Attention, working memory, and executive control are commonly considered distinct cognitive functions with important reciprocal interactions. Yet, longstanding evidence from lesion studies has demonstrated both overlap and dissociation in their behavioural expression and anatomical underpinnings, suggesting that a lower dimensional framework could be employed to further identify processes supporting goal-directed behaviour. Here, we describe the anatomical and functional correspondence between attention, working memory, and executive control by providing an overview of cognitive models, as well as recent data from lesion studies, invasive and non-invasive multimodal neuroimaging and brain stimulation. We emphasize the benefits of considering converging evidence from multiple methodologies centred on the identification of brain mechanisms supporting goal-driven behaviour. We propose that expanding on this approach should enable the construction of a comprehensive anatomo-functional framework with testable new hypotheses, and aid clinical neuroscience to intervene on impairments of executive functions.

注意力、工作记忆和执行控制通常被认为是具有重要交互作用的不同认知功能。然而，来自病变研究的长期证据表明，它们的行为表达和解剖学基础存在重叠和分离，这表明可以采用较低维度的框架来进一步识别支持目标导向行为的过程。在这里，我们通过提供认知模型的概述，以及来自损伤研究、侵入性和非侵入性多模态神经成像和脑刺激的最新数据，描述了注意力、工作记忆和执行控制之间的解剖学和功能对应关系。我们强调考虑以识别支持目标驱动行为的大脑机制为中心的多种方法的融合证据的好处。我们建议扩展这种方法应该能够构建一个具有可测试新假设的综合解剖功能框架，并帮助临床神经科学干预执行功能的损伤。