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Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition
Published on: February 8, 2018
Stop-signal reaction-time task performance: role of prefrontal cortex and subthalamic nucleus
Dawn M Eagle1, Christelle Baunez, Daniel M Hutcheson
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. d.eagle@psychol.cam.ac.uk
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|May 23, 2007
Summary
Orbitofrontal cortex lesions impair response inhibition in the stop-signal reaction-time (SSRT) task. However, lesions to the infralimbic cortex or subthalamic nucleus did not affect SSRT performance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- The stop-signal reaction-time (SSRT) task assesses response inhibition, crucial for executive functions.
- Individuals with impulsivity disorders exhibit deficits in response inhibition.
- Frontal and basal ganglia circuits are implicated in response control, but their specific roles in SSRT are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the roles of the orbitofrontal cortex (OF), infralimbic cortex (IL), and subthalamic nucleus (STN) in response inhibition using a rat SSRT task.
- To elucidate the neural substrates underlying the ability to stop initiated responses.
Main Methods:
- Excitotoxic fiber-sparing lesions were created in the OF, IL, and STN of rats.
- Rats were trained and tested on a SSRT task to measure inhibition and go-trial reaction time (GoRT).
- Behavioral performance was analyzed to assess the impact of each lesion on SSRT and GoRT.
Main Results:
- Lesions to the orbitofrontal cortex (OF) significantly slowed SSRT, indicating impaired response inhibition.
- Infralimbic cortex (IL) and subthalamic nucleus (STN) lesions did not affect SSRT.
- STN lesions sped up GoRT and impaired stopping accuracy, suggesting a generalized deficit independent of SSRT.
Conclusions:
- The orbitofrontal cortex plays a critical role in the ability to inhibit initiated responses.
- The infralimbic cortex and subthalamic nucleus appear less critical for SSRT performance itself, though the STN influences motor preparation and stopping accuracy.
