Mapping the functional differentiation and interactions among the inferior, medial frontal and posterior temporal cortex in semantic control
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Semantic control refers to the ability to flexibly retrieve and manipulate stored knowledge to support context-appropriate behavior. A left-lateralized network comprising the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) has been consistently implicated in this process. While previous studies have established the necessity of the IFG and pMTG in semantic control, the causal role of the left dmPFC remains unclear. Additionally, it is unknown whether each of these three regions exhibits internal functional differentiation and how they interact to support semantic control. To address these questions, we combined task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with fMRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We found that dmPFC, like IFG and pMTG, is causally involved in semantic control. All three regions exhibited a consistent anterior–posterior functional gradient: anterior subregions were selectively engaged during high-demand semantic processing, whereas posterior subregions responded to both easy and hard tasks. Furthermore, combined activation patterns of these regions better predicted the behavioral differences between hard and easy semantic tasks compared to the activation patterns of any single region. Semantic control modulated both the autoinhibition within individual regions and the functional connectivity among them, suggesting these regions operate in a coordinated network rather than in isolation. These findings advance our understanding of the neural architecture supporting flexible semantic behavior.
Significance Statement
Understanding how the brain supports flexible semantic behavior is critical for both cognitive neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. While prior studies have consistently implicated the left IFG, pMTG, and dmPFC in semantic control, the causal contribution of the dmPFC and the functional dynamics among these regions have remained unclear. This study provides the first causal evidence for the dmPFC’s role in semantic control, reveals functional differentiation within the IFG and pMTG, and shows that these regions interact as an integrated network. These findings challenge the notion of functionally homogeneous control nodes and highlight a topographically organized, interactive system underlying controlled semantic retrieval. This work refines our mechanistic understanding of semantic control and may inform clinical models of language and conceptual deficits.
