How personal earthquake experience impacts on the Stroop interference effect: an event-related potential study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• The Stroop task is a standard measure of cognitive control.
• The 2008 Sichuan earthquake provides a naturalistic context to study trauma's effects on cognition.
• Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) offer a temporal measure of cognitive processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of earthquake proximity on cognitive control using the Stroop task.
• To examine event-related brain potentials (ERPs) associated with cognitive interference in trauma survivors.

Main Methods:

• 24 participants who experienced the Sichuan earthquake were divided into 'Far' (Chengdu) and 'Close' (Deyang) groups.
• Behavioral Stroop task performance (reaction time) and scalp ERPs were recorded.
• Dipole source analysis was used to localize ERP generators.

Main Results:

• Both groups exhibited behavioral Stroop interference (longer reaction times for incongruent stimuli).
• The Chengdu group showed a significant ERP Stroop interference effect (N400-600), absent in the Deyang group.
• The N400-600 effect was localized to the right prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Conclusions:

• Proximity to the Sichuan earthquake may differentially affect cognitive control mechanisms.
• The right PFC's role in conflict monitoring and cognitive control might be modulated by trauma exposure.
• ERP measures reveal subtle differences in cognitive processing related to trauma severity.