scholarly journals Adolescent Cognitive Control, Theta Oscillations, and Social Motivation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Buzzell ◽  
Tyson V. Barker ◽  
Sonya V. Troller-Renfree ◽  
Edward M. Bernat ◽  
Maureen E. Bowers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Social Motivation ◽  
Theta Oscillations ◽  
Error Monitoring ◽  
Motor Responses ◽  
Human Adults ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior

SummaryTheta oscillations (4-8 Hz) provide an organizing principle of cognitive control, allowing goal-directed behavior that is conserved across species. In human adults, theta power over medial-frontal cortex (MFC) underlies monitoring, whereas theta synchrony between MFC and lateral-frontal regions reflects control recruitment. Prior work has not separated theta before/after motor responses, nor explained how medial-lateral synchrony drives different kinds of control behaviors. Theta’s role during adolescence, a developmental window characterized by a motivation-control mismatch also remains unclear, preventing possible cross-species work. Here, adolescents performed a flanker task alone or under observation to increase social motivation. We separated theta dynamics immediately before/after motor responses, identifying functional dissociations. We also dissociate MFC connectivity with rostral/caudal frontal cortex and distinct forms of behavioral control, which further differed before/after response. Finally, social motivation was found to exclusively upregulate post-response error monitoring and changes in control to prevent future errors, as opposed to pre-response theta dynamics.

scholarly journals Uncertainty Tolerance & Cognitive Control

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp A. Schroeder ◽  
David Dignath ◽  
Markus Janczyk
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Bayesian Analyses ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Cognitive Closure ◽  
Need For Cognitive Closure ◽  
Sequence Effects ◽  
Conflicting Stimulus ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior

Cognitive control refers to the ability to make correct decisions concurrent to distracting information, and to adapt to conflicting stimulus configurations, eventually promoting goal-directed behavior. Previous research has linked individual differences in cognitive control to psychopathological conditions such as anxiety. However, a link with uncertainty tolerance (UT) has not been tested so far, although both constructs describe cognitive and behavioral performance in ambiguous situations, thus they share some similarities. We probed cognitive control in web-based experimentation (jsPsych) with a simple flanker task (N = 111) and a version without confounds in episodic memory (N = 116). Both experiments revealed two well-established behavioral indices: congruency effects (CEs) and congruency-sequence effects (CSEs). Only small-to-zero correlations emerged between CEs, UT, and need for cognitive closure (NCC), a personality trait inversely related to UT. A subtle correlation (r = .18) was noted in Experiment 2 between NCC and CSE. Throughout, Bayesian analyses provided anecdotal-to-moderate evidence for the null-hypotheses.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Uncertainty Tolerance Are not Associated With Cognitive Control Functions in the Flanker Task

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Alexander Schroeder ◽  
David Dignath ◽  
Markus Janczyk
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Bayesian Analyses ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Control Functions ◽  
Need For Cognitive Closure ◽  
Sequence Effects ◽  
Conflicting Stimulus ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior

Abstract. Cognitive control refers to the ability to make correct decisions concurrent to distracting information, and to adapt to conflicting stimulus configurations, eventually promoting goal-directed behavior. Previous research has linked individual differences in cognitive control to psychopathological conditions such as anxiety. However, a link with uncertainty tolerance (UT) has not been tested so far, although both constructs describe cognitive and behavioral performance in ambiguous situations, thus they share some similarities. We probed cognitive control in web-based experimentation (jsPsych) with a simple flanker task (N = 111) and a version without confounds in episodic memory (N = 116). Both experiments revealed two well-established behavioral indices: congruency effects (CEs) and congruency-sequence effects (CSEs). Only small-to-zero correlations emerged between CEs, UT, and need for cognitive closure (NCC), a personality trait inversely related to UT. A subtle correlation (r = .18) was noted in Experiment 2 between NCC and CSE. Throughout, Bayesian analyses provided anecdotal-to-moderate evidence for the null-hypotheses.

scholarly journals Midfrontal-occipital Ɵ-tACS modulates cognitive conflicts related to bodily stimuli

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Fusco ◽  
M Fusaro ◽  
S M Aglioti
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Theta Oscillations ◽  
Conflict Monitoring ◽  
Related Area ◽  
Specific Stimulus ◽  
Extrastriate Body Area ◽  
Neurophysiological Studies ◽  
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation

Abstract Neurophysiological studies show that during tasks tapping cognitive control (like the Flanker task), midfrontal theta (MFϴ) oscillations are associated with conflict and error processing and neural top- down modulation of perceptual processing. What remains unknown is whether perceptual encoding of category-specific stimuli (e.g. body vs letters) used in Flanker-like tasks is modulated by theta oscillations. To explore this issue, we delivered transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) in the theta frequency band (6Hz) over the medial frontal cortex (MFC) and the extrastriate body area (EBA) while healthy participants performed two variants of the classical Flanker task, one with stimuli representing human hands (i.e. Hand-Flanker) and the other with stimuli representing coloured letters (i.e. Letter-Flanker). More specifically, we aimed at investigating whether ϴ-tACS involving a body-related area may modulate the long-range communication between neuronal populations underlying conflict monitoring and visuo-perceptual encoding of hand stimuli without affecting the conflict driven by letter stimuli. Results showed faster correct response times during ϴ-tACS in the Hand-Flanker compared to γ-tACS (40Hz) and sham. Importantly, such an effect did not emerge in the Letter-Flanker. Our findings show that theta oscillations over midfrontal-occipital areas modulate bodily specific, stimulus content driven aspects of cognitive control.

scholarly journals Dynamic Adjustments of Midfrontal Control Signals in Adults and Adolescents

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mate Gyurkovics ◽  
Liat Levita
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Early Adolescents ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Theta Oscillations ◽  
Temporal Consistency ◽  
Reactive Control ◽  
Age Related

Abstract During task performance, our level of cognitive control is dynamically adjusted to task demands as reflected, for example, by the congruency sequence effect (CSE) in conflict tasks. Although brain areas related to cognitive control show protracted maturation across adolescence, previous studies found that adolescents show similar behavioral CSEs to adults. In the present study, we investigated whether there are age-related changes in the neural underpinnings of dynamic control adjustments using electroencephalography. Early adolescents (ages 12–14, N = 30) and young adults (ages 25–27, N = 29) completed a confound-minimized flanker task optimized for the detection of sequential control adjustments. The CSE was observed in midfrontal theta power thought to capture anterior cingulate cortex-mediated monitoring processes but was not modulated significantly by age. Adolescents, however, showed a smaller congruency effect in the power and cross-trial temporal consistency of midfrontal theta oscillations than adults. No age differences were observed in phase-based connectivity between midfrontal and lateral frontal regions in the theta band. These findings provide strong support for the role of midfrontal theta oscillations in conflict monitoring and reactive control and suggest that the cognitive system of early adolescents initially responds less reliably to the occurrence of conflict than that of adults.

Stability and reliability of error-related electromyography over the corrugator supercilii with increasing trials

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Elkins-Brown ◽  
Blair Saunders ◽  
Frank F. H. He ◽  
Michael Inzlicht
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Error Monitoring ◽  
Facial Muscle ◽  
Acceptable Error ◽  
Corrugator Supercilii

EMG activity over the corrugator supercilii (cEMG), the primary facial muscle involved in negative emotions, is increased during the commission of errors on speeded reaction-time tasks. In the present paper, data from two previously published studies were re-analyzed to investigate the reliability and stability of error-related, correct-related, and difference cEMG across increasing numbers of trials. We found that for a modified go/no-go and a flanker task, error-related cEMG was highly stable and reliable in 14 trials, and correct-related cEMG between 56 and 82 trials, respectively. Given the typical number of trials used in studies of cognitive control, these findings suggest that many investigations of error monitoring are already sufficient to obtain acceptable error- and correct-related cEMG signals. Error-related cEMG activity is relatively easy to measure, and as such, it shows great promise for future research investigating in the cognitive and affective mechanisms of error monitoring.

Exploring an Emotional Basis of Cognitive Control in the Flanker Task

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.

