This study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying temporal processing using event-related fMRI. The researchers examined brain activation patterns during a time perception task, distinguishing between systems involved in encoding time intervals, comparing intervals, and implementing responses. They found that early activation in the basal ganglia was uniquely associated with encoding time intervals, while late activation in the cerebellum suggested involvement in processes other than explicit timing. Early cortical activation was observed in the right inferior parietal cortex and bilateral premotor cortex, implicating these systems in attention and temporary maintenance of intervals. Late activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex emerged during interval comparison. The study also showed that the right inferior parietal cortex may play a role in regulating the accumulation of pulses related to timekeeping, due to its involvement in attention. The results suggest that time perception involves a dynamic network of cortical and subcortical activation, with different brain regions involved in different aspects of temporal processing. The basal ganglia and lateral cerebellum have been proposed as candidates for hypothetical timekeeping operations, as damage to these regions can disrupt behaviors that depend on precise timing. However, the study found that cerebellar activation was more robust during time than pitch discrimination, but was located in the vermis, suggesting a more general involvement in cognitive or sensorimotor functions. The study also found that the right hemisphere was more involved in time perception than pitch perception, consistent with findings from converging neuroscience approaches. The study highlights the importance of attention in time perception, as attention can affect the subjective duration of time. The results also suggest that working memory functions can alter stored representations of time. The study provides new insights into the evolution of activation in cortical and subcortical systems specific to different cognitive components of a time perception task. The findings support the idea that time perception involves the interplay between internal timekeepers and attention, with the basal ganglia acting as a timekeeper that is tightly coupled with an attention system in the right inferior parietal cortex. The study also shows that time and pitch discriminations are mediated by shared parietal and prefrontal systems in the left hemisphere.This study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying temporal processing using event-related fMRI. The researchers examined brain activation patterns during a time perception task, distinguishing between systems involved in encoding time intervals, comparing intervals, and implementing responses. They found that early activation in the basal ganglia was uniquely associated with encoding time intervals, while late activation in the cerebellum suggested involvement in processes other than explicit timing. Early cortical activation was observed in the right inferior parietal cortex and bilateral premotor cortex, implicating these systems in attention and temporary maintenance of intervals. Late activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex emerged during interval comparison. The study also showed that the right inferior parietal cortex may play a role in regulating the accumulation of pulses related to timekeeping, due to its involvement in attention. The results suggest that time perception involves a dynamic network of cortical and subcortical activation, with different brain regions involved in different aspects of temporal processing. The basal ganglia and lateral cerebellum have been proposed as candidates for hypothetical timekeeping operations, as damage to these regions can disrupt behaviors that depend on precise timing. However, the study found that cerebellar activation was more robust during time than pitch discrimination, but was located in the vermis, suggesting a more general involvement in cognitive or sensorimotor functions. The study also found that the right hemisphere was more involved in time perception than pitch perception, consistent with findings from converging neuroscience approaches. The study highlights the importance of attention in time perception, as attention can affect the subjective duration of time. The results also suggest that working memory functions can alter stored representations of time. The study provides new insights into the evolution of activation in cortical and subcortical systems specific to different cognitive components of a time perception task. The findings support the idea that time perception involves the interplay between internal timekeepers and attention, with the basal ganglia acting as a timekeeper that is tightly coupled with an attention system in the right inferior parietal cortex. The study also shows that time and pitch discriminations are mediated by shared parietal and prefrontal systems in the left hemisphere.