Unraveling the neural mechanisms of changes in performance monitoring induced by neuro-stimulation
General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
Final Report Abstract
The current project addresses the long-standing question of how people can learn from errors and how error-related changes in behaviour can help to conduct less errors in the future. With regard to neural mechanisms underlying these cognitive processes, two regions seem to be important: the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which are said to be involved in distinguishable cognitive (sub-)processes of error processing. So far, most studies rather consistently described the functional role of the ACC (i.e., signalling that an error has occurred). However, the exact role of the DLPFC is less well understood. Several neurostimulation studies hypothesize that the DLPFC might be associated with the implementation of increased cognitive control after errors (hence errorrelated behavioural adaptations). However, a comprehensive characterization of the temporal and thus functional interactions between the two regions is yet missing. By using the innovative method of combined EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS, i.e., TMS-EEG) for the first time in the field of error processing, the current project aimed at advancing our understanding about behavioural changes triggered by errors. A within-subject study was conducted (n = 40), where participants underwent two TMS- EEG measurements while they performed a specifically developed, experimental task. Online triple-pulse TMS was administered above the right DLPFC and a control region immediately after a response was given to disturb processes within the DLPFC. The results showed comparably strong behavioural adjustments in both conditions, speaking against an important role of the DLPFC in these processes. However, exploratory analysis revealed that associations between the error-related negativity (ERN, an event-related component representing error processing within the ACC) and behavioural adjustment measures were different in the two conditions. Further, we discovered that neural preparations before a succeeding trial might be a crucial time window to examine when interested in error-related adjustments. The neural activity in this time window could again be related to different variables, nicely reflecting the associations observed between the ERN and behavioural adjustments. Our results contradict previous reports about the crucial role of the DLPFC in error-related behavioural adjustments. They rather suggest that the DLPFC might be generally involved in these processes, but in case of mal-functioning, the brain dynamically adjusts and implements different mechanisms (executed by other brain regions) to keep up adaptive changes, which are most likely completed during the inter-trial interval of a task. These results also underline the importance of combining neuroimaging and stimulation methods, because only through the combination, such fast and dynamic changes can be observed.
Publications
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Speeded Inference Game: Opening a new chapter in the assessment of error awareness.
Niessen, Eva; Wickert, Jonas; Schober, Martin; Fink, Gereon R.; Stahl, Jutta & Weiss, Peter H.
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Transcranial Brain Stimulation in Cognitive Neuroscience, 2022, “Is the ACC crying for help? Characterizing the neural network of performance monitoring by implementing simultaneous TMS-EEG”
Niessen, Eva
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Differentielle Psychologie, Persönlichkeitspsychologie und Psychologische Diagnostik (DPPD), 2023, “Differences in personality traits affect performance strategy and the neural correlates of error processing”
Niessen, Eva
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Psychologie und Gehirn (PuG), 2023, “Is the ACC crying for help? Characterizing the neural network of performance monitoring by implementing simultaneous TMS-EEG”
Niessen, Eva
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Psychologie und Gehirn (PuG), 2024, “Is the ACC crying for help? Characterizing the neural network of performance monitoring by implementing simultaneous TMS-EEG”
Niessen, Eva
