What are the fundamental mechanisms of decision making, processing speed, memory and cognitive control? What are the neural mechanisms underlying these functions? How do these functions relate to the demands of everyday, 'real life' behaviour? This volume brings together cognitive psychologists to discuss these topics in teaching and research.

While the importance of the prefrontal cortex for "higher-order" cognitive functions is largely undisputed, no consensus has been reached regarding precise specifications of these functions. For example, although some degree of regional specialization within the frontal lobe seems inevitable, by and large, most attempts to map specific cognitive functions onto neuroanatomical and/or cytoarchitectonic subdivisions have been disappointing. Although a high degree of functional specialization probably exists within the frontal cortex, it seems increasingly likely that the structural organization...