scholarly journals Frontal and motor cortex contributions to response inhibition: evidence from electrocorticography

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 2224-2236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne M. Fonken ◽  
Jochem W. Rieger ◽  
Elinor Tzvi ◽  
Nathan E. Crone ◽  
Edward Chang ◽  
...  

Changes in the environment require rapid modification or inhibition of ongoing behavior. We used the stop-signal paradigm and intracranial recordings to investigate response preparation, inhibition, and monitoring of task-relevant information. Electrocorticographic data were recorded in eight patients with electrodes covering frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex, and time-frequency analysis was used to examine power differences in the beta (13–30 Hz) and high-gamma bands (60–180 Hz). Over motor cortex, beta power decreased, and high-gamma power increased during motor preparation for both go trials (Go) and unsuccessful stops (US). For successful stops (SS), beta increased, and high-gamma was reduced, indexing the cancellation of the prepared response. In the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), stop signals elicited a transient high-gamma increase. The MFG response occurred before the estimated stop-signal reaction time but did not distinguish between SS and US trials, likely signaling attention to the salient stop stimulus. A postresponse high-gamma increase in MFG was stronger for US compared with SS and absent in Go, supporting a role in behavior monitoring. These results provide evidence for differential contributions of frontal subregions to response inhibition, including motor preparation and inhibitory control in motor cortex and cognitive control and action evaluation in lateral prefrontal cortex.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Paci ◽  
Giulio Di Cosmo ◽  
Mauro Gianni Perrucci ◽  
Francesca Ferri ◽  
Marcello Costantini

AbstractInhibitory control is the ability to suppress inappropriate movements and unwanted actions, allowing to regulate impulses and responses. This ability can be measured via the Stop Signal Task, which provides a temporal index of response inhibition, namely the stop signal reaction time (SSRT). At the neural level, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) allows to investigate motor inhibition within the primary motor cortex (M1), such as the cortical silent period (CSP) which is an index of GABAB-mediated intracortical inhibition within M1. Although there is strong evidence that intracortical inhibition varies during action stopping, it is still not clear whether differences in the neurophysiological markers of intracortical inhibition contribute to behavioral differences in actual inhibitory capacities. Hence, here we explored the relationship between intracortical inhibition within M1 and behavioral response inhibition. GABABergic-mediated inhibition in M1 was determined by the duration of CSP, while behavioral inhibition was assessed by the SSRT. We found a significant positive correlation between CSP’s duration and SSRT, namely that individuals with greater levels of GABABergic-mediated inhibition seem to perform overall worse in inhibiting behavioral responses. These results support the assumption that individual differences in intracortical inhibition are mirrored by individual differences in action stopping abilities.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 2481-2493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike M. Krämer ◽  
Robert T. Knight ◽  
Thomas F. Münte

People are able to adapt their behavior to changing environmental contingencies by rapidly inhibiting or modifying their actions. Response inhibition is often studied in the stop-signal paradigm that requires the suppression of an already prepared motor response. Less is known about situations calling for a change of motor plans such that the prepared response has to be withheld but another has to be executed instead. In the present study, we investigated whether electrophysiological data can provide evidence for distinct inhibitory mechanisms when stopping or changing a response. Participants were instructed to perform in a choice RT task with two classes of embedded critical trials: Stop signals called for the inhibition of any response, whereas change signals required participants to inhibit the prepared response and execute another one instead. Under both conditions, we observed differences in go-stimulus processing, suggesting a faster response preparation in failed compared with successful inhibitions. In contrast to stop-signal trials, changing a response did not elicit the inhibition-related frontal N2 and did not modulate the parietal mu power decrease. The results suggest that compared with changing a response, additional frontal and parietal regions are engaged when having to inhibit a response.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna C. Quandt ◽  
A. S. Willis

