peripheral semantic control regions, overlapping the multiple demand network (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus), showed little preference across task or stimulus. Conversely, most multiple demand network regions were preferentially engaged for non-semantic stimuli. These results highlight the mutual importance of stimulus domain and task process in driving variation in control region engagement, both across and between semantic control and multiple demand networks.

AB - Control processes are critical for the context-appropriate use of meaningful stimuli. Similar definitions have been adopted in two distinct literatures focusing on identifying the neural correlates of ‘semantic control’ and of executive control across domains (the ‘multiple demand network’). Surprisingly, despite their proposed functions varying only in relation to domain-specificity, these networks appear to differ anatomically. However, prior comparisons are confounded by variations in task design. To what extent might varying task requirements drive differences in activation patterns that are typically attributed to stimulus domain? Here, for the first time, we use functional MRI to disentangle the effects of task process and stimulus domain during cognitively demanding tasks. Participants performed an odd-one-out task requiring rule-switching, inhibition and selection processes, and an n-back working memory task, each with meaningful semantic and non-semantic stimuli, in a factorial design. Both stimulus domain and task process affected the control regions activated, indicating that task process is indeed a key factor confounding prior studies. However, core semantic control regions (left inferior frontal gyrus, left posterior temporal cortex) also showed a preference for semantic stimuli even with matched task processes, while more peripheral semantic control regions, overlapping the multiple demand network (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus), showed little preference across task or stimulus. Conversely, most multiple demand network regions were preferentially engaged for non-semantic stimuli. These results highlight the mutual importance of stimulus domain and task process in driving variation in control region engagement, both across and between semantic control and multiple demand networks.

KW - Control, Semantic control, Multiple demand network, Language, Executive function, Working memory

U2 - 10.1162/imag_a_00092

DO - 10.1162/imag_a_00092

M3 - Article

SN - 2837-6056

VL - 2

JO - Imaging Neuroscience

JF - Imaging Neuroscience

M1 - 00092

ER -