Neural representation of proactive and reactive inhibitory control adaptations across sensory modalities

Inhibitory control takes multiple forms, including proactive slowing, a strategic delay of responses, and reactive inhibition, the cancelation of an initiated response. How these processes adapt across sensory modalities and their neural mechanisms remains unclear. This cross-sectional study tested whether proactive slowing and reactive inhibition are adaptable across sensory modalities and supported by shared and distinct neural adaptations. We recruited 23 athletes and 21 age-matched controls. Participants performed a choice-reaction task, requiring rapid response selection, and a stop-signal task, requiring occasional cancelation of initiated responses. Proactive slowing and reactive inhibition were assessed across visual, auditory, and somatosensory modalities. Proactive slowing was measured by anticipatory response slowing, and reactive inhibition by stop-signal reaction time. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to examine neural processing. Athletes exhibited greater proactive slowing and reactive inhibition than controls across all modalities. ERP analyses revealed that proactive slowing was associated with greater N2 and smaller P3 amplitudes in athletes, suggesting enhanced early conflict monitoring and reduced reliance on later attentional control. Athletes showed greater N2 amplitudes for reactive inhibition, indicating superior stimulus-driven inhibition, similar to proactive slowing. These findings provide novel evidence that both proactive slowing and reactive inhibition adapt across sensory modalities, accompanied by neural changes that are partly shared (N2) and partly distinct (P3).