Prefrontal contributions to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience

Abstract

The human prefrontal cortex is a structurally and functionally heterogenous brain region, including multiple subregions that have been linked to different large-scale brain networks. It contributes to a broad range of mental phenomena, from goal-directed thought and executive functions to mind-wandering and psychedelic experience. Here we review what is known about the functions of different prefrontal subregions and their affiliations with large-scale brain networks to examine how they may differentially contribute to the diversity of mental phenomena associated with prefrontal function. An important dimension that distinguishes across different kinds of conscious experience is the stability or variability of mental states across time. This dimension is a central feature of two recently introduced theoretical frameworks—the dynamic framework of thought (DFT) and the relaxed beliefs under psychedelics (REBUS) model—that treat neurocognitive dynamics as central to understanding and distinguishing between different mental phenomena. Here, we bring these two frameworks together to provide a synthesis of how prefrontal subregions may differentially contribute to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. We close by considering future directions for this work.

Through the looking glass: the neural basis of self-concept in young adults with antisocial trajectories

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Ritualistic use of ayahuasca enhances a shared functional connectome identity with others

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A neurocognitive model of early onset persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood

“…Across the total sample, psychopathic traits (combination of Callous-Unemotional traits, Grandiose-Manipulative traits and Impulsive-Irresponsible traits) were associated with more negative and less positive self-appraisals in the prosocial domain, and not in the physical appearance domain. In terms of neural activity, Callous-Unemotional traits were associated with less amPFC activity during general self-evaluations, which might signal differences in how individuals with higher levels of Callous-Unemotional traits constrain abstract information during conscious experiences that involve thinking about the self, possibly to increase the stability of thought in line with existing cognitive schema's about the self (Zamani et al, 2022). Taken together, these findings suggest that the super-ordinate construct of psychopathy is associated with domain-specific self-appraisals, while specific sub-dimensions (e.g.…”

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