Upper processing stages of the perception-action cycle.

The neural substrate for behavioral, cognitive and linguistic actions is hierarchically organized in the cortex of the frontal lobe. In their methodologically impeccable study, Koechlin et al. reveal the neural dynamics of the frontal hierarchy in behavioral action. Progressively higher areas control the performance of actions requiring the integration of progressively more complex and temporally dispersed information. The study substantiates the crucial role of the prefrontal cortex in the temporal organization of behavior.