Cognitive control network (CCN (also commonly referred to as FPN, CEN, or ECN depending on context))

The **cognitive control networks in the brain** refer to interconnected large-scale neural systems that enable top-down regulation of thoughts and behaviors according to goals and task demands. The most prominent of these is the **frontoparietal network**—also known as the central executive or cognitive control network—which primarily includes regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex. These networks are responsible for sustaining attention, working memory, flexible problem-solving, decision-making under rules or instructions, and suppressing inappropriate habitual actions. They operate by dynamically integrating information across distributed brain areas through functional connectivity patterns that change with cognitive demands. Disruption or altered connectivity within these networks is associated with declines in executive function seen in aging and a wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, depression, autism spectrum disorder, and others. While not a molecular target like a receptor or enzyme—and thus not directly druggable—the integrity of these networks can be assessed using neuroimaging biomarkers such as global efficiency metrics from graph theory analyses applied to MRI data.

Other names

Frontoparietal network (FPN)Central executive network (CEN)Executive control network (ECN)Lateral frontoparietal network (L-FPN)Multiple-demand systemExtrinsic mode networkDomain-general system