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Complementary roles of cortical oscillations in automatic and controlled processing during rapid serial tasks.
Silvia Isabella1, Paul Ferrari2, Cecilia Jobst3
1Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2J7, Canada.
Neuroimage
|June 7, 2015
Summary
Cognitive control involves brain oscillations. Frontal theta activity supports response inhibition, while sensorimotor gamma signals help override habitual actions, with errors linked to delayed gamma.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Brain Oscillations
Background:
- Cognitive control adjusts behavior by inhibiting habitual actions, requiring sensory-cognitive-motor system communication.
- Top-down processing from frontal areas, potentially via frontal theta (4-8 Hz) oscillations, is crucial for response inhibition.
- Conflicting evidence exists regarding response inhibition mechanisms, with debates on separate global/selective inhibition processes versus frontal areas executing goal-directed actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the roles of frontal theta and sensorimotor gamma oscillations in response inhibition and action modification.
- To compare brain activity during successful inhibition (no-go), response switching, and errors in habitual action tasks.
- To elucidate the distinct yet complementary functions of theta and gamma oscillations in cognitive control.
Main Methods:
- Measured neuromagnetic oscillatory brain activity in twelve adults using two tasks requiring habitual response inhibition (go/no-go and go/switch).
- Analyzed source activity of brain oscillations for correct no-go, correct switch, and error trials (incorrect 'go' responses to targets).
- Compared frontal theta (4-8 Hz) and sensorimotor high gamma (60-90 Hz) activity across different trial types and tasks.
Main Results:
- Frontal theta activity showed similar location, amplitude, and time course for correct no-go and switch responses, indicating a role in both global and selective inhibition.
- Error-related frontal theta activity differed in source location and power compared to correct trials.
- Sensorimotor gamma activity was stronger for correct switch and error responses than go responses, and its onset was delayed for errors, predicting behavioral mistakes.
Conclusions:
- Frontal theta oscillations play a consistent role in both global and selective response inhibition.
- Sensorimotor gamma oscillations in the motor cortex integrate inhibitory signals with sensorimotor processing, aiding in overriding habitual behaviors.
- Distinct but complementary roles of frontal theta and sensorimotor gamma activity are crucial for monitoring and modifying habitual motor plans, supporting frontal lobe involvement in goal-directed actions.
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