Gyrus+Cinguli

Aus Despite the fact that early hypometabolism and neural degeneration in posterior cingulate cortex (CGp) predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer ’ s disease, and CGp hyperactivity predicts cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia as well as fi rst-degree relatives, the function of this brain area remains unclear. The disparate evidence for CGp involvement in a variety of cognitive and behavioral processes has belied any simple functional description. Here we develop a new model that proposes that CGp integrates the recent history of rewards, errors, volatility, and context for the purpose of detecting changes in the environment and signaling the need for consequent changes in behavioral policy. In this model, suppressed CGp activity favors operation within the current behavioral policy and cognitive set, with few “ open channels ” for information to gain access to cognition and behavior. By contrast, increased CGp activity refl ects a change in large-scale environmental contingencies or internal state and promotes fl exibility, exploration, and renewed learning. In light of this new hypothesis, we review known electrophysiological responses of single neurons in CGp, and discuss the relationship of our model to the role of CGp in the so-called default mode of resting state activity. Despite the fact that early hypometabolism and neural degeneration in posterior cingulate cortex (CGp) predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer ’ s disease, and CGp hyperactivity predicts cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia as well as fi rst-degree relatives, the function of this brain area remains unclear. The disparate evidence for CGp involvement in a variety of cognitive and behavioral processes has belied any simple functional description. Here we develop a new model that proposes that CGp integrates the recent history of rewards, errors, volatility, and context for the purpose of detecting changes in the environment and signaling the need for consequent changes in behavioral policy. In this model, suppressed CGp activity favors operation within the current behavioral policy and cognitive set, with few “ open channels ” for information to gain access to cognition and behavior. By contrast, increased CGp activity refl ects a change in large-scale environmental contingencies or internal state and promotes fl exibility, exploration, and renewed learning. In light of this new hypothesis, we review known electrophysiological responses of single neurons in CGp, and discuss the relationship of our model to the role of CGp in the so-called default mode of resting state activity. Despite the fact that early hypometabolism and neural degeneration in posterior cingulate cortex (CGp) predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer ’ s disease, and CGp hyperactivity predicts cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia as well as fi rst-degree relatives, the function of this brain area remains unclear. The disparate evidence for CGp involvement in a variety of cognitive and behavioral processes has belied any simple functional description. Here we develop a new model that proposes that CGp integrates the recent history of rewards, errors, volatility, and context for the purpose of detecting changes in the environment and signaling the need for consequent changes in behavioral policy. In this model, suppressed CGp activity favors operation within the current behavioral policy and cognitive set, with few “ open channels ” for information to gain access to cognition and behavior. By contrast, increased CGp activity refl ects a change in large-scale environmental contingencies or internal state and promotes fl exibility, exploration, and renewed learning. In light of this new hypothesis, we review known electrophysiological responses of single neurons in CGp, and discuss the relationship of our model to the role of CGp in the so-called default mode of resting state activity.