Error-related cognitive control and behavioural adaptation mechanisms in the context of motor functioning and anxiety

AbstractPrevious research suggests that there is an interaction between cognitive and motor processes. This has been investigated throughout development and in different conditions related to motor impairment. The current study addressed a gap in the literature by investigating this interaction in the general population of healthy adults with different profiles of motor proficiency by focusing on error-related cognitive control and behavioural adaptation mechanisms. In addition, the impact of these processes was assessed in terms of experienced anxiety. Forty healthy adults were divided into high and low motor proficiency groups based on an assessment of their motor skills. Using electroencephalography (EEG) during a flanker task, error-related negativity (ERN) was measured as the neural indicator of cognitive control. Post-error slowing (PES) was measured to represent behavioural adaptation. Participants also completed an anxiety assessment questionnaire. Participants in the high motor proficiency group achieved better task accuracy and showed relatively enhanced cognitive control through increased ERN. Contrastingly, individuals in the lower motor proficiency group achieved poorer accuracy whilst showing some evidence of compensation through increased PES. Anxiety was found to be associated with motor functioning, but the study could not provide evidence that this was related to cognitive or behavioural control mechanisms. The interaction between cognitive and motor processes observed in this study is unique for healthy and sub-clinical populations and provides a baseline for the interpretation of similar investigations in individuals with motor disorders.

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Error-Related Cognitive Control and Behavioral Adaptation Mechanisms in the Context of Motor Functioning and Anxiety

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnhum.2021.615616 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Marta Topor ◽

Bertram Opitz ◽

Hayley C. Leonard

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

Flanker Task ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Behavioral Adaptation ◽

Motor Proficiency ◽

Motor Functioning ◽

Motor Processes ◽

Adaptation Mechanisms ◽

The Impact

Motor proficiency reflects the ability to perform precise and coordinated movements in different contexts. Previous research suggests that different profiles of motor proficiency may be associated with different cognitive functioning characteristics thus suggesting an interaction between cognitive and motor processes. The current study investigated this interaction in the general population of healthy adults with different profiles of motor proficiency by focusing on error-related cognitive control and behavioral adaptation mechanisms. In addition, the impact of these processes was assessed in terms of trait anxiety and worries. Forty healthy adults were divided into high and low motor proficiency groups based on an assessment of their motor skills. Using electroencephalography during a flanker task, error-related negativity (ERN) was measured as the neural indicator of cognitive control. Post-error slowing (PES) was measured to represent behavioral adaptation. Participants also completed an anxiety assessment questionnaire. Participants in the high motor proficiency group achieved better task accuracy and showed relatively enhanced cognitive control through increased ERN. Contrastingly, individuals in the lower motor proficiency group achieved poorer accuracy whilst showing some evidence of compensation through increased PES. Trait anxiety reflecting general worries was found to be correlated with motor functioning, but the study could not provide evidence that this was related to cognitive or behavioral control mechanisms. The interaction between cognitive and motor processes observed in this study is unique for healthy and sub-clinical populations and provides a baseline for the interpretation of similar investigations in individuals with motor disorders.

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Bilingual Language Control and General Purpose Cognitive Control among Individuals with Bilingual Aphasia: Evidence Based on Negative Priming and Flanker Tasks

Behavioural Neurology ◽

10.1155/2014/679706 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Tanya Dash ◽

Bhoomika R. Kar

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Negative Priming ◽

Flanker Task ◽

General Purpose ◽

Interactive Systems ◽

Cumulative Distribution ◽

Control Mechanisms ◽

Reactive Control ◽

Language Control ◽

Bilingual Aphasia

Background. Bilingualism results in an added advantage with respect to cognitive control. The interaction between bilingual language control and general purpose cognitive control systems can also be understood by studying executive control among individuals with bilingual aphasia.Objectives. The current study examined the subcomponents of cognitive control in bilingual aphasia. A case study approach was used to investigate whether cognitive control and language control are two separate systems and how factors related to bilingualism interact with control processes.Methods. Four individuals with bilingual aphasia performed a language background questionnaire, picture description task, and two experimental tasks (nonlinguistic negative priming task and linguistic and nonlinguistic versions of flanker task).Results. A descriptive approach was used to analyse the data using reaction time and accuracy measures. The cumulative distribution function plots were used to visualize the variations in performance across conditions. The results highlight the distinction between general purpose cognitive control and bilingual language control mechanisms.Conclusion. All participants showed predominant use of the reactive control mechanism to compensate for the limited resources system. Independent yet interactive systems for bilingual language control and general purpose cognitive control were postulated based on the experimental data derived from individuals with bilingual aphasia.

