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Cognitive Control & the Functional Organization of the Frontal Cortex
Sponsor: Brown University
Summary
The goal of this basic experimental clinical trial is to understand the effect of multitasking practice on the structure of neural representations of tasks in the human lateral prefrontal cortex and control brain regions. The main question it aims to answer is: What changes in neural representational structure predict improvements in multitasking behavior due to multitasking practice? Healthy human participants will learn two independent tasks, each mapping a set of stimuli to motor responses based on different rules. Participants will be randomized to one of two interventions. Participants assigned to the multitask practice intervention (MPI) will practice multitasking the two tasks over multiple days. Those assigned to the single-task practice intervention (SPI) will instead practice each task separately while controlling for the total number of practice opportunities associated with each task across the interventions. Both before and after the practice, the ability of all participants to perform both tasks simultaneously will be behaviorally measured using a well-established psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm, and their neural representations will be measured using functional MRI while they perform the two tasks. Researchers will then compare improvements in multitasking behavior across the two groups, as well as changes in neural representational geometry of the tasks in the lateral prefrontal cortex and control brain regions, and test whether multitasking training is associated with specific changes in neural representations in the lateral prefrontal cortex.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 35 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
60
Start Date
2024-03-27
Completion Date
2026-07-31
Last Updated
2025-08-15
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Multitask Practice Intervention (MPI)
Multitask practice intervention (MPI) includes multiple behavioral testing sessions during which participants receive practice with multitasking two tasks using the psychological refractory period procedure.
Single-task Practice Intervention (SPI)
Single task practice intervention (SPI) includes multiple behavioral testing sessions during which participants receive separate practice on two tasks.
Locations (1)
Metcalf Research Building, Brown University & MRI Research Facility, Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, United States