Voluntary modulation of anterior cingulate response to negative feedback

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The anterior cingulate and medial frontal cortex (dACC/mFC) plays a crucial role in error monitoring and goal-directed behavior.
• dACC/mFC activity in response to negative feedback is linked to behavioral adjustments and learning proficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if healthy individuals can modulate their dACC/mFC response to negative feedback through explicit instructions.
• To examine the relationship between instructed modulation of dACC/mFC activity and subsequent behavioral changes.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed a time-estimation task with negative feedback.
• Instructions were given to either increase or decrease neural response to feedback (Increase/Decrease runs) compared to a control condition (Watch runs).
• fMRI was used to measure dACC/mFC activity during the task.

Main Results:

• dACC/mFC activity following negative feedback was significantly higher in the Increase condition and trended lower in the Decrease condition compared to the Watch condition.
• dACC activity correlated with post-feedback performance adjustments.
• Behavioral adjustments were most pronounced in the Increase condition.

Conclusions:

• Healthy individuals can intentionally modulate their dACC/mFC response to negative feedback.
• This modulation influences post-feedback behavioral adjustments and learning.
• Findings suggest potential for neuromodulation strategies to enhance learning and cognitive control.