The role of the cingulate cortex as neural generator of the N200 and P300 in a tactile response inhibition task

The neural correlates of physical exercise-induced general cognitive gains: A systematic review and meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies

The general-domain effect of physical exercise-induced cognitive gains in behavioral outcomes is well-documented, but a consensus on the neural correlates remains elusive. This meta-analysis aims to identify the neural correlates of physical exercise-induced general cognitive gains by examining task-related brain activation consistently modulated by physical exercise and its relationship to those gains. Our analysis of 52 studies with 1503 participants shows that physical exercise enhances cognitive task performance (Hedges' g = 0.271) and consistently increases task-related brain activation primarily in the bilateral precuneus. These increases in task-related brain activation correlate positively with cognitive task performance improvements improvements. Notably, physical exercise intensity, adherence, and social environment significantly modulate task-related brain activation changes induced by physical exercise. This meta-analysis offers an unprecedented comprehensive assessment of how physical exercise modulates task-related brain activation changes, providing neural evidence to support the general-domain effects on cognitive function induced by physical exercise.

Inhibitory P300 subprocesses and neural compensation in genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease: The case for temporal-spatial principal component analysis

The P300 event-related potential (ERP) is widely investigated in cognitive neuroscience, including related to aging, with smaller amplitudes and delayed latency consistently reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Given that AD-related neurological changes begin years before symptom onset, ERPs in asymptomatic elders with AD risk may characterize early changes. ERPs are seldom studied in this population. Yet, healthy carriers of apolipoprotein-E (APOE) ε4 have evidenced delayed P300 latencies, while P300 amplitude differences are seldom found. However, despite its frequent study, the specific cognitive processes reflected by P300 remain unclear. We propose that these challenges are due to the relatively long P300 window, which likely encompasses multiple underlying subprocesses that overlap in time. Temporal-spatial principal component analysis (tsPCA) maintains the high temporal resolution of EEG and is better suited to isolate processes that overlap in time. Thus, we interrogated APOE ε4 differences in P300 activity during successful stop-signal inhibitory control in healthy, cognitively intact older adults (25 ε4-, 20 ε4+), using both conventional ERP metrics (i.e., mean and peak amplitude) and P300 tsPCA factors. P300 amplitudes did not differ by ε4 using conventional metrics. tsPCA revealed two P300 factors in each ε4 group: first, a Posterior P300 (attention allocation) factor, and second, a relatively Anterior P300 (performance monitoring, evaluating, and updating) factor. tsPCA uniquely revealed greater activity in ε4+ vs. ε4- in Anterior P300. ε4 groups had comparable task performance, suggesting that greater P300 activity in ε4+ likely reflects neural compensation for ε4-related deficits, thereby enabling the maintenance of good task performance.

Exploring easily accessible neurophysiological biomarkers for predicting Alzheimer's disease progression: a systematic review

Alzheimer disease (AD) remains a significant global health concern. The progression from preclinical stages to overt dementia has become a crucial point of interest for researchers. This paper reviews the potential of neurophysiological biomarkers in predicting AD progression, based on a systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines, including 55 studies. EEG-based techniques have been predominantly employed, whereas TMS studies are less common. Among the investigated neurophysiological measures, spectral power measurements and event-related potentials-based measures, including P300 and N200 latencies, have emerged as the most consistent and reliable biomarkers for predicting the likelihood of conversion to AD. In addition, TMS-based indices of cortical excitability and synaptic plasticity have also shown potential in assessing the risk of conversion to AD. However, concerns persist regarding the methodological discrepancies among studies, the accuracy of these neurophysiological measures in comparison to established AD biomarkers, and their immediate clinical applicability. Further research is needed to validate the predictive capabilities of EEG and TMS measures. Advancements in this area could lead to cost-effective, reliable biomarkers, enhancing diagnostic processes and deepening our understanding of AD pathophysiology.

The relationship between structural properties of frontal cortical regions and response inhibition in 6-14-year-old children

Development of attentional skills and inhibitory control rely on maturational changes in the brain across childhood and youth. However, both brain anatomy and different components of attention and inhibition show notable individual variation. Research on ADHD and inhibitory training and control have shown that variations in the thickness and surface area of particularly inferior cortical structures are associated with attentional control. However, the intricacies of how the development of inhibitory control is associated with the anatomical variations beyond the general age- and gender-dependent differences have not been resolved. Here, we sought to address these questions by quantifying the cortical thickness and surface area in frontal cortical regions and inhibitory control using the stop signal task performance in 6-14-year-old children. Our results showed that the thickness of the left medial orbitofrontal cortex and the surface area of the left caudal anterior cingulate were associated with the inhibitory performance, beyond the variance that could be explained by the subjects' age and gender. The results highlight the importance of factoring in anatomical variations when following attentional development and the importance of evaluating multiple anatomical measures when aiming to link the properties of cortical structures with variations in cognitive performance.

Blunted anterior midcingulate response to reward in opioid users is normalized by prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation

Introduction

Abnormalities in goal-directed behavior, mediated by mesocorticolimbic reward function and structure, contribute to worse clinical outcomes including higher risk of treatment dropout and drug relapse in opioid users (OU).

Material and Method

In a sham-controlled randomized study design, we measured whether robot-assisted 10Hz transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the prefrontal cortex was able to modulate anterior midcingulate cortex (MCC) electrophysiological response to rewards, in OU and matched healthy controls.

Results

We show that OU exhibit a blunted anterior MCC reward response, compared to healthy controls (t(39) = 2.62, p = 0.01, d = 0.84), and that this is normalized following 10-Hz excitatory TMS (t (36) = .82, p = 0.42, d = 0.17).

Conclusions

Excitatory TMS modulated the putative reward function of the MCC in OU. Further work with increased sample sizes and TMS sessions is required to determine whether restoring MCC reward function increases reward-directed behaviors, which may enhance treatment success through the maintenance of treatment goals.

Verbal retrieval deficits due to traumatic brain injury are associated with changes in event related potentials during a Go-NoGo task

OBJECTIVE

Verbal retrieval (VR) deficits often occur after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but the mechanisms remain unclear. We examined how event-related potentials (ERPs) during a Go-NoGo task were associated with VR deficits.

METHODS

Sixty veterans with a history of TBI underwent a neuropsychological battery and a Go-NoGo task with concurrent EEG recording. We compared task performance and ERP measures (N2, P3) between those with and those without persistent injury-related VR deficits. We then used generalized linear modeling to examine the relationship between ERP measures and scores on measures of executive function and processing speed.

RESULTS

Go-NoGo task performance was comparable between the groups. Those with VR deficits had larger N2 amplitude in NoGo than in Go conditions. In participants with VR deficits, larger NoGo N2/P3 amplitude predicted faster processing speed. Furthermore, larger P3 amplitude and shorter P3 latency of the difference wave (NoGo - Go) predicted faster processing speed in those with VR deficits.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite no difference in Go-NoGo task performance, ERP amplitude and latency measures associated with cognitive control during Go-NoGo distinguished TBI individuals with VR deficits from those without.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study furthers our understanding of VR deficits in TBI and implicates potential application of ERP measures in monitoring and treating such deficits.

