Predicting Planning Performance from Structural Connectivity Between Left and Right Mid-Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: Moderating Effects of Age During Postadolescence and Midadulthood

Abstract

Complex cognitive abilities such as planning are known to critically rely on activity of bilateral mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (mid-dlPFC). However, the functional relevance of the structural connectivity between left and right mid-dlPFC is yet unknown. Here, we applied global tractography to derive streamline counts as estimates of the structural connectivity between mid-dlPFC homologs and related it to planning performance in the Tower of London task across early to midadulthood, assuming a moderating effect of age. Multiple regression analyses with interaction effects revealed that streamline counts between left and right mid-dlPFC were negatively associated with planning performance specifically in early postadolescence. From the fourth life decade on, there was a trend for a reversed, positive association. These differential findings were corroborated by converging results from fractional anisotropy and white-matter density estimates in the genu of the corpus callosum where fibers connecting mid-dlPFC homologs traversed. Moreover, the results for streamline counts were regionally specific, marking the strength of mid-dlPFC connectivity as critical in predicting interindividual differences in planning performance across different stages of adulthood. Taken together, present findings provide first evidence for nonadditive effects of age on the relation between complex cognitive abilities and the structural connectivity of mid-dlPFC homologs.

Interhemispheric Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity is Associated with Individual Differences in Pain Sensitivity in Healthy Controls

“…Consistent with previous research, our findings provide further support for the influential role of the right hemisphere in pain processing (Coghill et al, 2001;Symonds et al, 2006), and for the role of interhemispheric connectivity in maintaining functional hemispheric asymmetries (Kaller et al, 2015). Furthermore, the DLPFC has been implicated in the processes of monitoring and manipulating information, and working memory in the context of pain processing (Craggs et al, 2007).…”

“…Likewise, Kaller et al (2015), indicated that structural, transcallosal DLPFC pathways appear to maintain hemispheric functional asymmetries. These authors also found that individual differences in DLPFC-DLPFC structural connectivity relate to differences in cognitive processing.…”

Detaching from the negative by reappraisal: the role of right superior frontal gyrus (BA9/32)

“…For instance, our results support the findings of McRae et al (2012a,b), who did not find significant associations of general reappraisal ability with response inhibition, but with WM capacity (McRae et al, 2012b). Therefore, our results revealed that REAPPself might not be dependent only on dACC and inhibition, but also on WM process and strategy planning functions that rely on dlPFC areas (Heyder et al, 2004; Kaller et al, 2011, 2013). …”

Altered gray matter volume and disrupted functional connectivity of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in men with heroin dependence

“…One study manipulated the two independent parameters of planning in an event‐related fMRI study using the Tower of London task and revealed a double dissociation as indicated by a significant crossover interaction of hemisphere and task parameters . Another study demonstrated that the strength of mid‐DLPFC connectivity was critical in predicting individual differences in planning performance in the Tower of London test at various stages of adulthood . Furthermore, heroin‐dependent subjects have been reported to perform poorly in the Tower of London test and exhibit poor executive function .…”