Effects of anterior cingulate fissurization on cognitive control during stroop interference

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• The midcingulate cortex (MCC) is crucial for cognitive functions like conflict monitoring and response selection.
• Left-hemispheric midcingulate fissurization, specifically the presence of a paracingulate sulcus, correlates with superior executive function performance.
• The underlying neural mechanisms for these behavioral differences remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cognitive and neural mechanisms associated with varying degrees of left midcingulate fissurization.
• To compare individuals with high versus low left midcingulate fissurization during a Stroop interference task.

Main Methods:

• Utilized behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) measures during a Stroop task.
• Compared participants with high and low degrees of left hemispheric midcingulate fissurization.
• Analyzed Stroop interference effects and event-related potentials (ERPs).

Main Results:

• Higher midcingulate fissurization was associated with reduced behavioral Stroop interference.
• Electrophysiology revealed a stronger, prolonged frontal negativity in highly fissurized individuals for incongruent trials (starting ~320 ms).
• Lower fissurization group showed increased parieto-occipital positivity (starting ~400 ms), suggesting compensatory cognitive effort.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced frontal negativity in high fissurization group likely reflects heightened midcingulate conflict monitoring activity.
• Increased parieto-occipital positivity in low fissurization group indicates greater reliance on effortful cognitive control.
• Findings illuminate the neural basis of individual differences in attentional control and executive functions.