scholarly journals Severe violations of independence in response inhibition tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. eabf4355
Author(s):  
Patrick G. Bissett ◽  
Henry M. Jones ◽  
Russell A. Poldrack ◽  
Gordon D. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Experimental Paradigm ◽  
Signal Delay ◽  
Independence Assumption ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Saccadic Responses

The stop-signal paradigm, a primary experimental paradigm for understanding cognitive control and response inhibition, rests upon the theoretical foundation of race models, which assume that a go process races independently against a stop process that occurs after a stop-signal delay (SSD). We show that severe violations of this independence assumption at short SSDs occur systematically across a wide range of conditions, including fast and slow reaction times, auditory and visual stop signals, manual and saccadic responses, and especially in selective stopping. We also reanalyze existing data and show that conclusions can change when short SSDs are excluded. Last, we suggest experimental and analysis techniques to address this violation, and propose adjustments to extant models to accommodate this finding.

Severe violations of independence in response inhibition tasks

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Bissett ◽  
Henry Morrow Jones ◽  
Russell Poldrack ◽  
Gordon D. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Experimental Paradigm ◽  
Signal Delay ◽  
Independence Assumption ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Saccadic Responses ◽  
Existing Data

The stop-signal paradigm, a primary experimental paradigm for understanding cognitive control and response inhibition, rests upon the theoretical foundation of race models, which assume that a go process races independently against a stop process that occurs after a stop-signal delay (SSD). We show that severe violations of this independence assumption at short SSDs occur systematically across a wide range of conditions, including fast and slow RTs, auditory and visual stop signals, manual and saccadic responses, and especially in selective stopping. We also reanalyze existing data and show that conclusions can change when short SSDs are excluded. Finally, we suggest experimental and analysis techniques to address this violation, and propose adjustments to extant models to accommodate this finding.

scholarly journals S76. PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE RESPONSE INHIBITION IN INDIVIDUAL WITH SCHIZOTYPY: AN ERP STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S63-S63
Author(s):  
Ya Wang ◽  
Lu-xia Jia ◽  
Xiao-jing Qin ◽  
Jun-yan Ye ◽  
Raymond Chan
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Proactive Inhibition ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Reactive Inhibition ◽  
Reactive Control ◽  
Present Event

Abstract Background Schizotypy, a subclinical group at risk for schizophrenia, have been found to show impairments in response inhibition. Recent studies differentiated proactive inhibition (a preparatory process before the stimuli appears) and reactive inhibition (the inhibition of a pre-potent or already initiated response). However, it remains unclear whether both proactive and reactive inhibition are impaired in schizotypy and what are the neural mechanisms. The present event-related potential study used an adapted stop-signal task to examine the two inhibition processes and the underlying neural mechanisms in schizotypy compared to healthy controls (HC). Methods A total of 21 individuals with schizotypy and 25 matched HC participated in this study. To explore different degrees of proactive inhibition, we set three conditions: a “certain” go condition which no stop signal occurred, a “17% no go” condition in which stop signal would appear in 17% of trials, and a “33% no go” condition in which stop signal would appear in 33% of trials. All participants completed all the conditions, and EEG was recorded when participants completed the task. Results Behavioral results showed that in both schizotypy and HC, the reaction times (RT) of go trials were significantly prolonged as the no go percentage increased, and HC showed significantly longer go RT compared with schizotypy in both “17% no go” and “33% no go” conditions, suggesting greater proactive inhibition in HC. Stop signal reaction times (SSRTs) in “33% no go” condition was shorter than “17% no go” condition in both groups. Schizotypy showed significantly longer SSRTs in both “17% no go” and “33% no go” conditions than HC, indicating schizotypy relied more on reactive inhibition. ERP results showed that schizotypy showed larger overall N1 for go trials than HC irrespective of condition, which may indicate a compensation process in schizotypy. Schizotypy showed smaller N2 on both successful and unsuccessful stop trials in “17% no go” conditions than HC, while no group difference was found in “33% no go” conditions for stop trials, which may indicate impaired error processing. Discussion These results suggested that schizotypy tended to be impaired in both proactive control and reactive control processes.

scholarly journals Locus coeruleus integrity and the effect of atomoxetine on response inhibition in Parkinson's disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire O'Callaghan ◽  
Frank Hubert Hezemans ◽  
Rong Ye ◽  
Catarina Rua ◽  
P Simon Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Locus Coeruleus ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Caudal Portion