AbstractBackground: Prior research suggests that the amount of experience an individual has with an action influences the degree to which the sensorimotor systems of their brain are involved in the subsequent perception of those actions. Less is known about how action experience and conceptual understanding impact sensorimotor involvement during imitation. We sought to explore this question by comparing a group of sign language users to a group of non-signers. We pitted the following two hypotheses against each other: 1) Deaf signers will show increased sensorimotor activity during sign imitation, and greater differentiation between sign types, due to greater prior experience and conceptual understanding of the signs; versus 2): Deaf signers will show less sensorimotor system activity and less differentiation of sign types in the sensorimotor system, because for those individuals sign imitation involves language systems of the brain more robustly than sensorimotor systems. We collected electroencephalograms (EEG) while the two groups imitated videos showing one-handed and two-handed ASL signs. Time-frequency data analysis was performed on alpha- and beta-range oscillations while they watched signs with the intent to imitate, and imitated the signs. During observation, deaf signers showed early differentiation in alpha/beta power between the one- and two-handed sign conditions, whereas hearing non-signers did not discriminate between the sign categories this way. Significant differences between groups were seen during sign imitation, wherein deaf signers showed desynchronization of alpha/beta EEG signals, and hearing non-signers showed increased power. The study suggests that in an imitative context, deaf signers engage anticipatory motor preparation in advance of action production, while hearing non-signers engage slower, more memory-related processes to help them complete with the complex task.


2018 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Brevers ◽  
Etienne Dubuisson ◽  
Fabien Dejonghe ◽  
Julien Dutrieux ◽  
Mathieu Petieau ◽  
...  

We examined proactive (early restraint in preparation for stopping) and reactive (late correction to stop ongoing action) motor response inhibition in two groups of participants: professional athletes ( n = 28) and nonathletes ( n = 25). We recruited the elite athletes from Belgian national taekwondo and fencing teams. We estimated proactive and reactive inhibition with a modified version of the stop-signal task (SST) in which participants inhibited categorizing left/right arrows. The probability of the stop signal was manipulated across blocks of trials by providing probability cues from the background computer screen color (green = 0%, yellow =17%, orange = 25%, red = 33%). Participants performed two sessions of the SST, where proactive inhibition was operationalized with increased go-signal reaction time as a function of increased stop-signal probability and reactive inhibition was indicated by stop-signal reaction time latency. Athletes exhibited higher reactive inhibition performance than nonathletes. In addition, athletes exhibited higher proactive inhibition than nonathletes in Session 1 (but not Session 2) of the SST. As top-level athletes exhibited heightened reactive inhibition and were faster to reach and maintain consistent proactive motor response inhibition, these results confirm an evaluative process that can discriminate elite athleticism through a fine-grained analysis of inhibitory control.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S89-S89
Author(s):  
A. Dayan Riva ◽  
A. Berger ◽  
G. Anholt

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repeated thoughts and behaviors. Several studies have detected deficient response inhibition ability in individuals with OCD, leading researchers to suggest this deficit as an endophenotype of OCD. However, other researchers maintain that the effect size of this deficit is modest and that it lacks clinical significance. The current investigation examines a potential alternative explanation for difficulties in response inhibition, namely enhanced action tendencies in response to stimuli. Therefore, early processes of motor response preparation preceding action performance (or inhibition) were studied with the event-related potential (ERP) component of readiness potential (RP). RP measures brain reactions related to motor activity in response to external stimuli. ERPs were recorded while 15 participants with OCD and 16 healthy controls performed a variation of a go/no-go task and a stop-signal task using schematic faces (angry and neutral). The OCD group presented with a greater RP slope gradient and amplitude over bilateral parietal areas corresponding to the motor cortex. The amplitude effect was further enhanced under negative valence, compared with the neutral condition. Differences in RP between the OCD and control groups remained significant when controlling for levels of trait anxiety. Results support the hypothesis that a stronger readiness for action might characterize OCD, especially in the presence of threatening stimuli. This finding, specific to OCD and not to anxiety symptoms, may underlie habitual tendencies in OCD. This study suggests that early-stages of motor preparation might be important to the etiology and maintenance of OCD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendall Mar ◽  
Parker Townes ◽  
Petros Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Paul Arnold ◽  
Russell James Schachar

