De Baene, W. 1, 2 , Albers, A. M. 1, 2 & Brass, M. 1, 2
1 Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
2 Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ghent University, Belgium
Although there is general agreement on which brain areas are involved in task-switching, little is known about the functional role of these cognitive control areas in different sub-processes involved in task-switching. In the present study, we used an adaptation approach to differentiate the brain areas selectively representing one of two task set components involved in task preparation: goal setting and activation of the relevant stimulus-response mapping (S-R). When selectively repeating the task goal without repeating the S-R mappings, adaptation was found in left LPFC, IPS, precuneus and posterior cingulum. These areas showed no adaptation when the S-R mappings were repeated, suggesting that these areas exclusively encode task goal information. Selectively repeating the S-R mappings, by contrast, resulted in adaptation in bilateral motor-related areas (such as pre-PMd and M1). These motor-related areas encode primarily, but not exclusively information on the S-R mappings: also repetition of the task goal led to adaptation in these areas. Adaptation to both task goal and S-R mappings was found in left SPL, IFJ and pre-SMA.