A computational model of frontal lobe dysfunction: Working memory and the Tower of Hanoi task

Vinod Goela; S. David Pullara; Jordan Grafman

doi:10.1016/S0364-0213(01)00037-4

A computational model of frontal lobe dysfunction: Working memory and the Tower of Hanoi task

Vinod Goela, S. David Pullara, Jordan Grafman

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

A symbolic computer model, employing the perceptual strategy, is presented for solving Tower of Hanoi problems. The model is calibrated-in terms of the number of problems solved, time taken, and number of moves made-to the performance of 20 normal subjects. It is then "lesioned" by increasing the decay rate of elements in working memory to model the performance of 20 patients with lesions to the prefrontal cortex. The model captures both the main effects of subject groups (patients and normal controls) performance, and the subject groups (patients and normal controls) by problem difficulty interactions. This leads us to support the working memory hypothesis of frontal lobe functions, but for a narrow range of problems.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	287-313
Number of pages	27
Journal	Cognitive Science
Volume	25
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0364-0213(01)00037-4
State	Published - 2001

Keywords

3CAPS
Computational model
Executive functions
Frontal lobes
Planning
Problem solving
Production systems
Short-term memory
Tower of Hanoi
Working memory

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience
Artificial Intelligence

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10.1016/S0364-0213(01)00037-4

Cite this

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title = "A computational model of frontal lobe dysfunction: Working memory and the Tower of Hanoi task",

abstract = "A symbolic computer model, employing the perceptual strategy, is presented for solving Tower of Hanoi problems. The model is calibrated-in terms of the number of problems solved, time taken, and number of moves made-to the performance of 20 normal subjects. It is then {"}lesioned{"} by increasing the decay rate of elements in working memory to model the performance of 20 patients with lesions to the prefrontal cortex. The model captures both the main effects of subject groups (patients and normal controls) performance, and the subject groups (patients and normal controls) by problem difficulty interactions. This leads us to support the working memory hypothesis of frontal lobe functions, but for a narrow range of problems.",

keywords = "3CAPS, Computational model, Executive functions, Frontal lobes, Planning, Problem solving, Production systems, Short-term memory, Tower of Hanoi, Working memory",

author = "Vinod Goela and Pullara, {S. David} and Jordan Grafman",

note = "Funding Information: We are indebted to Marcel Just and Pat Carpenter for inviting the first author to the Cognitive Modeling in 3CAPS Workshop, Carnegie-Mellon University, July 14–20, 1996, and for making available the 3CAPS software. We thank Peter Roosn-Runge, Dan Kimberg and S. Dehaene for useful discussion and comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. We also thank Chris Green and John Crawford on advice on statistical issues. This work was supported in part by grants from York University{\textquoteright}s Faculty of Arts funds, and NSERC Canada to the first author.",

year = "2001",

doi = "10.1016/S0364-0213(01)00037-4",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Goela, Vinod

AU - Pullara, S. David

AU - Grafman, Jordan

N1 - Funding Information: We are indebted to Marcel Just and Pat Carpenter for inviting the first author to the Cognitive Modeling in 3CAPS Workshop, Carnegie-Mellon University, July 14–20, 1996, and for making available the 3CAPS software. We thank Peter Roosn-Runge, Dan Kimberg and S. Dehaene for useful discussion and comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. We also thank Chris Green and John Crawford on advice on statistical issues. This work was supported in part by grants from York University’s Faculty of Arts funds, and NSERC Canada to the first author.

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - A symbolic computer model, employing the perceptual strategy, is presented for solving Tower of Hanoi problems. The model is calibrated-in terms of the number of problems solved, time taken, and number of moves made-to the performance of 20 normal subjects. It is then "lesioned" by increasing the decay rate of elements in working memory to model the performance of 20 patients with lesions to the prefrontal cortex. The model captures both the main effects of subject groups (patients and normal controls) performance, and the subject groups (patients and normal controls) by problem difficulty interactions. This leads us to support the working memory hypothesis of frontal lobe functions, but for a narrow range of problems.

AB - A symbolic computer model, employing the perceptual strategy, is presented for solving Tower of Hanoi problems. The model is calibrated-in terms of the number of problems solved, time taken, and number of moves made-to the performance of 20 normal subjects. It is then "lesioned" by increasing the decay rate of elements in working memory to model the performance of 20 patients with lesions to the prefrontal cortex. The model captures both the main effects of subject groups (patients and normal controls) performance, and the subject groups (patients and normal controls) by problem difficulty interactions. This leads us to support the working memory hypothesis of frontal lobe functions, but for a narrow range of problems.

KW - 3CAPS

KW - Computational model

KW - Executive functions

KW - Frontal lobes

KW - Planning

KW - Problem solving

KW - Production systems

KW - Short-term memory

KW - Tower of Hanoi

KW - Working memory

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A computational model of frontal lobe dysfunction: Working memory and the Tower of Hanoi task

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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