Age Moderates the Association of Aerobic Exercise with Initial Learning of an Online Task Requiring Cognitive Control

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 802-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. O’Connor ◽  
Phillip D. Tomporowski ◽  
Rodney K. Dishman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Resistance Exercise ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Exercise Frequency ◽  
Aerobic Activity ◽  
Initial Learning ◽  
Increase In Accuracy

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine whether people differed in change in performance across the first five blocks of an online flanker task and whether those trajectories of change were associated with self-reported aerobic or resistance exercise frequency according to age. A total of 8752 men and women aged 13–89 completed a lifestyle survey and five 45-s games (each game was a block of ~46 trials) of an online flanker task. Accuracy of the congruent and incongruent flanker stimuli was analyzed using latent class and growth curve modeling adjusting for time between blocks, whether the blocks occurred on the same or different days, education, smoking, sleep, caffeinated coffee and tea use, and Lumosity training status (“free play” or part of a “daily brain workout”). Aerobic and resistance exercise were unrelated to first block accuracies. For the more cognitively demanding incongruent flanker stimuli, aerobic activity was positively related to the linear increase in accuracy [B=0.577%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.112 to 1.25 per day above the weekly mean of 2.8 days] and inversely related to the quadratic deceleration of accuracy gains (B=−0.619% CI, −1.117 to −0.121 per day). An interaction of aerobic activity with age indicated that active participants younger than age 45 had a larger linear increase and a smaller quadratic deceleration compared to other participants. Age moderates the association between self-reported aerobic, but not self-reported resistance, exercise and changes in cognitive control that occur with practice during incongruent presentations across five blocks of a 45-s online, flanker task. (JINS, 2015, 21, 802–815)

Selection for Action: The Medial Frontal Cortex Is an Executive Hub for Stimulus and Response Selection

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Dariusz Asanowicz ◽  
Bartłomiej Panek ◽  
Ilona Kotlewska
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Phase Synchronization ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Response Selection ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Medial Frontal Cortex ◽  
Conflict Condition ◽  
Underlying Processes ◽  
Selection For Action

Abstract This EEG study investigates the electrophysiological activity underlying processes of stimulus and response selection, and their executive orchestration via long-range functional connectivity under conflict condition, in order to shed more light on how these brain dynamics shape individual behavioral performance. Participants (n = 91) performed a modified flanker task, in which bilateral visual stimulation and a bimanual response pattern were employed to isolate the stimulus and response selection-related lateralized activity. First, we identified conflict-related markers of task-relevant processes; most importantly, the stimulus and response selection were evidenced by contra–ipsilateral differences in visual and motor activity, respectively, and executive control was evidenced by modulations of midfrontal activity. Second, we identified conflict-related functional connectivity between midfrontal and other task-relevant areas. The results showed that interregional phase synchronization in theta band was centered at the midfrontal site, interpreted here as a “hub” of executive communication. Importantly, the theta functional connectivity was more robust under the condition of increased demands for stimulus and response selection, including connectivity between the medial frontal cortex and the lateral frontal and motor areas, as well as cross-frequency theta–alpha coupling between the medial frontal cortex and contralateral visual areas. Third, we showed that individual differences in the measured conflict-related EEG activity, particularly the midfrontal N2, theta power, and global theta connectivity, predict the behavioral efficiency in conflict resolution.

Second language (L2) proficiency, socioeconomic status (SES), and intelligence (IQ) are significant predictors of cognitive control differences among young adult unbalanced Chinese–English bilinguals

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (04) ◽  
pp. 866-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZHILONG XIE ◽  
TERESA SIGNORELLI PISANO
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Incongruent Condition ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Conflict Monitoring ◽  
L2 Proficiency

The current study investigates how second-language (L2) proficiency contributes to cognitive control differences among three groups of unbalanced Chinese–English bilinguals matched for socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence (IQ), education, age, culture, and L1 background. A Flanker task and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were administered to measure conflict monitoring, inhibition, and mental set shifting. ANOVA analyses revealed faster performance for the High-L2 Group compared to the Low-L2 Group in the congruent, neutral, and incongruent conditions of the Flanker task. However, there were no group differences on the WCST. Multiple step-wise regression analyses showed that L2 proficiency was a predictor for the Flanker task performance in all three conditions, SES in the neutral and the incongruent condition, and IQ in the congruent condition. These results suggest that L2 proficiency, along with SES and IQ, contribute significantly to cognitive control differences in conflict monitoring among young-adult bilinguals.

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