Biophysical Modeling of Frontocentral ERP Generation Links Circuit-Level Mechanisms of Action-Stopping to a Behavioral Race Model

Human frontocentral event-related potentials (FC-ERPs) are ubiquitous neural correlates of cognition and control, but their generating multiscale mechanisms remain mostly unknown. We used the Human Neocortical Neurosolver's biophysical model of a canonical neocortical circuit under exogenous thalamic and cortical drive to simulate the cell and circuit mechanisms underpinning the P2, N2, and P3 features of the FC-ERP observed after Stop-Signals in the Stop-Signal task (SST; N = 234 humans, 137 female). We demonstrate that a sequence of simulated external thalamocortical and corticocortical drives can produce the FC-ERP, similar to what has been shown for primary sensory cortices. We used this model of the FC-ERP to examine likely circuit-mechanisms underlying FC-ERP features that distinguish between successful and failed action-stopping. We also tested their adherence to the predictions of the horse-race model of the SST, with specific hypotheses motivated by theoretical links between the P3 and Stop process. These simulations revealed that a difference in P3 onset between successful and failed Stops is most likely due to a later arrival of thalamocortical drive in failed Stops, rather than, for example, a difference in the effective strength of the input. In contrast, the same model predicted that early thalamocortical drives underpinning the P2 and N2 differed in both strength and timing across stopping accuracy conditions. Overall, this model generates novel testable predictions of the thalamocortical dynamics underlying FC-ERP generation during action-stopping. Moreover, it provides a detailed cellular and circuit-level interpretation that supports links between these macroscale signatures and predictions of the behavioral race model.

Total Sleep Deprivation Triggers a Compensatory Mechanism During Conflict Monitoring Process: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials

Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function and is accompanied by a simultaneous compensatory effect, one of the brain's capacities to maintain function in emergency situations. However, the time course of the compensatory effect is unclear. In this study, 22 male participants completed a pronunciation working memory task that included congruent and incongruent stimuli trials with EEG recordings before and after total sleep deprivation (TSD). Behavioral performance analysis showed that after TSD, the participants' reaction time (RT) was shortened, but accuracy was reduced significantly. Analysis of event-related potential (ERP) results showed that the amplitude of N2 (an early visual ERP) was larger (i.e., more negative) after TSD than at baseline. A significant interaction between congruency and sleep condition was seen. Compared to that before TSD, the increase in amplitude of P3 (a stimulus-induced positive deflection component) under an incongruent stimulus was larger than that under a congruent stimulus after TSD. Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between P3 amplitude and RT. Our results suggest that TSD impairs cognitive function. Meanwhile, the brain activates a compensatory mechanism after TSD, which is comprehensive during the conflict-detection and information-updating stages. This study provides a fresh viewpoint for understanding how TSD affects cognitive function.

Acoustic and Subjective Basis of Emotional Perception in Comatose Patients: A Comparative Study

Objective

: The acoustic stimulation in consciousness patients may improve the diagnosis assessment and the effectiveness of rehabilitation procedures. We aimed to investigate the event-related potential (ERP) response to emotional auditory stimuli in comatose patients.

Methods

: We measured the nonlinear and linear electroencephalogram (EEG) features, prepared the acoustic analysis of stimuli parameters, and assessed the subjective emotional rates of stimuli characteristics.

Results

: Patients with better outcomes had recognizable ERP responses and significant changes of the nonlinear EEG features to emotional sounds, unlike patients with worse outcomes. The response of comatose patients was attributed to acoustical features of emotional sounds, whereas the EEG response of healthy subjects was associated with their subjective feelings. The comatose patients demonstrated the variable EEG activity for neutral and emotional sounds.

Conclusion

: Thus, the EEG reactivity followed the better outcome of comatose patients to emotional stimuli. The study assumed the substantial differences of emotional stimuli perception in the healthy and unconscious brain.

Task-Related Reorganization of Cognitive Network in Parkinson's Disease Using Electrophysiology

BACKGROUND

Cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are well described, however, their underlying neural mechanisms as assessed by electrophysiology are not clear.

OBJECTIVES

To reveal specific neural network alterations during the performance of cognitive tasks in PD patients using electroencephalography (EEG).

METHODS

Ninety participants, 60 PD patients and 30 controls underwent EEG recording while performing a GO/NOGO task. Source localization of 16 regions of interest known to play a pivotal role in GO/NOGO task was performed to assess power density and connectivity within this cognitive network. The connectivity matrices were evaluated using a graph-theory approach that included measures of cluster-coefficient, degree, and global-efficiency. A mixed-model analysis, corrected for age and levodopa equivalent daily dose was performed to examine neural changes between PD patients and controls.

RESULTS

PD patients performed worse in the GO/NOGO task (P < 0.001). The power density was higher in δ and θ bands, but lower in α and β bands in PD patients compared to controls (interaction group × band: P < 0.001), indicating a general slowness within the network. Patients had more connections within the network (P < 0.034) than controls and these were used for graph-theory analysis. Differences between groups in graph-theory measures were found only in cluster-coefficient, which was higher in PD compared to controls (interaction group × band: P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Cognitive deficits in PD are underlined by alterations at the brain network level, including higher δ and θ activity, lower α and β activity, increased connectivity, and segregated network organization. These findings may have important implications on future adaptive deep brain stimulation. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Biophysical modeling of frontocentral ERP generation links circuit-level mechanisms of action-stopping to a behavioral race model

Human frontocentral event-related potentials (FC-ERPs) are ubiquitous neural correlates of cognition and control, but their generating multiscale mechanisms remain mostly unknown. We used the Human Neocortical Neurosolver(HNN)'s biophysical model of a canonical neocortical circuit under exogenous thalamic and cortical drive to simulate the cell and circuit mechanisms underpinning the P2, N2, and P3 features of the FC-ERP observed after Stop-Signals in the Stop-Signal task (SST). We demonstrate that a sequence of simulated external thalamocortical and cortico-cortical drives can produce the FC-ERP, similar to what has been shown for primary sensory cortices. We used this model of the FC-ERP to examine likely circuit-mechanisms underlying FC-ERP features that distinguish between successful and failed action-stopping. We also tested their adherence to the predictions of the horse-race model of the SST, with specific hypotheses motivated by theoretical links between the P3 and Stop process. These simulations revealed that a difference in P3 onset between successful and failed Stops is most likely due to a later arrival of thalamocortical drive in failed Stops, rather than, for example, a difference in effective strength of the input. In contrast, the same model predicted that early thalamocortical drives underpinning the P2 and N2 differed in both strength and timing across stopping accuracy conditions. Overall, this model generates novel testable predictions of the thalamocortical dynamics underlying FC-ERP generation during action-stopping. Moreover, it provides a detailed cellular and circuit-level interpretation that supports links between these macroscale signatures and predictions of the behavioral race model.

Divergent auditory activation in relation to inhibition task performance in children and adults

Adults and children show remarkable differences in cortical auditory activation which, in children, have shown relevance for cognitive performance, specifically inhibitory control. However, it has not been tested whether these differences translate to functional differences in response inhibition between adults and children. We recorded auditory responses of adults and school-aged children (6-14 years) using combined magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) during passive listening conditions and an auditory Go/No-go task. The associations between auditory cortical responses and inhibition performance measures diverge between adults and children; while in children the brain-behavior associations are not significant, or stronger responses are beneficial, adults show negative associations between auditory cortical responses and inhibitory performance. Furthermore, we found differences in brain responses between adults and children; the late (~200 ms post stimulation) adult peak activation shifts from auditory to frontomedial areas. In contrast, children show prolonged obligatory responses in the auditory cortex. Together this likely translates to a functional difference between adults and children in the cortical resources for performance consistency in auditory-based cognitive tasks.