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Investigating the Impact of Acute Exercise and Brain Stimulation on Cognitive Control in Healthy Adults

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000563181.79569.5c ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 51 (Supplement) ◽

pp. 896

Author(s):

Erika K. Hussey ◽

Eduardo B. Fontes ◽

Nathan Ward ◽

Daniel R. Westfall ◽

Shih-Chun Kao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Brain Stimulation ◽

Acute Exercise ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

The Impact

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The impact of exercise intensity on neurophysiological indices of food-related inhibitory control and cognitive control: A randomized crossover event-related potential (ERP) study

10.1101/2020.11.10.377267 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bruce W. Bailey ◽

Alexandra M. Muir ◽

Ciera L. Bartholomew ◽

William F. Christensen ◽

Kaylie A. Carbine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Exercise Intensity ◽

Flanker Task ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Moderate Exercise ◽

Moderate Intensity Exercise ◽

Vigorous Exercise ◽

The Impact

AbstractFood-related inhibitory control, the ability to withhold a dominant response towards highly palatable foods, influences dietary decisions. Food-related inhibitory control abilities may increase following a bout of aerobic exercise; however, the impact of exercise intensity on both food-related inhibitory control and broader cognitive control processes is currently unclear. We used a high-powered, within-subjects, crossover design to test how relative intensity of aerobic exercise influenced behavioral (response time, accuracy) and neural (N2 and P3 components of the scalp-recorded event-related potential [ERP]) measures of food-related inhibitory and cognitive control. Two hundred and thirteen participants completed three separate conditions separated by approximately one week in randomized order: two exercise conditions (35% [moderate] or 70% [vigorous] of VO2max) and seated rest. Directly following exercise or rest, participants completed a food-based go/no-go task and a flanker task while electroencephalogram data were recorded. Linear mixed models showed generally faster response times (RT) and improved accuracy following vigorous exercise compared to rest, but not moderate-intensity exercise; RTs and accuracy did not differ between moderate intensity exercise and rest conditions. N2 and P3 amplitudes were larger following vigorous exercise for the food-based go/no-go task compared to rest and moderate intensity exercise. There were no differences between exercise conditions for N2 amplitude during the flanker task; however, P3 amplitude was more positive following vigorous compared to rest, but not moderate exercise. Gender did not moderate exercise outcomes. Results suggest improved and more efficient food- related recruitment of later inhibitory control and cognitive control processes following vigorous exercise.

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Rapid Modulation of Sensory Processing Induced by Stimulus Conflict

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2010.21575 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (9) ◽

pp. 2620-2628 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Lawrence G. Appelbaum ◽

David V. Smith ◽

Carsten N. Boehler ◽

Wen D. Chen ◽

Marty G. Woldorff

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Flanker Task ◽

Neural Activation ◽

Control Mechanisms ◽

Stimulus Input ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Rapid Modulation ◽

Conflicting Stimulus ◽

Task Goals

Humans are constantly confronted with environmental stimuli that conflict with task goals and can interfere with successful behavior. Prevailing theories propose the existence of cognitive control mechanisms that can suppress the processing of conflicting input and enhance that of the relevant input. However, the temporal cascade of brain processes invoked in response to conflicting stimuli remains poorly understood. By examining evoked electrical brain responses in a novel, hemifield-specific, visual-flanker task, we demonstrate that task-irrelevant conflicting stimulus input is quickly detected in higher level executive regions while simultaneously inducing rapid, recurrent modulation of sensory processing in the visual cortex. Importantly, however, both of these effects are larger for individuals with greater incongruency-related RT slowing. The combination of neural activation patterns and behavioral interference effects suggest that this initial sensory modulation induced by conflicting stimulus inputs reflects performance-degrading attentional distraction because of their incompatibility rather than any rapid task-enhancing cognitive control mechanisms. The present findings thus provide neural evidence for a model in which attentional distraction is the key initial trigger for the temporal cascade of processes by which the human brain responds to conflicting stimulus input in the environment.

