Cognitive control is quickly adapted to actual task requirements despite misleading context cues—Evidence from the N2, CRN, and ERN

Cognitive control is flexibly adapted to task requirements in healthy individuals. Medio-frontal negativities in the event-related potential of the electroencephalogram can serve as indicators of cognitive control. With increasing conflict frequency, stimulus-locked control, as indexed by the N2, is increased and response-locked control, as indexed by the correct-related negativity, is reduced. On the behavioral level, this shift is associated with improved conflict resolution as evident in reduced response times and error rates in incompatible trials and a reduced response time congruency effect. Cognitive control adaptation might be implemented through experience-based task sets specifying advantageous processing strategies. Here, we investigated whether the cognitive control task set will be sustained when coupled with a contextual cue, even when the initial task requirements are no longer present. A flanker task with two conflict frequency conditions (25% incompatible and 75% incompatible trials) was presented. In the training phase, the conflict frequency conditions were paired with a distinct context cue (i.e., background color). In the test phase, the previously associated cues were again presented, but conflict frequency was identical in both conditions (50% incompatible trials). Although typical cognitive control adaptation was observed in the training phase on the behavioral and event-related potentials level, this pattern was not sustained in the test phase. Thus, the present study provides further evidence that cognitive control is flexibly adapted to task requirements even in the presence of misleading cues

Effects of a three-week executive control training on adaptation to task difficulty and emotional interference

Intact executive functions are characterized by flexible adaptation to task requirements, while these effects are reduced in internalizing disorders. Furthermore, as executive functions play an important role in emotion regulation, deficits in executive functions may contribute to symptom generation in psychological disorders through increased emotional interference. Thus, the present study investigated transfer effects of a three-week executive control training on adaptation to task difficulty and emotional interference in healthy participants (n = 24) to further explore the training’s suitability for clinical application. To assess the adaptation to task difficulty, the proportion congruency effect on behavioral data (response times, error rates) and ERP measures (N2, CRN) was assessed in a flanker task with varying frequency of incompatible trials (25%, 75%). To quantify emotional interference, flanker stimuli were superimposed on neutral or negative pictures. Replicating previous results, the training increased interference control as indexed by decreased response times and errors rates, increased N2 amplitude and decreased CRN amplitude in incompatible trials after training. Proportion congruency effects were weaker than expected and not affected by the training intervention. The training lead to a shift in the time-point of emotional interference: before training negative pictures lead to a reduction in CRN amplitude, while after training this reduction was observed for the N2. This pattern illustrates that the training leads to a change in task processing mode from predominant response-related cognitive control to predominant stimulus-related cognitive control (N2), indicating a proactive processing mode.Peer Reviewe

Error-related brain activity as a transdiagnostic endophenotype for obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and substance use disorder

Background Increased neural error-signals have been observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and inconsistently in depression. Reduced neural error-signals have been observed in substance use disorders (SUD). Thus, alterations in error-monitoring are proposed as a transdiagnostic endophenotype. To strengthen this notion, data from unaffected individuals with a family history for the respective disorders are needed. Methods The error-related negativity (ERN) as a neural indicator of error-monitoring was measured during a flanker task from 117 OCD patients, 50 unaffected first-degree relatives of OCD patients, and 130 healthy comparison participants. Family history information indicated, that 76 healthy controls were free of a family history for psychopathology, whereas the remaining had first-degree relatives with depression (n = 28), anxiety (n = 27), and/or SUD (n = 27). Results Increased ERN amplitudes were found in OCD patients and unaffected first-degree relatives of OCD patients. In addition, unaffected first-degree relatives of individuals with anxiety disorders were also characterized by increased ERN amplitudes, whereas relatives of individuals with SUD showed reduced amplitudes. Conclusions Alterations in neural error-signals in unaffected first-degree relatives with a family history of OCD, anxiety, or SUD support the utility of the ERN as a transdiagnostic endophenotype. Reduced neural error-signals may indicate vulnerability for under-controlled behavior and risk for substance use, whereas a harm- or error-avoidant response style and vulnerability for OCD and anxiety appears to be associated with increased ERN. This adds to findings suggesting a common neurobiological substrate across psychiatric disorders involving the anterior cingulate cortex and deficits in cognitive control

Representações pictóricas dos sentimentos dos alunos frente aos seus erros no processo de aprendizagem no curso de licenciatura em matemática a distancia

É necessário buscar resposta para a questão: como o aluno do curso de Licenciatura em Matemática a Distância sente-se frente aos seus erros? Errar, em vários contextos sociais, desencadeia sentimentos desagradáveis que carregam consigo, de maneira consciente e inconsciente, vários tipos de afetos e formas de comportamento que influenciam na construção de novas aprendizagens. Crenças que temos sobre nós mesmos revelam sentimentos em relação ao aprender ou não aprender. A aprendizagem da matemática traz uma bagagem secular no imaginário e, segundo Coll et al. (1996), a experiência da matemática escolar não é, muitas vezes, fonte de satisfação, mas sim de frustrações e sentimentos negativos. Para buscar resposta a questão norteadora foi realizado um estudo de caso qualitativo. A coleta aconteceu no Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem Moodle, por meio do envio de representações pictóricas e escrita do sentimento dos graduandos, de 1º e 8º semestres, frente aos seus erros. Aventa-se que as representações e percepções dos alunos interferem no processo de aprendizagem. É necessário formar professores de matemática que compreendam que ensinar é mais que produzir conhecimento e aprender envolve mais do que a linguagem algébrica, envolve crenças sobre si mesmo