Does deception involve more cognitive control than truth-telling? Meta-analyses of N2 and MFN ERP studies

A number of psychological theories propose that deception involves more cognitive control than truth-telling. Over the last decades, event-related potentials (ERPs) have been used to unravel this question, but the findings are mixed. To address this controversy, two meta-analyses were conducted to quantify the results of existing studies reporting N2 or medial frontal negativity (MFN) associated with deception. In total, 32 papers consisting of 1091 participants were included, which yielded 32 effect sizes for N2 and 7 effect sizes for MFN. We found that deception was associated with a more negative N2 and MFN than truth-telling with medium and large effect sizes (r = .25 and .51, respectively). We also found that the deception paradigm modulated the results (p = .043), but found no evidence for publication bias. Our findings indicate that deception involves more cognitive control than truth-telling. Our review also identifies gaps in this literature, including a need for more ERP studies using spontaneous deception.

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation over right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex differentially modulates inhibitory mechanisms for speech vs. limb movement

Evidence suggests that planning and execution of speech and limb movement are subserved by common neural substrates. However, less is known about whether they are supported by a common inhibitory mechanism. P3 event-related potentials (ERPs) is a neural signature of motor inhibition, which are found to be generated by several brain regions including the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC). However, the relative contribution of rDLPFC to the P3 response associated with speech versus limb inhibition remains elusive. We investigated the contribution of rDLPFC to the P3 underlying speech versus limb movement inhibition. Twenty-one neurotypical adults received both cathodal and sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over rDLPFC. ERPs were subsequently recorded while subjects were performing speech and limb Go/No-Go tasks. Cathodal HD-tDCS decreased accuracy for speech versus limb No-Go. Both speech and limb No-Go elicited a similar topographical distribution of P3, with significantly larger amplitudes for speech versus limb at a frontocentral location following cathodal HD-tDCS. Moreover, results showed stronger activation in cingulate cortex and rDLPFC for speech versus limb No-Go following cathodal HD-tDCS. These results indicate (1) P3 is an ERP marker of amodal inhibitory mechanisms that support both speech and limb inhibition, (2) larger P3 for speech versus limb No-Go following cathodal HD-tDCS may reflect the recruitment of additional neural resources-particularly within rDLPFC and cingulate cortex-as compensatory mechanisms to counteract the temporary stimulation-induced decline in speech inhibitory process. These findings have translational implications for neurological conditions that concurrently affect speech and limb movement.

Recovery sleep attenuates impairments in working memory following total sleep deprivation

Introduction

The detrimental effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on cognitive function and quality of life are well known, and sleep disturbances are a major physical and mental health issue worldwide. Working memory plays an important role in many complex cognitive processes. Therefore, it is necessary to identify strategies that can effectively counteract the negative effects of SD on working memory.

Methods

In the present study, we utilized event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the restorative effects of 8 h of recovery sleep (RS) on working memory impairments induced by total sleep deprivation for 36 h. We analyzed ERP data from 42 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned to two groups. The nocturnal sleep (NS) group completed a 2-back working memory task before and after normal sleep for 8 h. The sleep deprivation (SD) group completed a 2-back working memory task before and after 36 h of total sleep deprivation (TSD) and after 8 h of RS. Electroencephalographic data were recorded during each task.

Results

The N2 and P3 components-which are related to working memory-exhibited low-amplitude and slow-wave characteristics after 36 h of TSD. Additionally, we observed a significant decrease in N2 latency after 8 h of RS. RS also induced significant increases in the amplitude of the P3 component and in the behavioral indicators.

Discussion

Overall, 8 h of RS attenuated the decrease in working memory performance caused by 36 h of TSD. However, the effects of RS appear to be limited.

Do after "not to do": Deinhibition in cognitive control

In daily life, we often need to inhibit a certain behavior or thought; however, sometimes we need to remove inhibition (deinhibition). Numerous studies have examined inhibition control, but it is unclear how deinhibition functions. In Experiment 1, we adopted a modified stop-signal task in which participants were instructed to immediately stop the prepared response to a stimulus appended by an accidental signal. The results showed that when the preceding trial was a stop-signal trial and participants successfully inhibited the action to the stimulus, the reaction time (RT) for the repeated stimuli in the current trial was significantly longer than that of the switched stimuli, reflecting the cost of deinhibition. Deinhibition ability is correlated with inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. In Experiment 2, we manipulated stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between presentation of the stimuli and the stopping signals to exclude the interference of the signal preparation effect on the deinhibition cost. These findings suggest that an individual's deinhibition ability, as a previously ignored subcomponent of cognitive control, may play an important role in human adaptive behavior.

Reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal activation in problematic smartphone users during the Stroop task: An fNIRS study

Introduction

The widespread use of smartphones has triggered concern over problematic smartphone use (PSPU), as well as the need to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. However, the correlation between cortical activation and deficient inhibitory control in PSPU remains unclear.

Methods

This study examined inhibitory control using the color-word matching Stroop task and its cortical-activation responses using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in college students with PSPU (n = 56) compared with a control group (n = 54).

Results

At the behavioral level, Stroop interference, coupled with reaction time, was significantly greater in the PSPU group than in the control group. Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) signals associated with Stroop interference were significantly increased in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, left frontopolar area, and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, the PSPU group had lower Oxy-Hb signal changes associated with Stroop interference in the left-DLPFC, relative to controls.

Discussion

These results provide first behavioral and neuroscientific evidence using event-related fNIRS method, to our knowledge, that college students with PSPU may have a deficit in inhibitory control associated with lower cortical activation in the left-DLPFC.

Neural correlates of inhibitory control and associations with cognitive outcomes in Bangladeshi children exposed to early adversities

There is strong support for the view that children growing up in low-income homes typically evince poorer performance on tests of inhibitory control compared to those growing up in higher income homes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the work documenting this association has been conducted in high-income countries. It is not yet known whether the mechanisms found to mediate this association would generalize to children in low- and middle-income countries, where the risks of exposure to extreme poverty and a wide range of both biological and psychosocial hazards may be greater. We examined relations among early adversity, neural correlates of inhibitory control, and cognitive outcomes in 154 5-year-old children living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an area with a high prevalence of poverty. Participants completed a go/no-go task assessing inhibitory control and their behavioral and event-related potential responses were assessed. Cortical source analysis was performed. We collected measures of poverty, malnutrition, maternal mental health, psychosocial adversity, and cognitive skills. Supporting studies in high-income countries, children in this sample exhibited a longer N2 latency and higher P3 amplitude to the no-go versus go condition. Unexpectedly, children had a more pronounced N2 amplitude during go trials than no-go trials. The N2 latency was related to their behavioral accuracy on the go/no-go task. The P3 mean amplitude, behavioral accuracy, and reaction time during the task were all associated with intelligence-quotient (IQ) scores. Children who experienced higher levels of psychosocial adversity had lower accuracy on the task and lower IQ scores.

