Conflict monitoring versus selection-for-action in anterior cingulate cortex

Abstract

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), on the medial surface of the frontal lobes of the brain, is widely believed to be involved in the regulation of attention1,2. Beyond this, however, its specific contribution to cognition remains uncertain. One influential theory has interpreted activation within the ACC as reflecting 'selectionfor-action'3-5, a set of processes that guide the selection of environmental objects as triggers of or targets for action.