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Negative correlation between right prefrontal activity during response inhibition and impulsiveness: a fMRI study
Shuji Asahi1, Yasumasa Okamoto, Go Okada
1Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
|August 17, 2004
Summary
Behavioral disinhibition, linked to impulsiveness, was studied using a Go/No-Go task. Brain imaging revealed the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (RDLPFC) is key for response inhibition and sensitive to individual differences in motor impulsiveness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Behavioral disinhibition in Go/No-Go tasks is associated with human impulsiveness.
- Neuroimaging studies implicate frontal and parietal cortex circuits in response inhibition during No-Go trials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between regional brain activation during No-Go trials and impulsiveness.
- To identify specific brain regions sensitive to individual differences in motor impulsiveness.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activation during a Go/No-Go task.
- Seventeen healthy, right-handed volunteers participated.
- Impulsiveness was assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, 11th version (BIS-11).
Main Results:
- Activated regions during No-Go trials included the right middle frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe.
- A negative correlation was found between motor impulsiveness (BIS-11) and No-Go-related activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (RDLPFC).
Conclusions:
- The RDLPFC is highly sensitive to individual variations in motor impulsiveness.
- RDLPFC activity may serve as an indicator of an individual's capacity for response inhibition.