Executive control, the ability to organize thoughts and action plans in real time, is a defining feature of higher cognition. Classical theories have emphasized cortical contributions to this process, but recent studies have reinvigorated interest in the role of the thalamus. Although it is well established that local thalamic damage diminishes cognitive capacity, such observations have been difficult to inform functional models. Recent progress in experimental techniques is beginning to enrich our understanding of the anatomical, physiological, and computational substrates underlying thalamic engagement in executive control. In this review, we discuss this progress and particularly focus on the mediodorsal thalamus, which regulates the activity within and across frontal cortical areas. We end with a synthesis that highlights frontal thalamocortical interactions in cognitive computations and discusses its functional implications in normal and pathological conditions.

中文翻译：

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丘脑内侧丘脑负责执行控制

执行控制，即实时组织思想和行动计划的能力，是高级认知的一个决定性特征。经典理论强调皮质对此过程的贡献，但最近的研究重新激发了人们对丘脑作用的兴趣。尽管众所周知，局部丘脑损伤会降低认知能力，但此类观察结果很难为功能模型提供信息。实验技术的最新进展开始丰富我们对丘脑参与执行控制的解剖学、生理学和计算基础的理解。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了这一进展，并特别关注内侧丘脑，它调节额叶皮质区域内和跨额叶皮质区域的活动。我们最后进行了综合，强调认知计算中额叶丘脑皮层的相互作用，并讨论其在正常和病理条件下的功能含义。