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Topics Temporal Processing Time is not seen, heard or felt. There is no sensory receptor for time. Yet, we are able to keep track of the duration and order of events with relative accuracy. How does the brain accomplish this feat? Both "real" time (i.e., the perception of duration) and "relative" time (i.e., perception of temporal order), require processing of not only of individual events, but also of the relationship between events. Thus, they require the dynamic updating of information, and as such, may place greater demands on working memory and executive control functions than other aspects of event processing. These latter processes engage the prefrontal cortex. This would explain why deficits in temporal processing are salient aspects of frontal lobe damage or even the frontal lobe dysfunction associated with normal aging and traumatic brain injury. It is unlikely, however, that the prefrontal cortex acts alone in temporal processing. Rather, previous research conducted by myself, with the help of Rich Ivry at the University of California, Berkeley and the Roberto Cabeza, currently at the University of Alberta, demonstrates that the frontal cortex interacts with other regions of the brain, including the cerebellum, basal ganglia and parietal cortex, to monitor and organize different types of temporal representations. Representative Publications:
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