Abstract
Multitasking is a fundamental aspect of everyday life activities. To achieve a complex, multi-component goal, the tasks must be subdivided into sub-tasks and component steps, a critical function of prefrontal networks. The prefrontal cortex is considered to be organized in a cascade of executive processes from the sensorimotor to anterior prefrontal cortex, which includes execution of specific goal-directed action, to encoding and maintaining task rules, and finally monitoring distal goals. In the current study, we used a virtual multitasking paradigm to tap into real-world performance and relate it to each individual's resting-state functional connectivity in fMRI. While did not find any correlation between global connectivity of any of the major networks with multitasking ability, global connectivity of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) was predictive of multitasking ability. Further analysis showed that multivariate connectivity patterns within the sensorimotor network (SMN), and between-network connectivity of the frontoparietal network (FPN) and dorsal attention network (DAN), predicted individual multitasking ability and could be generalized to novel individuals. Together, these results support previous research that prefrontal networks underlie multitasking abilities and show that connectivity patterns in the cascade of prefrontal networks may explain individual differences in performance.
Highlights
Multitasking is a fundamental aspect of everyday activities
The current results identified that functional connectivity patterns within the sensorimotor network (SMN) and between frontoparietal network (FPN)-dorsal attention network (DAN) during rest predicted individual differences in multitasking ability using a virtual real-world task
These results support previous research indicating that executive control regions in the frontal and parietal cortex underlie multitasking abilities (Al-Hashimi et al, 2015; Dux et al, 2009; Garner and Dux, 2015) as well as the role of the SMN in supporting finegrained goal-directed action (Dixon et al, 2014, 2017)
Summary
The ability to multitask closely relates to flexible cognitive control (Rothbart and Posner, 2015), in particular, the selection and monitoring of higher order internal goals while other sub-goals are being performed This is subserved by a set of frontal and parietal regions, which together assemble the required cognitive operations for task-relevant behavior (Norman and Shallice, 1986; Duncan and Owen, 2000; Miller and Cohen, 2001; Duncan, 2013; Cole and Schneider, 2007; Fedorenko et al, 2013). Resting-state global connectivity in regions of this network, especially the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), has been found to be correlated with attention (Rosenberg et al, 2016), cognitive control capacity (Cole et al, 2012), and general fluid intelligence (Song et al, 2008; Cole et al, 2012; Hearne et al, 2016). These evidence suggest that functional connectivity in networks related to cognitive control may be the key underlying individual differences in carrying out complex task demands
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