Error-related activity of the sensorimotor network contributes to the prediction of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Background Although cognitive behavioral therapy is a highly effective treatment for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), yielding large symptom reductions on the group level, individual treatment response varies considerably. Identification of treatment response predictors may provide important information for maximizing individual treatment response and thus achieving efficient treatment resource allocation. Here, we investigated the predictive value of previously identified biomarkers of OCD, namely the error-related activity of the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the sensorimotor network (SMN, postcentral gyrus/precuneus). Methods Seventy-two participants with a primary diagnosis of OCD underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning while performing a flanker task prior to receiving routine-care CBT. Results Error-related BOLD response of the SMN significantly contributed to the prediction of treatment response beyond the variance accounted for by clinical and sociodemographic variables. Stronger error-related SMN activity at baseline was associated with a higher likelihood of treatment response. Conclusions The present results illustrate that the inclusion of error-related SMN activity can significantly increase treatment response prediction quality in OCD. Stronger error-related activity of the SMN may reflect the ability to activate symptom-relevant processing networks and may thus facilitate response to exposure-based CBT interventions

Heart rate and heart rate variability in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Evidence from patients and unaffected first-degree relatives

Altered heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) are common observations in psychiatric disorders. Yet, few studies have examined these cardiac measures in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The current study aimed to investigate HR and HRV, indexed by the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and further time domain indices, as putative biological characteristics of OCD. Electrocardiogram was recorded during a five-minute resting state. Group differences between patients with OCD (n = 96), healthy participants (n = 112), and unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with OCD (n = 47) were analyzed. As potential moderators of group differences, we examined the influence of age and medication, respectively. As results indicated, patients with OCD showed higher HR and lower HRV compared to healthy participants. These group differences were not moderated by age. Importantly, subgroup analyses showed that only medicated patients displayed lower HRV compared to healthy individuals, while HR alterations were evident in unmedicated patients. Regarding unaffected first-degree relatives, group differences in HRV remained at trend level. Further, an age-moderated group differentiation showed that higher HRV distinguished relatives from healthy individuals in young adulthood, whereas at higher age lower HRV was indicative of relatives. Both the role of familial risk and medication in HRV alterations need further elucidation. Pending future studies, alterations in HR and potentially HRV might serve as useful indices to characterize the pathophysiology of OCD

Error-Related Brain Activity in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Unaffected First-Degree Relatives: Evidence for Protective Patterns

Background Indicators of increased error monitoring are associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as shown in electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. As most studies used strictly controlled samples (excluding comorbidity and medication), it remains open whether these findings extend to naturalistic settings. Thus, we assessed error-related brain activity in a large, naturalistic OCD sample. We also explored which activity patterns might qualify as vulnerability endophenotypes or protective factors for the disorder. To this aim, a sample of unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with OCD was also included. Methods Participants (84 patients with OCD, 99 healthy control participants, and 37 unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with OCD) completed a flanker task while blood oxygen level–dependent responses were measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Aberrant error-related brain activity in patients and relatives was identified. Results Patients with OCD showed increased error-related activity in the supplementary motor area and within the default mode network, specifically in the precuneus and postcentral gyrus. Unaffected first-degree relatives showed increased error-related activity in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusions Increased supplementary motor area and default mode network activity in patients with OCD replicates previous studies and might indicate excessive error signals and increased self-referential error processing. Increased activity of the inferior frontal gyrus in relatives may reflect increased inhibition. Impaired response inhibition in OCD has been demonstrated in several studies and might contribute to impairments in suppressing compulsive actions. Thus, increased inferior frontal gyrus activity in the unaffected relatives of patients with OCD may have contributed to protection from symptom development

Cognitive control is quickly adapted to actual task requirements despite misleading context cues—Evidence from the N2, CRN, and ERN

Cognitive control is flexibly adapted to task requirements in healthy individuals. Medio-frontal negativities in the event-related potential of the electroencephalogram can serve as indicators of cognitive control. With increasing conflict frequency, stimulus-locked control, as indexed by the N2, is increased and response-locked control, as indexed by the correct-related negativity, is reduced. On the behavioral level, this shift is associated with improved conflict resolution as evident in reduced response times and error rates in incompatible trials and a reduced response time congruency effect. Cognitive control adaptation might be implemented through experience-based task sets specifying advantageous processing strategies. Here, we investigated whether the cognitive control task set will be sustained when coupled with a contextual cue, even when the initial task requirements are no longer present. A flanker task with two conflict frequency conditions (25% incompatible and 75% incompatible trials) was presented. In the training phase, the conflict frequency conditions were paired with a distinct context cue (i.e., background color). In the test phase, the previously associated cues were again presented, but conflict frequency was identical in both conditions (50% incompatible trials). Although typical cognitive control adaptation was observed in the training phase on the behavioral and event-related potentials level, this pattern was not sustained in the test phase. