Charan Ranganath

It's this ability to say, I'm going to regulate my movements and I'm going to regulate my perceptions and my thoughts based on what's important to me in terms of this higher order goal, right? So when I've tested, for instance, patients with prefrontal lesions, I'm sure Mark Desposito talked to you about this,

It's this ability to say, I'm going to regulate my movements and I'm going to regulate my perceptions and my thoughts based on what's important to me in terms of this higher order goal, right? So when I've tested, for instance, patients with prefrontal lesions, I'm sure Mark Desposito talked to you about this,

It's like the hallmark of them, they used to say, well, the prefrontal cortex, it's important for working memory. And you could record from neurons in the prefrontal cortex or look at fMRI signal. And if a person or an animal is holding something in their mind, like a phone number,

It's like the hallmark of them, they used to say, well, the prefrontal cortex, it's important for working memory. And you could record from neurons in the prefrontal cortex or look at fMRI signal. And if a person or an animal is holding something in their mind, like a phone number,

It's like the hallmark of them, they used to say, well, the prefrontal cortex, it's important for working memory. And you could record from neurons in the prefrontal cortex or look at fMRI signal. And if a person or an animal is holding something in their mind, like a phone number,

neurons or bold signal and MRI will be highly elevated, their activity will be elevated throughout this period of time where they're holding in mind. But it turns out if you just ask somebody with a major prefrontal lesion, here's a bunch of numbers, 5, 2, 7, 8, you know, I ask you to tell them back to me in right order, they can do it just fine. But now I start to distract them.

neurons or bold signal and MRI will be highly elevated, their activity will be elevated throughout this period of time where they're holding in mind. But it turns out if you just ask somebody with a major prefrontal lesion, here's a bunch of numbers, 5, 2, 7, 8, you know, I ask you to tell them back to me in right order, they can do it just fine. But now I start to distract them.

neurons or bold signal and MRI will be highly elevated, their activity will be elevated throughout this period of time where they're holding in mind. But it turns out if you just ask somebody with a major prefrontal lesion, here's a bunch of numbers, 5, 2, 7, 8, you know, I ask you to tell them back to me in right order, they can do it just fine. But now I start to distract them.

I move my hands around. There's a plane going on, flying outside the window. I mean, I had that literally happen once. Now they start to vomit because their attention is not controlled by their goal. It's controlled by the environment around them. And so this is where things get really interesting. So I once tested a patient and I'd heard about this, but until you see it, it like doesn't register.

I move my hands around. There's a plane going on, flying outside the window. I mean, I had that literally happen once. Now they start to vomit because their attention is not controlled by their goal. It's controlled by the environment around them. And so this is where things get really interesting. So I once tested a patient and I'd heard about this, but until you see it, it like doesn't register.

I move my hands around. There's a plane going on, flying outside the window. I mean, I had that literally happen once. Now they start to vomit because their attention is not controlled by their goal. It's controlled by the environment around them. And so this is where things get really interesting. So I once tested a patient and I'd heard about this, but until you see it, it like doesn't register.

It really blew my mind. So- There's a test called the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and we don't have to get into all the details of it. But basically, it's this test where people learn some rule about where to put a card on a table, right? And they don't get told the rule. They just learn it. And patients learn this prefrontal damage, learn it just fine.

It really blew my mind. So- There's a test called the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and we don't have to get into all the details of it. But basically, it's this test where people learn some rule about where to put a card on a table, right? And they don't get told the rule. They just learn it. And patients learn this prefrontal damage, learn it just fine.

It really blew my mind. So- There's a test called the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and we don't have to get into all the details of it. But basically, it's this test where people learn some rule about where to put a card on a table, right? And they don't get told the rule. They just learn it. And patients learn this prefrontal damage, learn it just fine.

Yeah. Yeah. So maybe I'll give a little bit more background, but I don't want to go in the weeds.

Yeah. Yeah. So maybe I'll give a little bit more background, but I don't want to go in the weeds.

Yeah. Yeah. So maybe I'll give a little bit more background, but I don't want to go in the weeds.

Yeah, exactly, exactly. And you don't need a prefrontal cortex to do that, which is surprising, but you don't. You can do it.

Yeah, exactly, exactly. And you don't need a prefrontal cortex to do that, which is surprising, but you don't. You can do it.

Yeah, exactly, exactly. And you don't need a prefrontal cortex to do that, which is surprising, but you don't. You can do it.