Relational complexity, the central executive, and prefrontal cortex

Halford et al.'s analysis of relational complexity provides a possible fram ework for characterizing the symbolic functions of the prefrontal cortex. S tudies of prefrontal patients have revealed that their performance is selec tively impaired on tasks that require integration of two binary relations ( i.e., tasks that Halford et al.'s analysis would identify as three-dimensio nal). Analyses of relational complexity show promise of helping to understa nd the neural substrate of thinking.