Neural correlates of unpredictable Stop and non‐Stop cues in overt and imagined execution

The ability to inhibit incorrect behaviors is crucial for survival. In real contexts, cues that require stopping usually appear intermixed with indications to continue the ongoing action. However, in the classical Stop‐signal task (SST), the unpredictable stimuli are always signals that require inhibition. To understand the neural mechanisms activated by low‐probability nonstop cues, we recorded the electroencephalography from 23 young volunteers while they performed a modified SST where the unpredictable stimuli could be either Stop or confirmatory Go signals (CGo). To isolate the influence of motor output, the SST was performed during overt and covert execution. We found that, paradoxically, CGo stimuli activated motor inhibition processes, and evoked patterns of brain activity similar to those obtained after Stop signals (N2/P3 event‐related potentials and midfrontal theta power increase), though in lesser magnitude. These patterns were also observed during the imagined performance. Finally, applying machine learning procedures, we found that the brain activity evoked after CGo versus Stop signals can be classified above chance during both, overt and imagined execution. Our results provide evidence that unpredictable signals cause motor inhibition even when they require to continue an ongoing action.

This study advances our understanding of the neural correlates of inhibition by using a modified Stop‐signal task where Stop signals were intermixed with cues to continue the ongoing action (CGo signals). CGo signals produced motor inhibition and EEG activity similar to Stop signals (both during overt and imagined performance). The neural activity related to CGo vs Stop signals could be decoded using a machine learning algorithm, indicating that Stop signals evoke a specific pattern of EEG activity.

Longitudinal Analysis of Self-Reported Symptoms, Behavioral Measures, and Event-Related Potential Components of a Cued Go/NoGo Task in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Controls

This study characterizes a large sample of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and healthy controls regarding their task performance and neurophysiology; cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Self-reported symptoms, behavioral measures, and event-related potentials from a classical cued Go/NoGo task were used to outline the symptom burden, executive function deficits and neurophysiological features, and the associations between these domains. The study participants (N = 210 ADHD, N = 158 controls, age: 18–62 years) were assessed five (ADHD) or three (controls) times over two years. We describe cross-sectional and longitudinal group differences, and associations between symptom burden, and behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) components variables by latent growth curve models, including random slopes and intercepts. The ADHD group showed increased reaction time variability, increased commission and omission errors, and attenuated cueP3, CNV, N2d, and P3d amplitudes. We observed a decrease in self-reported symptoms in the ADHD group over the two years. The behavioral measures (reaction time variability, number of omission, and commission errors) did not change over time, whereas the cueP3, P3d, and N2d amplitude attenuated in both groups. There was no evidence for a robust association between symptom burden and behavioral or ERP measures. The changes in the ERP components with stable task performance, potentially indicate more efficient neuronal processing over the two years. Whether the lack of association between symptom burden and behavioral or ERP measures might be due to the low reliability of the ADHD assessment criteria, or the inappropriateness of the objective measures cannot be inferred.

Temporal Dynamics of Event-Related Potentials during Inhibitory Control Characterize Age-Related Neural Compensation

Aging is accompanied by frontal lobe and non-dominant hemisphere recruitment that supports executive functioning, such as inhibitory control, which is crucial to all cognitive functions. However, the spatio-temporal sequence of processing underlying successful inhibition and how it changes with age is understudied. Thus, we capitalized on the temporal precision of event-related potentials (ERPs) to assess the functional lateralization of N200 (conflict monitoring) and P300 (inhibitory performance evaluation) in young and healthy older adults during comparably performed successful stop-signal inhibition. We additionally used temporal principal components analysis (PCA) to further interrogate the continuous spatio-temporal dynamics underlying N200 and P300 activation for each group. Young adults demonstrated left hemisphere-dominant N200, while older adults demonstrated overall larger amplitudes and right hemisphere dominance. N200 activation was explained by a single PCA factor in both age groups, but with a more anterior scalp distribution in older adults. The P300 amplitudes were larger in the right hemisphere in young, but bilateral in old, with old larger than young in the left hemisphere. P300 was also explained by a single factor in young adults but by two factors in older adults, including distinct parieto-occipital and anterior activation. These findings highlight the differential functional asymmetries of conflict monitoring (N200) and inhibitory evaluation and adaptation (P300) processes and further illuminate unique age-related spatio-temporal recruitment patterns. Older adults demonstrated lateralized recruitment during conflict processing and bilateral recruitment during evaluation and adaptation, with anterior recruitment common to both processes. These fine-grained analyses are critically important for more precise understanding of age-related compensatory activation.

Multiple Brain Sources Are Differentially Engaged in the Inhibition of Distinct Action Types

Most studies contributing to identify the brain network for inhibitory control have investigated the cancelation of prepared-discrete actions, thus focusing on an isolated and short-lived chunk of human behavior. Aborting ongoing-continuous actions is an equally crucial ability but remains little explored. Although discrete and ongoing-continuous rhythmic actions are associated with partially overlapping yet largely distinct brain activations, it is unknown whether the inhibitory network operates similarly in both situations. Thus, distinguishing between action types constitutes a powerful means to investigate whether inhibition is a generic function. We, therefore, used independent component analysis (ICA) of EEG data and show that canceling a discrete action and aborting a rhythmic action rely on independent brain components. The ICA showed that a delta/theta power increase generically indexed inhibitory activity, whereas N2 and P3 ERP waves did so in an action-specific fashion. The action-specific components were generated by partially distinct brain sources, which indicates that the inhibitory network is engaged differently when canceling a prepared-discrete action versus aborting an ongoing-continuous action. In particular, increased activity was estimated in precentral gyri and posterior parts of the cingulate cortex for action canceling, whereas an enhanced activity was found in more frontal gyri and anterior parts of the cingulate cortex for action aborting. Overall, the present findings support the idea that inhibitory control is differentially implemented according to the type of action to revise.

Spatial Recognition Memory: Differential Brain Strategic Activation According to Sex

Human spatial memory research has significantly progressed since the development of computerized tasks, with many studies examining sex-related performances. However, few studies explore the underlying electrophysiological correlates according to sex. In this study event-related potentials were compared between male and female participants during the performance of an allocentric spatial recognition task. Twenty-nine university students took part in the research. Results showed that while general performance was similar in both sexes, the brain of males and females displayed a differential activation. Males showed increased N200 modulation than females in the three phases of memory process (encoding, maintenance, and retrieval). Meanwhile females showed increased activation of P300 in the three phases of memory process compared to males. In addition, females exhibited more negative slow wave (NSW) activity during the encoding phase. These differences are discussed in terms of attentional control and the allocation of attentional resources during spatial processing. Our findings demonstrate that sex modulates the resources recruited to performed this spatial task.

Persistence of the "Moving Things Are Alive" Heuristic into Adulthood: Evidence from EEG

Although a growing number of studies indicate that simple strategies, intuitions, or cognitive shortcuts called heuristics can persistently interfere with scientific reasoning in physics and chemistry, the persistence of heuristics related to learning biology is less known. In this study, we investigate the persistence of the "moving things are alive" heuristic into adulthood with 28 undergraduate students who were asked to select between two images, one of which one represented a living thing, while their electroencephalographic signals were recorded. Results show that N2 and LPP event-related potential components, often associated with tasks requiring inhibitory control, are higher in counterintuitive trials (i.e., in trials including moving things not alive or nonmoving things alive) compared with intuitive ones. To our knowledge, these findings represent the first neurocognitive evidence that the "moving things are alive" heuristic persists into adulthood and that overcoming this heuristic might require inhibitory control. Potential implications for life science education are discussed.