Cognitive decline is a common feature of Parkinson's disease, and many of these cognitive deficits fail to respond to dopaminergic therapy. Therefore, targeting other neuromodulatory systems represents an important therapeutic strategy. Among these, the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system has been extensively implicated in response inhibition deficits. Restoring noradrenaline levels using the noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine can improve response inhibition in some patients with Parkinson's disease, but there is considerable heterogeneity in treatment response. Accurately predicting the patients who would benefit from therapies targeting this neurotransmitter system remains a critical goal, in order to design the necessary clinical trials with stratified patient selection to establish the therapeutic potential of atomoxetine. Here, we test the hypothesis that integrity of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus explains the variation in improvement of response inhibition following atomoxetine. In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised crossover design, 19 people with Parkinson's disease completed an acute psychopharmacological challenge with 40 mg of oral atomoxetine or placebo. A stop-signal task was used to measure response inhibition, with stop-signal reaction times obtained through hierarchical Bayesian estimation of an ex-Gaussian race model. Twenty-six control subjects completed the same task without undergoing the drug manipulation. In a separate session, patients and controls underwent ultra-high field 7T imaging of the locus coeruleus using a neuromelanin-sensitive magnetisation transfer sequence. The principal result was that atomoxetine improved stop-signal reaction times in those patients with lower locus coeruleus integrity. This was in the context of a general impairment in response inhibition, as patients on placebo had longer stop-signal reaction times compared to controls. We also found that the caudal portion of the locus coeruleus showed the largest neuromelanin signal decrease in the patients compared to controls. Our results highlight a link between the integrity of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus and response inhibition in Parkinson's disease patients. Furthermore, they demonstrate the importance of baseline noradrenergic state in determining the response to atomoxetine. We suggest that locus coeruleus neuromelanin imaging offers a marker of noradrenergic capacity that could be used to stratify patients in trials of noradrenergic therapy and to ultimately inform personalised treatment approaches.

scholarly journals A consensus guide to capturing the ability to inhibit actions and impulsive behaviors in the stop-signal task

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Verbruggen ◽  
Adam Robert Aron ◽  
Guido Band ◽  
Christian Beste ◽  
Patrick Bissett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Inhibition Efficiency ◽  
Task Design ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Correct Implementation

Response inhibition is essential for navigating everyday life. Its derailment is considered integral to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, and more generally, to a wide range of behavioral and health problems. Response-inhibition efficiency furthermore correlates with treatment outcome in these conditions. The stop-signal task is an essential tool to determine how quickly response inhibition is implemented. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are many features (ranging from task design to data analysis) that vary across studies in ways that can easily compromise the validity of the obtained results. Our present goal is to facilitate a more accurate use of the stop-signal task. To this end, we provide twelve easy-to-implement consensus recommendations and point out the problems that can arise when these are not followed. This article is furthermore accompanied by user-friendly open-source resources intended to inform statistical-power considerations, facilitate the correct implementation of the task, and assist in proper data analysis.

scholarly journals When two is worse than one: The deleterious impact of multisensory stimulation on response inhibition

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251739
Author(s):  
Kuzma Strelnikov ◽  
Mario Hervault ◽  
Lidwine Laurent ◽  
Pascal Barone
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Times ◽  
Decisional Conflict ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Redundant Signal ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Level ◽  
Human Faces ◽  
Action Inhibition

Multisensory facilitation is known to improve the perceptual performances and reaction times of participants in a wide range of tasks, from detection and discrimination to memorization. We asked whether a multimodal signal can similarly improve action inhibition using the stop–signal paradigm. Indeed, consistent with a crossmodal redundant signal effect that relies on multisensory neuronal integration, the threshold for initiating behavioral responses is known for being reached faster with multisensory stimuli. To evaluate whether this phenomenon also occurs for inhibition, we compared stop signals in unimodal (human faces or voices) versus audiovisual modalities in natural or degraded conditions. In contrast to the expected multisensory facilitation, we observed poorer inhibition efficiency in the audiovisual modality compared with the visual and auditory modalities. This result was corroborated by both response probabilities and stop–signal reaction times. The visual modality (faces) was the most effective. This is the first demonstration of an audiovisual impairment in the domain of perception and action. It suggests that when individuals are engaged in a high–level decisional conflict, bimodal stimulation is not processed as a simple multisensory object improving the performance but is perceived as concurrent visual and auditory information. This absence of unity increases task demand and thus impairs the ability to revise the response.

Online Independent Versus Laboratory-Based Stop-Signal Task Performance: A Within-Subjects Counterbalanced Comparison Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoinette Poulton ◽  
Li Peng Evelyn Chen ◽  
Michael Fox ◽  
Robert Hester
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
Independent Task ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Dependent Samples

BACKGROUND Considered a facet of behavioural impulsivity, response inhibition facilitates adaptive and goal-directed behaviour. It is often assessed using the Stop-Signal Task (SST), which is presented on stand-alone computers under controlled laboratory conditions. Sample size may consequently be a function of cost/time and sample diversity constrained to those willing/able to attend the lab. Statistical power and generalisability of results might, in turn, be impacted. Such limitations may potentially be overcome via the implementation of online testing. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate if there were differences between variables derived from an online SST when it was undertaken independently – that is, outside the laboratory, on any computer, and in the absence of researchers – versus when it was performed under laboratory conditions. METHODS We programmed a web-based SST in HTML and JavaScript and employed a counter-balanced design. A total of 166 individuals (Mage = 19.72, SD = 1.85, range: 18-36, 88% female) were recruited. Of these, n = 79 undertook the independent task prior to visiting the laboratory and n = 78 completed the independent task following their laboratory visit. Average time between SST testing was 3.72 days (SD = 2.86). Dependent samples and Bayesian paired samples t-tests were utilised to examine differences between lab-based and independent SST variables. Correlational analyses were conducted on stop-signal reaction times (SSRT). RESULTS After exclusions, 123 participants (Mage = 19.73, SD = 1.97) completed the SST both in the laboratory and independently. While participants were less accurate on go trials and exhibited reduced inhibitory control when undertaking the independent – as compared to the lab-based – SST, there was a positive association between the SSRT of each condition (r = .48, P < .001, 95% CI [0.33, 0.61]). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest an online SST, which participants undertake on any computer, in any location, and in the absence of the researcher, is a suitable measure of response inhibition.

