Resting-State Connections in Prefrontal Cortex Indicate Cognitive Network Efficiency During Working Memoryτ

Jolyn Nicole Alexis D'Andrea¹, Bradley G. Goodyear²

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) has been identified as critical for working memory, especially as task difficulty increases. The current study used fMRI to investigate resting-state connectivity between left and right DLPFC, and its relationship to recruitment of right DLFPC during a working memory task. Our results show that subjects exhibiting greater resting-state connectivity recruit DLPFC in the right hemisphere to a lesser degree during the performance of a working memory task, as the task becomes more complex. This suggests that subjects with greater resting-state connectivity may possess more efficient cognitive networks during working memory task performance.