Impaired impulse inhibition of emotional stimuli in patients with borderline personality disorder

This study was aimed to investigate whether BPD patients showed impaired impulse inhibition of emotional and non-emotional stimuli and to explore relevant neuroelectrophysiological mechanisms. A total of 32 BPD patients and 32 matched healthy controls were recruited. Self-reported scales were used to measure psychiatric symptoms. The event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded when subjects were performing neutral and emotional Stop Signal Task (SST). Group differences in self-reported scores, behavioral variables and ERPs were compared. The BPD group scored significantly higher on impulsivity, severity of BPD symptoms, levels of depression and anxiety than the control group. In neutral SST, no significant group differences were detected in the amplitude and latency of ERPs components induced. In emotional SST, the P2 amplitude of negative emotion was significantly larger than that of neutral emotion in Go trials. In Stop trials, the P2 amplitude of BPD group was significantly smaller than that of control group, and the N2 amplitude of BPD group was significantly greater than that of control group. BPD patients showed impaired inhibition of emotional stimuli rather than non-emotional stimuli. The deficits of emotional impulse control mainly exhibit at the early attention, stimulus evaluation and conflict detection stages.

Neurophysiology of Gambling Behavior and Internet Use Vulnerability: A Comparison Between Behavioral and EEG Measures

The present research explored electrophysiological activity (EEG) related to problematic internet use (PIU) vulnerability in a nonclinical population. Vulnerability to PIU was assessed through internet addiction test (IAT) in a sample of 23 participants. Moreover, they underwent a behavioral Iowa gambling task (IGT) for testing decision-making functioning and N2 event-related potentials (ERPs) component was monitored during an attentional inhibitory Go/NoGo task performance with addiction-related background pictures (videogames, online gambling, and neutral stimuli). IAT measure positively correlated with both IGT index and N2 variation at the Go/NoGo task. High-IAT young participants showed specific responses to internet addiction-related cues (pictures representing online gambling) in terms of ERPs amplitude of N2pc for Go trials in Pz. Findings suggested an early attentional facilitation effect for specific addiction-related stimuli, online gambling-related stimuli, suggesting a selective attention bias for salient stimuli in this population. While higher levels of IAT do not seem to correspond to a deficit in decision-making abilities, the selective attention mechanisms show to be partially biased in response to the salience of external cues.

Online Movement Correction in Response to the Unexpectedly Perturbed Initial or Final Action Goals: An ERP and sLORETA Study

In this experiment, we explored how unexpected perturbations in the initial (grip posture) and the final action goals (target position) influence movement execution and the neural mechanisms underlying the movement corrections. Participants were instructed to grasp a handle and rotate it to a target position according to a given visual cue. After participants started their movements, a secondary cue was triggered, which indicated whether the initial or final goals had changed (or not) while the electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. The results showed that the perturbed initial goals significantly slowed down the reaching action, compared to the perturbed final goals. In the event-related potentials (ERPs), a larger anterior P3 and a larger central-distributed late positivity (600–700 ms) time-locked to the perturbations were found for the initial than for the final goal perturbations. Source analyses found stronger left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) activations for the perturbed initial goals than for the perturbed final goals in the P3 time window. These findings suggest that perturbations in the initial goals have stronger interferences with the execution of grasp-to-rotate movements than perturbations in the final goals. The interferences seem to be derived from both inappropriate action inhibitions and new action implementations during the movement correction.

Altered Functional Connectivity in Children with ADHD Revealed by Scalp EEG: An ERP Study

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental brain disorders in childhood. Despite extensive researches, the neurobiological mechanism underlying ADHD is still left unveiled. Since the deficit functions, such as attention, have been demonstrated in ADHD, in our present study, based on the oddball P3 task, the corresponding electroencephalogram (EEG) of both healthy controls (HCs) and ADHD children was first collected. And we then not only focused on the event-related potential (ERP) evoked during tasks but also investigated related brain networks. Although an insignificant difference in behavior was found between the HCs and ADHD children, significant electrophysiological differences were found in both ERPs and brain networks. In detail, the dysfunctional attention occurred during the early stage of the designed task; as compared to HCs, the reduced P2 and N2 amplitudes in ADHD children were found, and the atypical information interaction might further underpin such a deficit. On the one hand, when investigating the cortical activity, HCs recruited much stronger brain activity mainly in the temporal and frontal regions, compared to ADHD children; on the other hand, the brain network showed atypical enhanced long-range connectivity between the frontal and occipital lobes but attenuated connectivity among frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes in ADHD children. We hope that the findings in this study may be instructive for the understanding of cognitive processing in children with ADHD.

An ERP study on proactive and reactive response inhibition in individuals with schizotypy

Schizotypy, a subclinical group at risk for schizophrenia, has been found to show impairments in response inhibition. However, it remains unclear whether this impairment is accompanied by outright stopping (reactive inhibition) or preparation for stopping (proactive inhibition). We recruited 20 schizotypy and 24 non-schizotypy individuals to perform a modified stop-signal task with electroencephalographic (EEG) data recorded. This task consists of three conditions based on the probability of stop signal: 0% (no stop trials, only go trials), 17% (17% stop trials), and 33% (33% stop trials), the conditions were indicated by the colour of go stimuli. For proactive inhibition (go trials), individuals with schizotypy exhibited significantly lesser increase in go response time (RT) as the stop signal probability increasing compared to non-schizotypy individuals. Individuals with schizotypy also exhibited significantly increased N1 amplitude on all levels of stop signal probability and increased P3 amplitude in the 17% stop condition compared with non-schizotypy individuals. For reactive inhibition (stop trials), individuals with schizotypy exhibited significantly longer stop signal reaction time (SSRT) in both 17% and 33% stop conditions and smaller N2 amplitude on stop trials in the 17% stop condition than non-schizotypy individuals. These findings suggest that individuals with schizotypy were impaired in both proactive and reactive response inhibition at behavioural and neural levels.

Electrocortical correlates of impaired motor inhibition and outcome processing are related in high binge-watching

Models posit problematic binge-watching to involve a vicious circle of low motivation for alternative activities, low sensitivity for the consequences of neglected goals, and low self-control. As such, simultaneously impaired feedback and inhibitory functioning might contribute to binge-watching. We tested the hypothesis that blunted feedback-related brain activity is coupled with attenuated inhibitory brain activity in binge-watchers. High (n = 32) and non-binge-watchers (n = 31) performed go/nogo (inhibition) and stop signal (stopping) tasks and a flanker paradigm with performance feedback during electroencephalography. We examined how neural correlates of inhibition and stopping were associated with outcome processing in each group. We assessed the temporospatial relationship using a single-trial regression approach. High binge-watchers, but not non-binge-watchers, who differentiated less between gains and losses at the neural level (feedback-P3b) also recruited less brain activity during both inhibition and stopping (inhibition-P3 and stopping-P3). Exploratory analyses suggested that these relationships were most prominent in high binge-watchers with high loss of control over watching. Main effects of the group in performance or EEG did not emerge. These results suggest a potentially problematic interaction between outcome and inhibitory functions in binge-watchers. Insensitivity to behavioral consequences along with inhibitory impairments may also confer a long-term risk for compulsive watching. Our multi-modal approach may be particularly suited to detect such an underlying risk marker.