This systematic review and meta-analysis updates evidence pertaining to deficient response inhibition in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as measured by the stop-signal task (SST). We conducted a meta-analysis of the literature to compare response inhibition in patients with OCD and healthy controls, meta-regressions to determine relative influences of age and sex on response inhibition impairment, and a risk of bias assessment for included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), which estimates the latency of the stopping process deficit, was significantly longer in OCD samples than in controls, reflecting inferior inhibitory control (Raw mean difference = 23.43ms; p = <0.001; 95% CI = [17.42, 29.45]). We did not observe differences in mean reaction time (MRT) in OCD compared to controls (Raw mean difference = 2.51ms; p = 0.755; 95% CI = [-13.27, 18.30]). Age impacted effect size of SSRT, indicating a greater deficit in older patients than younger ones. We did not observe a significant effect of sex on SSRT or MRT scores.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoliang Chen ◽  
Yansong Li ◽  
Zhao Dong ◽  
Rongfei Wang ◽  
Dengfa Zhao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Migraine is characterized by a hypersensitivity to environmental stimulation which climaxes during headache attacks but persists during attack-free period. Despite ongoing debates about the nature of the mechanisms giving rise to this abnormality, the presence of deficient inhibitory cortical processes has been proposed to be one possible mechanism underlying its pathogenesis. Empirical evidence supporting this claim is mainly based on previous accounts showing functional cortical disexcitability in the sensory domain. Considering that a general inhibitory control process can play an important role across early to later stage of information processing, this may indicate the important role other dimensions of inhibitory control can play in migraine disability. The present study examined the pathophysiological features of inhibitory control that takes place during suppression of prepotent responses in migraineurs. Methods Twenty-two patients with migraine without aura (mean age = 30.86 ± 5.69 years; 19 females) during the interictal period and 25 healthy controls (mean age = 30.24 ± 3.52 years; 18 females) were recruited. We used a stop signal task in combination with event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine participants’ neural activity supporting response inhibition. Results Behaviorally, migraineurs exhibited prolonged stop signal reaction times relative to healthy controls. At the neural level, the amplitude of the stop-N2 over fronto-central, central and centro-parietal scalp regions, a component of the ERPs related to conflict monitoring during early, non-motoric stages of inhibition, was significantly increased in migraineurs. Meanwhile, the amplitude of the stop-P3 over central and centro-parietal scalp regions, a component of the ERPs reflecting late-stage inhibition of the motor system and cognitive evaluation of motor inhibition, was also significantly increased in migraineurs. Ultimately, our time-frequency analysis further revealed increased delta activity in migraineurs. Conclusions Consistent with the theory that alterations in cognitive cortical processes are a key signature of migraine, our findings revealed an abnormal state of suppressing prepotent responses in migraineurs, which can be attributed to cortical disexcitability of the pre-frontal executive network and centro-parietal sensorimotor network. These novel findings extend to show the existence of dysfunctional inhibition control that occurs during suppression of prepotent responses in migraneurs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-xia Jia ◽  
Xiao-jing Qin ◽  
Ji-fang Cui ◽  
Qi Zheng ◽  
Tian-xiao Yang ◽  
...  

AbstractSchizotypy, 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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Fehring ◽  
Ranshikha Samandra ◽  
Zakia Z. Haque ◽  
Shapour Jaberzadeh ◽  
Marcello Rosa ◽  
...  

AbstractContext-dependent execution or inhibition of a response is an important aspect of executive control, which is impaired in neuropsychological and addiction disorders. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been considered a remedial approach to address deficits in response control; however, considerable variability has been observed in tDCS effects. These variabilities might be related to contextual differences such as background visual-auditory stimuli or subjects' sex. In this study, we examined the interaction of two contextual factors, participants' sex and background acoustic stimuli, in modulating the effects of tDCS on response inhibition and execution. In a sham-controlled and cross-over (repeated-measure) design, 73 participants (37 females) performed a Stop-Signal Task in different background acoustic conditions before and after tDCS (anodal or sham) was applied over the DLPFC. Participants had to execute a speeded response in Go trials but inhibit their response in Stop trials. Participants' sex was fully counterbalanced across all experimental conditions (acoustic and tDCS). We found significant practice-related learning that appeared as changes in indices of response inhibition (stop-signal reaction time and percentage of successful inhibition) and action execution (response time and percentage correct). The tDCS and acoustic stimuli interactively influenced practice-related changes in response inhibition and these effects were uniformly seen in both males and females. However, the effects of tDCS on response execution (percentage of correct responses) were sex-dependent in that practice-related changes diminished in females but heightened in males. Our findings indicate that participants' sex influenced the effects of tDCS on the execution, but not inhibition, of responses.


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