Global Connectivity of Prefrontal Cortex Predicts Cognitive Control and Intelligence
Open accessAbstract
Control of thought and behavior is fundamental to human intelligence. Evidence suggests a frontoparietal brain network implements such cognitive control across diverse contexts. We identify a mechanism--global connectivity--by which components of this network might coordinate control of other networks. A lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) region's activity was found to predict performance in a high control demand working memory task and also to exhibit high global connectivity. Critically, global connectivity in this LPFC region, involving connections both within and outside the frontoparietal network, showed a highly selective relationship with individual differences in fluid intelligence. These findings suggest LPFC is a global hub with a brainwide influence that facilitates the ability to implement control processes central to human intelligence.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Stronger global or specific connectivity of the dlPFC to other regions throughout the brain has been associated with better performance on diverse CC tasks or factors.
“Stronger global or specific connectivity of the dlPFC to other regions throughout the brain has been associated with better performance on diverse CC tasks or factors [151, 152].”
From The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function (2022) · cites this paper as [151]
In “Using GBC to predict cognitive control and intelligence” (page unavailable), the paper reports that higher left LPFC global connectivity predicts fluid intelligence and interprets this as evidence of greater cognitive-control capacity. It identifies the LPFC using N-back performance, but does not establish that its connectivity predicts better performance across diverse cognitive-control tasks; the claim extends beyond the tested outcome. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCole et al. proposed a cognitive control system for voluntary attention that involves global connectivity from the prefrontal cortex, and which predicts cognitive control and intelligence.
“Cole et al. (2012) have proposed a “cognitive control system” for voluntary attention that involves global connectivity from the prefrontal cortex, and which predicts cognitive control and intelligence.”
From Global Workspace Dynamics: Cortical “Binding and Propagation” Enables Conscious Contents (2013) · cites this paper as Cole et al. (2012)
The Introduction describes global connectivity of prefrontal control regions as a possible mechanism for cognitive control, and the paper reports a relationship among left LPFC connectivity, cognitive control, and fluid intelligence. It does not specifically propose a system for voluntary attention; that characterization goes beyond the passages in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSome large-scale networks serve basic primary functions, some serve domain-general functions such as attention or cognitive control, and some have less well-understood functional characteristics such as the default-mode network.
“Some are related to basic primary functions, such as moving or perceiving sounds and images; some serve well-documented, domain-general functions, such as attention or cognitive control [5-8]; and some have functional characteristics that remain less well understood, such as the default-mode network (DMN) [9, 10].”
From Situating the default-mode network along a principal gradient of macroscale cortical organization (2016) · cites this paper as [7]
Functional connectivity patterns within and between major resting-state networks are associated with task-relevant behavioral performance.
“and are associated with task-relevant behavioral performance (Cole et al., 2012; Lewis et al., 2009).”
From Development of large-scale functional networks from birth to adulthood: A guide to the neuroimaging literature (2017) · cites this paper as Cole et al., 2012
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet
References 100 · Cited by 613
- Authors
- Cole, M. W., Yarkoni, T., Repovs, G., Anticevic, A., & Braver, T. S.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 2012-06-27
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 26
- Pages
- 8988-8999
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC3392686
- OpenAlex
- W2020055733
- Semantic Scholar
- 0b843bd208540612c8eb6b39bc1bf4247511a849
- Cited by
- 613
- References
- 100
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 20.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (DP5OD012109)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R37MH066078, R56MH066078, R01MH066088, MH66078-06A1W1, R01MH066078, MH66078, K99MH096801, MH66088)
- National Institute of Nursing Research (NR012081, F32NR012081)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Keywords
- global connectivity, lateral prefrontal cortex, cognitive control, fluid intelligence, individual differences, frontoparietal network, working memory, brain network hubs
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Individuality, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neural Pathways, Neuropsychological Tests, Oxygen, Predictive Value of Tests, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
