Final answer:
Activation of both left and right prefrontal areas is associated with complex brain functions like working memory and decision-making, revealed through studies using brain imaging technologies such as PET and fMRI.
Step-by-step explanation:
The left prefrontal cortex typically handles semantic tasks, while the right is more involved in retrieval and spatial processing. Together, they facilitate higher-order cognitive and executive functions.
The activation of both left and right prefrontal areas in the brain is associated with complex behavioral and cognitive processes such as working memory, judgment, decision-making, and control of emotional responses. Studies using technologies like positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have provided insight into how the prefrontal cortex is activated during various tasks, highlighting its role in encoding and retrieval of information, sensory integration, and motor functions. The left prefrontal cortex is often implicated in language-related and semantic processing tasks, while the right is associated with retrieval and spatial processing. Both regions work in unison to ensure complex cognitive functions are performed smoothly, exhibiting a kind of neural coordination that is essential for higher-order cognition and executive functioning.