scholarly journals Perceptual Degradation Affects Stop-Signal Performance in Normal Healthy Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria V. Soloveva ◽  
Sharna D. Jamadar ◽  
Matthew Hughes ◽  
Dennis Velakoulis ◽  
Govinda Poudel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Race Model ◽  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Horse Race ◽  
Horse Race Model

AbstractDuring stop-signal task performance, little is known how the quality of visual information of the ‘go’ stimuli may indirectly affect the interplay between the ‘go’ and ‘stop’ processes. In this study, we assessed how perceptual degradation of the visual ‘go’ stimuli affect response inhibition. Twenty-six healthy individuals (mean age 33.34 ± 9.61) completed a modified 12-minute stop-signal task, where ‘V’ and ‘Y’ letters were used as visual ‘go’ stimuli. The stimuli were subjected to four levels of perceptual degradation using Gaussian smoothing, to parametrically manipulate stop difficulty across low, intermediate-1, intermediate-2 and high difficulty conditions. On 33% of trials, the stop-signal (50ms audio tone) followed a ‘go’ stimulus after a stop-signal delay, which was individually adjusted for each participant. As predicted, we found that with increased level of stop difficulty (little perceptual degradation), reaction times on ‘go’ trials and the proportion of successful behavioural inhibitions on ‘stop’ trials (P(i)) decreased in normal healthy adults. Contrary to our predictions, there was no effect of increased stop difficulty on the number of correct responses on ‘go’ trials and reaction times on ‘stop’ trials. Overall, manipulation of the completion time of the ‘go’ process via perceptual degradation has been partially successful, whereby increased stop difficulty differentially affected P(i) and SSRT. These findings have implications for the relationship between the ‘go’ and ‘stop’ processes and the horse-race model, which may be limited in explaining the role of various cortico-basal ganglia loops in modulation of response inhibition.HighlightsManipulation of the completion time of the ‘go’ process is partially successfulPerceptual degradation differentially affects stop-signal performanceIncreased stop difficulty (easy ‘go’) results in lower P(i)Increased stop difficulty (easy ‘go’) has no effect on SSRTHorse-race model does not fully explain basal ganglia involvement in inhibition

scholarly journals Response inhibition on the stop signal task improves during cardiac contraction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Rae ◽  
Vanessa Botan ◽  
Cassandra Gould van Praag ◽  
Aleksandra Herman ◽  
Jasmina Nyyssonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Cardiac Contraction ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Signal Delay ◽  
Adaptive Action ◽  
Stop Signal Reaction Time ◽  
Parasympathetic Control ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
Cardiovascular Arousal

Motor actions can be facilitated or hindered by psychophysiological states of readiness, to guide rapid adaptive action. Cardiovascular arousal is communicated by cardiac signals conveying the timing and strength of individual heartbeats. Here, we tested how these interoceptive signals facilitate control of motor impulsivity. Participants performed a stop signal task, in which stop cues were delivered at different time points within the cardiac cycle: at systole when the heart contracts, or at diastole between heartbeats. Response inhibition, indexed by a shorter stop signal reaction time (SSRT) and longer stop signal delay (SSD), was better at systole. Furthermore, parasympathetic control of cardiovascular tone, and subjective sensitivity to interoceptive states, predicted response inhibition efficiency. This suggests that response inhibition capacity is influenced by interoceptive physiological cues, such that people are more likely to express impulsive actions during putative states of lower cardiovascular arousal, when frequency and strength of cardiac afferent signalling is reduced.

scholarly journals A consensus guide to capturing the ability to inhibit actions and impulsive behaviors in the stop-signal task

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Verbruggen ◽  
Adam R Aron ◽  
Guido PH Band ◽  
Christian Beste ◽  
Patrick G Bissett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Inhibition Efficiency ◽  
Task Design ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Correct Implementation

Response inhibition is essential for navigating everyday life. Its derailment is considered integral to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, and more generally, to a wide range of behavioral and health problems. Response-inhibition efficiency furthermore correlates with treatment outcome in some of these conditions. The stop-signal task is an essential tool to determine how quickly response inhibition is implemented. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are many features (ranging from task design to data analysis) that vary across studies in ways that can easily compromise the validity of the obtained results. Our goal is to facilitate a more accurate use of the stop-signal task. To this end, we provide 12 easy-to-implement consensus recommendations and point out the problems that can arise when they are not followed. Furthermore, we provide user-friendly open-source resources intended to inform statistical-power considerations, facilitate the correct implementation of the task, and assist in proper data analysis.

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