Final answer:
Researchers looking for correlational evidence of dopamine (DA) neuron activity and cognitive processes have focused on the prefrontal cortex and the CA1 hippocampal region. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe are likely cortical targets for recording DA activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find correlational evidence of dopamine (DA) involvement in cognitive processes, researchers have recorded DA neuron activity in various cortical brain regions. Studies involving functional brain imaging, like positron emission tomography (PET) scans, have shown that the prefrontal cortex is particularly involved in tasks that require processing and retention of information.
Specifically, studies have revealed that the left inferior prefrontal cortex is much more active during semantic tasks, as evidenced by increased recall and PET scan activation patterns.
Moreover, the mesolimbic dopaminergic signaling, which acts on memory encoding at the CA1 hippocampal region, and VTA-mediated events are crucial for associative learning and the role of dopamine and the reward system.
Considering the cortical regions mentioned in related research, to find correlational evidence of DA neuron activity and working memory, researchers would likely focus on recording activity in the:
- Medial temporal lobe
- Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
- Superior temporal gyrus
- Postcentral gyrus