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Overlapping and unique brain responses to cognitive and response inhibition
Brandee Feola1, Lesley Sand2, Sharona Atkins2
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
Brain and Cognition
|February 16, 2023
Summary
Cognitive inhibition and response inhibition involve overlapping brain regions, but also engage distinct areas. This study clarifies the neural basis of these two key inhibitory control functions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Inhibition is a crucial cognitive function.
- Cognitive inhibition and response inhibition are two facets of inhibitory control.
- Their distinct neural underpinnings remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural overlap and distinction between cognitive inhibition and response inhibition within a single task.
- To elucidate the brain regions associated with each type of inhibition.
Main Methods:
- Adult participants (n=77) underwent fMRI scanning.
- An adapted Simon Task was employed to elicit both cognitive and response inhibition.
- Data were analyzed using voxel-wise FWE correction (p < 0.05).
Main Results:
- Both cognitive and response inhibition engaged overlapping brain regions, including the inferior frontal cortex, inferior temporal lobe, precentral cortex, and parietal cortex.
- Cognitive inhibition showed increased activation in prefrontal cortex regions.
- Response inhibition was associated with distinct prefrontal cortex areas, the right superior parietal cortex, and inferior temporal lobe.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive inhibition and response inhibition share neural resources but also rely on distinct brain regions.
- Findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the neural architecture of inhibitory control.
