Learning, Prediction, and the Neural Control of Behavior

Functional neuroimaging has led to a revolutionary change in our understanding of how the human brain controls behavior. Much of this new information has come from studying brain changes as subjects learn and adapt to novel situations and environments. We have been interested in the issue of cognitive control: the system used by the brain that enables us to concentrate on a particular goal while ignoring multiple competing distractions. Here we show that one strategy used by the brain to improve cognitive control is to predict events that are likely to happen in the future and to prepare for them in advance. The prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate are important components of this network.