Evoked Potentials Differentiate Developmental Coordination Disorder From Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a Stop-Signal Task: A Pilot Study

Developmental Coordination Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are unique neurodevelopmental disorders with overlaps in executive functions and motor control. The conditions co-occur in up to 50% of cases, raising questions of the pathological mechanisms of DCD versus ADHD. Few studies have examined these overlaps in adults with DCD and/or ADHD. Therefore, to provide insights about executive functions and motor control between adults with DCD, ADHD, both conditions (DCD + ADHD), or typically developed controls, this study used a stop-signal task and parallel EEG measurement. We assessed executive performance via go accuracy and go reaction time, as well as motor response inhibition via stop-signal reaction time. This was complemented with analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs). Based on existing investigations of adults with DCD or ADHD, we expected (1) groups would not differ in behavioral performance on stop and go trials, but (2) differences in ERPs, particularly in components N200 (index of cognitive control) and P300 (index of attention and inhibition) would be evident. The sample included N = 50 adults with DCD (n = 12), ADHD (n = 9), DCD + ADHD (n = 7), and control participants (n = 22). We replicated that there were no between-group differences for behavioral-level executive performance and motor response inhibition. However, on a physiological level, ERP components N200 and P300 differed between groups, particularly during successful response inhibition. These ERPs reflect potential endophenotypic differences not evident in overt behavior of participants with ADHD and/or DCD. This suggests a disorder specific employment of inhibition or general executive functions in groups of adults with DCD, DCD + ADHD, ADHD, or control participants.

Effect of inhibition indexed by auditory P300 on transmission of visual sensory information

Early electroencephalographic studies that focused on finding brain correlates of psychic events led to the discovery of the P300. Since then, the P300 has become the focus of many basic and clinical neuroscience studies. However, despite its wide applications, the underlying function of the P300 is not yet clearly understood. One line of research among the many studies that have attempted to elucidate the underlying subroutine of the P300 in the brain has suggested that the physiological function of the P300 is related to inhibition. While some intracranial, behavioral, and event-related potential studies have provided support for this theory, little is known about the inhibitory mechanism. In this study, using alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) and effective connectivity, based on the causal (one-way directed) relationship between alpha ERD and P300 sources, we demonstrated that P300's associated inhibition is implemented at a higher information processing stage in a localized brain region. We discuss how inhibition as the primary function of the P300 is not inconsistent with 'resource allocation' and 'working memory updating' theories about its cognitive function. In light of our findings regarding the scope and information processing stage of inhibition of the P300, we reconcile the inhibitory account of the P300 with working memory updating theory. Finally, based on the compensatory behavior of alpha ERD at the time of suppression of the P300, we propose two distinct yet complementary working memory mechanisms (inhibition and desynchronizing excitation) that render target perception possible.

Trait Disinhibition and NoGo Event-Related Potentials in Violent Mentally Disordered Offenders and Healthy Controls

Trait disinhibition may function as a dispositional liability toward maladaptive behaviors relevant in the treatment of mentally disordered offenders (MDOs). Reduced amplitude and prolonged latency of the NoGo N2 and P3 event-related potentials have emerged as promising candidates for transdiagnostic, biobehavioral markers of trait disinhibition, yet no study has specifically investigated these two components in violent, inpatient MDOs. Here, we examined self-reported trait disinhibition, experimentally assessed response inhibition, and NoGo N2 and P3 amplitude and latency in male, violent MDOs (N = 27) and healthy controls (N = 20). MDOs had a higher degree of trait disinhibition, reduced NoGo P3 amplitude, and delayed NoGo P3 latency compared to controls. The reduced NoGo P3 amplitude and delayed NoGo P3 latency in MDOs may stem from deficits during monitoring or evaluation of behavior. NoGo P3 latency was associated with increased trait disinhibition in the whole sample, suggesting that trait disinhibition may be associated with reduced neural efficiency during later stages of outcome monitoring or evaluation. Findings for NoGo N2 amplitude and latency were small and non-robust. With several limitations in mind, this is the first study to demonstrate attenuated NoGo P3 amplitude and delayed NoGo P3 latency in violent, inpatient MDOs compared to healthy controls.

Neurocognitive processes mediate the relation between children's motor skills, cardiorespiratory fitness and response inhibition: Evidence from source imaging

Accumulating evidence suggests an association between outcomes of sports participation, such as motor skills and cardiorespiratory fitness, and aspects of inhibitory control in children. However, it remains unclear if motor skills and cardiorespiratory fitness are related to different source activity patterns and if neurophysiological indices of response inhibition mediate the relation of these constructs with behavioral performance. We examined the relative contributions of motor skills and cardiorespiratory fitness to response inhibition and a potential mediation by the neurocognitive processes indexed by the N200 and P300 components of event-related potentials. About 92 children aged 9-13 years completed the Movement ABC-2, the PWC170 and a Go/NoGo task. We employed electroencephalography (EEG) to record the N200 and P300 components elicited by the task, which are considered to reflect conflict monitoring and the allocation of attentional resources toward task-relevant stimuli, respectively. Path-anlayses revealed a moderate association between motor skills and behavioral performance on the Go/NoGo task. This association was fully mediated by the P300 amplitude in the NoGo condition. In contrast, cardiorespiratory fitness was not related to behavioral performance, but accounted for variance in N200. Source analyses supported an association between cardiorespiratory fitness and N200 source activity in prefrontal and primary motor cortex, whereas motor skills were related to P300 source activity in the posterior cingulate cortex. Our findings provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the relation between motor skills and response inhibition. Moreover, we found that the neural generators of the P300 and N200 varied as a function of children's cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills.

The Influence of Music Tempo on Inhibitory Control: An ERP Study

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the influence of music tempo on inhibition control. An electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded when participants performed a Go/No-go task while listening to slow (54 bpm), medium-paced (104 bpm), fast (154 bpm), or no music. The behavioral results showed that the accuracies for the No-go trials were lower in the fast than in the slow tempo music conditions, while the accuracies for the Go trials were also lower in the fast tempo than in no music conditions. The event-related potential (ERP) study results showed that larger N2 and P3 amplitudes were elicited by No-go than by Go conditions. Moreover, the difference N2 (N2d) amplitudes observed by No-go vs. Go condition were larger in fast music than in medium-paced, slow, and no music conditions, indicating more consumption of cognitive resources in the process of conflict monitoring under the fast music condition. However, no such differences were observed among medium-paced, slow, and no music conditions. In addition, the difference P3 (P3d) amplitudes, an index of response inhibition, were not significant among these four music conditions. The present study showed a detrimental influence of music tempo on inhibition control. More specifically, listening to fast music might impair an individual’s ability to monitor conflict when performing the inhibitory control task.

Passive perceptual learning modulates motor inhibitory control in superior frontal regions

Response inhibition is of vital importance in the context of controlling inappropriate responses. The role of perceptual processes during inhibitory control has attracted increased interest. Yet, we are far from an understanding of the mechanisms. One candidate mechanism by which perceptual processes may affect response inhibition refers to “gain control” that is closely linked to the signal‐to‐noise ratio of incoming information. A means to modulate the signal‐to‐noise ratio and gain control mechanisms is perceptual learning. In the current study, we examine the impact of perceptual learning (i.e., passive repetitive sensory stimulation) on response inhibition combining EEG signal decomposition with source localization analyses. A tactile GO/NOGO paradigm was conducted to measure action restraint as one subcomponent of response inhibition. We show that passive perceptual learning modulates response inhibition processes. In particular, perceptual learning attenuates the detrimental effect of response automation during inhibitory control. Temporally decomposed EEG data show that stimulus‐related and not response selection processes during conflict monitoring are linked to these effects. The superior and middle frontal gyrus (BA6), as well as the motor cortex (BA4), are associated with the effects of perceptual learning on response inhibition. Reliable neurophysiological effects were not evident on the basis of standard ERPs, which has important methodological implications for perceptual learning research. The results detail how lower level sensory plasticity protocols affect higher‐order cognitive control functions in frontal cortical structures.

