Common but different: An ERP study of single- and multi-source interference processing in MSIT

Flexible behavior often requires processing of complex, interfering information. Research has investigated conflict-related brain processes mostly using single tasks which hindered direct comparison of different interference types. Thus, the question if they are resolved by a common mechanism or by a set of different, task-specific mechanisms remains open. In this study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the spatio-temporal dynamics of cognitive control across Simon, flanker, multi-source and no-conflict conditions. Our findings reveal that all trial types engaged the same sequence of processing stages, as indicated by common ERP waveforms and consistent number and order of microstates across conditions. However, the intensity and duration of these common stages scaled with difficulty of the conflict task (as measured by reaction times and accuracy) from Simon to flanker to multi-source interference. Flanker conflict uniquely influenced early ERP components strongly engaging the dorsal attentional system and visual areas, likely due to demands posed by the presence of flanker distractors. Later ERP components (with sources including ventral attention and somatomotor network areas) were affected by both conflicts. Accordingly, when flanker and Simon conflicts were presented together, early processes linearly summed up, but there was an interaction at the later stage of processing paralleling nonlinear drop of accuracy in a multi-conflict condition. Our study provides novel insights into the neural dynamics underlying cognitive control engaged across different conflict types and their interaction. The use of source analysis allowed us to ground ERP-based findings in the wider context of studies, including those using neuroimaging techniques.