Imaging response inhibition in a stop-signal task: neural correlates independent of signal monitoring and post-response processing - PubMed (original) (raw)

Comparative Study

Imaging response inhibition in a stop-signal task: neural correlates independent of signal monitoring and post-response processing

Chiang-shan Ray Li et al. J Neurosci. 2006.

Abstract

Execution of higher cortical functions requires inhibitory control to restrain habitual responses and meet changing task demands. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to show the neural correlates of response inhibition during a stop-signal task. The task has a frequent "go" stimulus to set up a pre-potent response tendency and a less frequent "stop" signal for subjects to withhold their response. We contrasted brain activation between successful and failed inhibition for individual subjects and compared groups of subjects with short and long stop-signal reaction times. The two groups of subjects did not differ in their inhibition failure rates or the extent of signal monitoring, error monitoring, or task-associated frustration ratings. The results showed that short stop-signal reaction time or more efficient response inhibition was associated with greater activation in the superior medial and precentral frontal cortices. Moreover, activation of these inhibitory motor areas correlated negatively with stop-signal reaction time. These brain regions may represent the neural substrata of response inhibition independent of other cognitive and affective functions.

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Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Brain regions showing more activation in successful compared with failed inhibitions. BOLD contrasts are superimposed on a T1 structural image in axial sections from z = –10 to z = 60. The adjacent sections are 5 mm apart. The color bar represents voxel T value. L, Left; R, right.

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Brain regions showing more activation in failed compared with successful inhibitions. BOLD contrasts are superimposed on a T1 structural image in axial sections from z = –10 to z = 60. The adjacent sections are 5 mm apart. The color bar represents voxel T value. L, Left; R, right.

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Brain regions showing greater activation in the short compared with long SSRT group, rendered on a single-subject three-dimensional brain. The front (a), right (b), bottom (c), back (d), left (e), and top (f) of the brain are shown. The results were thresholded at p = 0.001, uncorrected and 10 voxels.

Figure 4.

Figure 4.

Activation of the IMAs demonstrated a significant negative correlation with stop-signal processing time (SSPT; a), but not with EM (b), across all subjects. Activation in the anterior cingulate (antCing) did not correlate with SSPT (c) or EM (d). Each data point represents one subject.

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