Mild Effect of Nalmefene on Alcoholic Cue-Induced Response Invigoration in Alcohol Use Disorder Without Accompanying Changes in Electrophysiological Signatures of Early Visual Processing and Executive Control

Nalmefene is approved for as-needed pharmacological treatment in alcohol use disorder (AUD) by the European Medicines Agency. While the cellular effects of nalmefene have been thoroughly investigated, data are very limited on how this agent influences neural signals associated with inhibitory control and the visual analysis of environmental cues. This double-blind crossover study assessed the behavioral and neural effects of acute nalmefene administration in patients diagnosed with AUD. In experiment 1, we validated our experimental paradigm (electroencephalography combined with a modified Go/NoGo task using images of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks as prime stimuli) in 20 healthy adults to ensure that our protocol is suitable for assessing the behavioral and neural aspects of executive control. In experiment 2, we recruited 19 patients with AUD, and in a double-blind crossover design, we investigated the effects of nalmefene versus placebo on task performance (response accuracy, the sensitivity index, and reaction times), visual responses to appetitive cues (occipital P1, N1, and P2 components), and electrophysiological markers of conflict detection and response inhibition (frontal N2 and P3 waveforms). Under placebo, patients produced faster reaction times to alcohol-primed Go stimuli, an effect that was weak despite being statistically significant. However, the effect of alcoholic cues on the speed of response initiation disappeared after receiving nalmefene. We found no placebo versus nalmefene difference regarding our patients’ ability to accurately inhibit responses to NoGo stimuli or for occipital and frontal event-related potentials. Our results suggest that nalmefene might be potent in reducing the vigor to act upon alcoholic cues in AUD patients, but this effect is most probably mediated via subcortical (rather than cortical) neural circuits.

Brief mindfulness training enhances cognitive control in socioemotional contexts: Behavioral and neural evidence

In social contexts, the dynamic nature of others' emotions places unique demands on attention and emotion regulation. Mindfulness, characterized by heightened and receptive moment-to-moment attending, may be well-suited to meet these demands. In particular, mindfulness may support more effective cognitive control in social situations via efficient deployment of top-down attention. To test this, a randomized controlled study examined effects of mindfulness training (MT) on behavioral and neural (event-related potentials [ERPs]) responses during an emotional go/no-go task that tested cognitive control in the context of emotional facial expressions that tend to elicit approach or avoidance behavior. Participants (N = 66) were randomly assigned to four brief (20 min) MT sessions or to structurally equivalent book learning control sessions. Relative to the control group, MT led to improved discrimination of facial expressions, as indexed by d-prime, as well as more efficient cognitive control, as indexed by response time and accuracy, and particularly for those evidencing poorer discrimination and cognitive control at baseline. MT also produced better conflict monitoring of behavioral goal-prepotent response tendencies, as indexed by larger No-Go N200 ERP amplitudes, and particularly so for those with smaller No-Go amplitude at baseline. Overall, findings are consistent with MT's potential to enhance deployment of early top-down attention to better meet the unique cognitive and emotional demands of socioemotional contexts, particularly for those with greater opportunity for change. Findings also suggest that early top-down attention deployment could be a cognitive mechanism correspondent to the present-oriented attention commonly used to explain regulatory benefits of mindfulness more broadly.

Differentiating emotion-label words and emotion-laden words in emotion conflict: an ERP study

Despite recent increased attention to emotion conflict, little is known about whether emotion-label words (e.g., sadness, happiness) and emotion-laden words (e.g., death, birthday) function similarly in emotion conflict (i.e., a conflict between the target and distractor in emotion involvement), because the majority of the previous studies implicitly mixed the two. The present study aimed to compare emotion-label words and emotion-laden words in emotion conflict using a flanker task. Specifically, participants (N = 21) were asked to judge the valence of the target words that were vertically surrounded by the words with same (congruent) or different (incongruent) valence as being negative or positive. The behavioral results suggested that negative emotion-laden words were processed faster and more accurately than negative emotion-label words. ERP data further showed that negative emotion-label words elicited larger N200 than negative emotion-laden words on the left hemisphere, while such a difference was found for positive words on the right hemisphere. Moreover, emotion-laden words elicited smaller N200 in the incongruent condition than in the congruent condition, whereas no such a distinction was observed for emotion-label words. The findings suggest different cognitive and neural correlates of emotion-label words and emotion-laden words in emotion conflict.

Compensatory Neural Responses to Cognitive Fatigue in Young and Older Adults

Prolonged performance of a demanding cognitive task induces cognitive fatigue. We examined the behavioral and neural responses to fatigue-induced cognitive impairments in young and older adults. Particular emphasis was placed on whether the brain exhibited compensatory neural activity in response to cognitive fatigue. High-density EEG was recorded from a young (n = 16; 18–33 years of age) and an older (n = 18; 60–87 years of age) cohort who performed a Stroop task continuously for ∼2 h with no breaks. In the young cohort, behavioral performance declined as the experiment progressed, reflecting the deleterious effects of cognitive fatigue. Neurophysiologically, in addition to declining neural activity as cognitive fatigue developed, there is also evidence of region- and time-specific increase in neural activity, suggesting neural compensation. The compensatory activities followed patterns paralleling that of posterior-anterior shift in aging (PASA) and early to late shift in aging (ELSA) observed in cognitive aging and helped to moderate fatigue-induced behavioral deterioration. In the older cohort, behavioral performance did not decline as the experiment progressed, and neural activity either declined or stayed unchanged, showing no evidence of neural compensation, in contrast to the young. These results suggest that young and older adults coped with cognitive fatigue differently by exhibiting differential responses as a function of time-on-task at both the behavioral level and the neural level.

Effects of stimulus intensity and auditory white noise on human somatosensory cognitive processing: a study using event-related potentials

Exposure to auditory white noise has been shown to facilitate cognitive function. This phenomenon is often called stochastic resonance, and a moderate amount of auditory noise has been suggested to benefit individuals in hypodopaminergic states. Previous studies using psychophysic methods reported that stochastic resonance was sensitive to stimulus intensity; however, the relationship between neural activities elicited by different stimulus intensities and auditory white noise has not yet been clarified Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of stimulus intensity (Experiment 1) and auditory white noise (Experiment 2) on behavioral data (reaction time (RT), the standard deviation of RT, and error rates), and the N140 and P300 components of event-related potentials (ERPs) in somatosensory Go/No-go paradigms. The subjects had to respond to the somatosensory stimuli by pressing a button with their right thumb only after presentation of the Go stimulus. In Experiment 1 with four different stimulus intensity levels, the peak latencies of N140 and P300 became shorter, and the peak amplitudes of N140 and P300 were enhanced with increases in stimulus intensity. In Experiment 2 with weak and mild intensities under auditory white noise and control conditions, the amplitudes of Go-P300 and No-go-P300 were enhanced by white noise, irrespective of weak and mild intensities, during Go/No-go paradigms. Auditory white noise did not significantly affect the amplitude of N140 or the latencies of N140 and P300. These results suggest the presence of a characteristic cross-modal stochastic resonance in neural substrates utilizing somatosensory ERPs.