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Exploring an Emotional Basis of Cognitive Control in the Flanker Task

10.31234/osf.io/nkjy6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Motonori Yamaguchi ◽

Jack Dylan Moore ◽

Sarah Hendry ◽

Felicity Wolohan

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Mood Induction ◽

Flanker Task ◽

Emotional Stimuli ◽

Emotional Facial Expressions ◽

Flanker Effect ◽

Sequential Modulation ◽

Emotional Basis ◽

Negative Stimuli

The emotional basis of cognitive control has been investigated in the flanker task with various procedures and materials across different studies. The present study examined the issue with the same flanker task but with different types of emotional stimuli and design. In seven experiments, the flanker effect and its sequential modulation according to the preceding trial type were assessed. Experiments 1 and 2 used affective pictures and emotional facial expressions as emotional stimuli, and positive and negative stimuli were intermixed. There was little evidence that emotional stimuli influenced cognitive control. Experiments 3 and 4 used the same affective pictures and facial expressions, but positive and negative stimuli were separated between different participant groups. Emotional stimuli reduced the flanker effect as well as its sequential modulation regardless of valence. Experiments 5 and 6 used affective pictures but manipulated arousal and valence of stimuli orthogonally The results did not replicate the reduced flanker effect or sequential modulation by valence, nor did they show consistent effects of arousal. Experiment 7 used a mood induction technique and showed that sequential modulation was positively correlated with valence rating (the higher the more positive) but was negatively correlated with arousal rating. These results are inconsistent with several previous findings and are difficult to reconcile within a single theoretical framework, confirming an elusive nature of the emotional basis of cognitive control in the flanker task.

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Inhibitory Mechanisms in the Processing of Negations: A Neural Reuse Hypothesis

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research ◽

10.1007/s10936-021-09796-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David Beltrán ◽

Bo Liu ◽

Manuel de Vega

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Response Inhibition ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Functional Relation ◽

Control Mechanisms ◽

Inhibitory Effects ◽

General Domain ◽

Inhibitory Mechanisms ◽

Neural Reuse ◽

Theoretical Foundations

AbstractNegation is known to have inhibitory consequences for the information under its scope. However, how it produces such effects remains poorly understood. Recently, it has been proposed that negation processing might be implemented at the neural level by the recruitment of inhibitory and cognitive control mechanisms. On this line, this manuscript offers the hypothesis that negation reuses general-domain mechanisms that subserve inhibition in other non-linguistic cognitive functions. The first two sections describe the inhibitory effects of negation on conceptual representations and its embodied effects, as well as the theoretical foundations for the reuse hypothesis. The next section describes the neurophysiological evidence that linguistic negation interacts with response inhibition, along with the suggestion that both functions share inhibitory mechanisms. Finally, the manuscript concludes that the functional relation between negation and inhibition observed at the mechanistic level could be easily integrated with predominant cognitive models of negation processing.

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043 Sleep Restriction Affects Memory in Healthy Adults: Preliminary Findings

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A18-A19

Author(s):

Molly Zimmerman ◽

Christiane Hale ◽

Adam Brickman ◽

Lok-Kin Yeung ◽

Justin Cochran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Task Demands ◽

Sleep Restriction ◽

Neuropsychological Function ◽

Wake Time ◽

Sleep Condition ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Sleep loss has a range of detrimental effects on cognitive ability. However, few studies have examined the impact of sleep restriction on neuropsychological function using an experimental design. The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which maintained insufficient sleep affects cognition in healthy adults compared to habitual adequate sleep. Methods This study used a randomized, crossover, outpatient sleep restriction design. Adults who regularly slept at least 7 h/night, verified by 2 weeks of screening with actigraphy, completed 2 phases of 6 weeks each: habitual sleep (>7 h of sleep/night) or sleep restriction (habitual sleep minus 1.5 h) separated by a 6-week washout period. During the sleep restriction phase, participants were asked to delay their bedtime by 1.5 hours/night while maintaining their habitual wake time. Neuropsychological function was evaluated with the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery at baseline (week 0) and endpoint (week 6) of each intervention phase. The NIH Toolbox evaluates a range of cognitive abilities, including attention, executive functioning, and working memory. General linear models with post hoc paired t-tests were used to assess demographically-adjusted test scores prior to and following each sleep condition. Results At the time of analyses, 16 participants were enrolled (age 34.5□14.5 years, 9 women), 10 of whom had completed study procedures. An interaction between sleep condition and testing session revealed that individuals performed worse on List Sorting, a working memory test, after sleep restriction but improved slightly after habitual sleep (p<0.001). While not statistically reliable, the pattern of test results was similar on the other tests of processing speed, executive function, and attention. Conclusion In these preliminary results from this randomized experimental study, we demonstrated that sleep restriction has a negative impact while stable habitual adequate sleep has a positive impact on working memory, or the ability to temporarily hold information in mind while executing task demands. This finding contributes to our understanding of the complex interplay between different aspects of sleep quality (i.e., both sleep restriction as well as the maintenance of stable sleep patterns) on cognition and underscores the importance of routine sleep screening as part of medical evaluations. Support (if any):

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