Abstract task representations for inference and control

Behavioral flexibility depends on our capacity to build and leverage abstract knowledge about tasks. Recently, two separate lines of research have implicated distinct brain networks in representing abstract task information: a frontoparietal cortical network, and a network involving the medial temporal lobe (MTL), medial prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortex (OMPFC). These observations have mostly been made in parallel, with little attempt to understand their relationship. Here, we hypothesize that abstract task representations in these networks differ primarily in format, not content. Namely, that the MTL-OMPFC network maintains task knowledge in a flexible cognitive map, while the frontoparietal network formats this knowledge as productions that facilitate action selection. We discuss novel implications and predictions for behavioral flexibility arising from this hypothesis.