Cool, callous and in control: superior inhibitory control in frequent players of video games with violent content

Research on the effects of media violence exposure has shown robust associations among violent media exposure, increased aggressive behavior, and decreased empathy. Preliminary research indicates that frequent players of violent video games may have differences in emotional and cognitive processes compared to infrequent or nonplayers, yet research examining the amount and content of game play and the relation of these factors with affective and cognitive outcomes is limited. The present study measured neural correlates of response inhibition in the context of implicit attention to emotion, and how these factors are related to empathic responding in frequent and infrequent players of video games with graphically violent content. Participants completed a self-report measure of empathy as well as an affective stop-signal task that measured implicit attention to emotion and response inhibition during electroencephalography. Frequent players had lower levels of empathy as well as a reduction in brain activity as indicated by P100 and N200/P300 event related potentials. Reduced P100 amplitude evoked by happy facial expressions was observed in frequent players compared to infrequent players, and this effect was moderated by empathy, such that low levels of empathy further reduced P100 amplitudes for happy facial expressions for frequent players compared to infrequent players. Compared to infrequent players, frequent players had reduced N200/P300 amplitude during response inhibition, indicating less neural resources were recruited to inhibit behavior. Results from the present study illustrate that chronic exposure to violent video games modulates empathy and related neural correlates associated with affect and cognition.

Mind Wandering and Task-Focused Attention: ERP Correlates

Previous studies looking at how Mind Wandering (MW) impacts performance in distinct Focused Attention (FA) systems, using the Attention Network Task (ANT), showed that the presence of pure MW thoughts did not impact the overall performance of ANT (alert, orienting and conflict) performance. However, it still remains unclear if the lack of interference of MW in the ANT, reported at the behavioral level, has a neurophysiological correspondence. We hypothesize that a distinct cortical processing may be required to meet attentional demands during MW. The objective of the present study was to test if, given similar levels of ANT performance, individuals predominantly focusing on MW or FA show distinct cortical processing. Thirty-three healthy participants underwent an EEG high-density acquisition while they were performing the ANT. MW was assessed following the ANT using an adapted version of the Resting State Questionnaire (ReSQ). The following ERP’s were analyzed: pN1, pP1, P1, N1, pN, and P3. At the behavioral level, participants were slower and less accurate when responding to incongruent than to congruent targets (conflict effect), benefiting from the presentation of the double (alerting effect) and spatial (orienting effect) cues. Consistent with the behavioral data, ERP’s waves were discriminative of distinct attentional effects. However, these results remained true irrespective of the MW condition, suggesting that MW imposed no additional cortical demand in alert, orienting, and conflict attention tasks.

Differences in response inhibition processes between adolescents and adults are modulated by sensory processes

Response inhibition processes undergo strong developmental changes. The same is true for sensory processes, and recent evidence shows that there also within-modality differences in the efficacy to trigger motor response inhibition. Yet, modulatory effects of within-modality differences during age-related changes in response inhibition between adolescence and adulthood are still indeterminate. We investigated this question in a system neurophysiological approach combining analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs) with temporal EEG signal decomposition and source localization processes. We used the somatosensory system to examine possible within-modality differences. The study shows that differences in response inhibition processes between adolescents and adults are modulated by sensory processes. Adolescents show deficient response inhibition when stimuli triggering these mechanisms are processed via SI somatosensory areas, compared to SII somatosensory areas. Opposed to this, no differences between adolescents and adults are evident, when response inhibition processes are triggered via SII cortical regions. The EEG data suggests that specific neurophysiological subprocesses are associated with this. Adolescents seem to encounter problems assigning processing resources to integrate motor with tactile information in posterior parietal areas when this information is processed via SI. Thus, basic perceptual and age-related processes interactively modulate response inhibition as an important instance of cognitive control.

Monetary Reward and Punishment to Response Inhibition Modulate Activation and Synchronization Within the Inhibitory Brain Network

A reward or punishment can modulate motivation and emotions, which in turn affect cognitive processing. The present simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging-electroencephalography study examines neural mechanisms of response inhibition under the influence of a monetary reward or punishment by implementing a modified stop-signal task in a virtual battlefield scenario. The participants were instructed to play as snipers who open fire at a terrorist target but withhold shooting in the presence of a hostage. The participants performed the task under three different feedback conditions in counterbalanced order: a reward condition where each successfully withheld response added a bonus (i.e., positive feedback) to the startup credit, a punishment condition where each failure in stopping deduced a penalty (i.e., negative feedback), and a no-feedback condition where response outcome had no consequences and served as a control setting. Behaviorally both reward and punishment conditions led to significantly down-regulated inhibitory function in terms of the critical stop-signal delay. As for the neuroimaging results, increased activities were found for the no-feedback condition in regions previously reported to be associated with response inhibition, including the right inferior frontal gyrus and the pre-supplementary motor area. Moreover, higher activation of the lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) and inferior parietal lobule were found in the reward condition, while stronger activation of the precuneus gyrus was found in the punishment condition. The positive feedback was also associated with stronger changes of delta, theta, and alpha synchronization in the PCG than were the negative or no-feedback conditions. These findings depicted the intertwining relationship between response inhibition and motivation networks.

The effect of feature-based attention on flanker interference processing: An fMRI-constrained source analysis

The present study examined whether feature-based cueing affects early or late stages of flanker conflict processing using EEG and fMRI. Feature cues either directed participants' attention to the upcoming colour of the target or were neutral. Validity-specific modulations during interference processing were investigated using the N200 event-related potential (ERP) component and BOLD signal differences. Additionally, both data sets were integrated using an fMRI-constrained source analysis. Finally, the results were compared with a previous study in which spatial instead of feature-based cueing was applied to an otherwise identical flanker task. Feature-based and spatial attention recruited a common fronto-parietal network during conflict processing. Irrespective of attention type (feature-based; spatial), this network responded to focussed attention (valid cueing) as well as context updating (invalid cueing), hinting at domain-general mechanisms. However, spatially and non-spatially directed attention also demonstrated domain-specific activation patterns for conflict processing that were observable in distinct EEG and fMRI data patterns as well as in the respective source analyses. Conflict-specific activity in visual brain regions was comparable between both attention types. We assume that the distinction between spatially and non-spatially directed attention types primarily applies to temporal differences (domain-specific dynamics) between signals originating in the same brain regions (domain-general localization).

Bilateral theta-burst magnetic stimulation influence on event-related brain potentials

Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) can be a non-invasive technique to modulate cognitive functions, with promising therapeutic potential, but with some contradictory results. Event related potentials are used as a marker of brain deterioration and can be used to evaluate TBS-related cognitive performance, but its use remains scant. This study aimed to study bilateral inhibitory and excitatory TBS effects upon neurocognitive performance of young healthy volunteers, using the auditory P300' results. Using a double-blind sham-controlled study, 51 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to five different groups, two submitted to either excitatory (iTBS) or inhibitory (cTBS) stimulation over the left dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC), two other actively stimulated the right DLPFC and finally a sham stimulation group. An oddball based auditory P300 was performed just before a single session of iTBS, cTBS or sham stimulation and repeated immediately after. P300 mean latency comparison between the pre- and post-TBS stimulation stages revealed significantly faster post stimulation latencies only when iTBS was performed on the left hemisphere (p = 0.003). Right and left hemisphere cTBS significantly delayed P300 latency (right p = 0.026; left p = 0.000). Multiple comparisons for N200 showed slower latencies after iTBS over the right hemisphere. No significant difference was found in amplitude variation. TBS appears to effectively influence neural networking involved in P300 formation, but effects seem distinct for iTBS vs cTBS and for the right or the left hemisphere. P300 evoked potentials can be an effective and practical tool to evaluate transcranial magnetic stimulation related outcomes.