Why do we make mistakes? Neurocognitive processes during the preparation-perception-action cycle and error-detection

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Electrophysiology
• Brain Activity Analysis

Background:

• Event-related potentials (ERPs) identify error processing via error-related negativity (Ne/ERN) and error positivity (Pe) post-response.
• Previous ERP studies used response-locked analysis, leaving pre-error brain activity unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neural activities preceding false alarms (FA) in Go/No-go tasks.
• To test if pre-error brain activity differs between FA and correct trials.
• To re-evaluate the role of the N2 component in error commission.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a stimulus-locked approach in a Go/No-go task with 36 participants.
• Analyzed pre-stimulus, perceptual, and pre-response brain activities.
• Employed sLORETA source analysis for post-error potentials.

Main Results:

• Neither pre-stimulus nor perceptual activity explained FA.
• Condition-related differences were found in the fronto-central N2 and prefrontal positivity (pP).
• N2 amplitude in FA trials matched No-go trials and exceeded Hits; pP was larger in FA than No-go but smaller than Go trials.

Conclusions:

• Pre-response neural processes, particularly the pP, are crucial for error commission, likely stemming from erroneous stimulus-response mapping.
• Findings challenge existing interpretations of the N2 component's role in error processing.
• Identified the right anterior insula as a generator of the error positivity (Pe).