Differential modulation of the N2 and P3 event-related potentials by response conflict and inhibition

Abstract

Background: Developing reliable and specific neural markers of cognitive processes is essential to improve understanding of healthy and atypical brain function. Despite extensive research there remains uncertainty as to whether two electrophysiological markers of cognitive control, the N2 and P3, are better conceptualised as markers of response inhibition or response conflict. The present study aimed to directly compare the effects of response inhibition and response conflict on the N2 and P3 event-related potentials, withinsubjects. Method:A novel hybrid go/no-go flanker task was performed by 19 healthy adults aged 18 to 25 years while EEG data were collected. The response congruence of a central target stimulus and 4 flanking stimuli was manipulated between trials to vary the degree of response conflict. Response inhibition was required on a proportion of trials. N2 amplitude was measured at two frontal electrode sites; P3 amplitude was measured at 4 midline electrode sites.Results: N2 amplitude was greater on incongruent than congruent trials but was not enhanced by response inhibition when the stimulus array was congruent. P3 amplitude was greater on trials requiring response inhibition; this effect was more pronounced at frontal electrodes. P3 amplitude was also enhanced on incongruent compared with congruent trials. Discussion:The findings support a role for N2 amplitude as a marker of response conflict and for the frontal shift of the P3 as a marker of response inhibition. This paradigm could be applied to clinical groups to help clarify the precise nature of impaired action control in disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).3

From neuro-pigments to neural efficiency: The relationship between retinal carotenoids and behavioral and neuroelectric indices of cognitive control in childhood

“…We examined children’s cognitive performance (response accuracy and reaction time) during a modified flanker task as well as the peak amplitudes and latencies of the P3 elicited during the task. Abundant prior literature has used the flanker task to elicit P3 in many research contexts including investigations into conflict monitoring and inhibition (Clayson & Larson 2011a; Clayson & Larson 2011b; Purmann et al 2011; Groom & Cragg 2015), health-related behaviors (Hillman et al, 2014; Charles H. Hillman, Snook, & Jerome, 2003; Charles H Hillman, Buck, Themanson, Pontifex, & Castelli, 2009; Kamijo, Nishihara, Higashiura, & Kuroiwa, 2007; Pontifex & Hillman, 2007), child development (Brydges et al 2014; Rueda et al 2005; Ridderinkhof & van der Molen 1995; Ruberry et al 2016), cognitive aging (Hillman, Belopolsky, Snook, Kramer, & McAuley, 2004; Hsieh, Liang, & Tsai, 2012; Korsch, Frühholz, & Herrmann, 2016; Reuter, Voelcker-Rehage, Vieluf, Parianen Lesemann, & Godde, 2016), and clinical diagnoses (Johnstone & Galletta 2013; Johnstone et al 2009; Jonkman et al 1999; Liu et al 2011; Bartholow et al 2003; Rusnakova et al 2011; Racer et al 2011). We assessed lutein levels via a measure of Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD) using customized hetero-flicker photometry (cHFP).…”

Neural signatures of language co-activation and control in bilingual spoken word comprehension

“…Neurally, we focused on the P300, a component which has been used as an index of cognitive effort and attentional resources (for a review see Polich, 2007). In the flanker task, the more difficult incongruent condition often elicits a larger P300 than the easier congruent and neutral conditions that do not generate interference (e.g., Clayson & Larson, 2011; Groom & Cragg, 2015). Furthermore, a smaller P300 effect is linked to higher efficiency in resolving conflicts and interference in the incongruent condition (Pratt, Willoughby, & Swick, 2011; Wu & Thierry, 2013).…”

Procesamiento de errores en la psicopatía subclínica: un estudio de potenciales evocados

“…ej., Clayson y Larson, 2011; Schroder y cols., 2014). Aunque el componente se observa tanto durante los ensayos congruentes como los incongruentes, la amplitud del mismo parece ser mayor durante los ensayos incongruentes (Clayson y Larson, 2011;Groom y Cragg, 2016), lo que refuerza la idea de que dichos estímulos requieren de una mayor evaluación para responder de forma adecuada, encontrándose también mayores latencias del componente en los ensayos incongruentes (Rueda, Posner, Rothbart y Davis-Stober, 2004). Esta idea ha sido reforzada mediante el examen de la amplitud del P300 en secuencias de varios ensayos congruentes (cccC) o incongruentes (iiiI) seguidos, demostrando que el P300 disminuye en ensayos incongruentes precedidos por varios ensayos incongruentes iiiI, pero no tras varios ensayos congruentes cccC.…”

“…El empleo de este tipo de paradigmas permite comparar la similitud entre el P300 suscitado ante los ensayos Go -en este caso de flancos-y NoGo, donde el estímulo objetivo está asociado a no responder y puede estar, o no, acompañado de flancos asociados a alguna respuesta (p. ej., Kopp, Mattler, Goertz y Rist, 1996;Groom y Cragg, 2016). Comparando el P300 a los estímulos Go (67%) y NoGo (33%), Kopp, Mattler y cols.…”

“…(1996) encontraron que el P300 a los estímulos Go mostraba una distribución topográfica más posterior (mayor en sensores parietales) que los NoGo (mayor en sensores centrales). Este resultado ha sido recientemente replicado en un estudio con un diseño más complejo, en el que la proporción de ensayos Go y NoGo de flancos era del 50%, lo que sugiere que el componente P300 en condiciones de inhibición de respuesta presenta una topografía anterior, quizás reflejando la mayor implicación de áreas frontales -como la corteza premotora suplementaria o la corteza cingulada-en dichas condiciones (Groom y Cragg, 2016). De forma interesante para la revisión del componente N200 realizada anteriormente, en este estudio se observó que el N200 no mostró diferencias entre ensayos Go y NoGo de flancos en condiciones de congruencia, sino que de forma general fue mayor durante los ensayos incongruentes, lo que refuerza la interpretación de este componente en términos de la teoría de la monitorización de conflictos (Groom y Cragg, 2016).…”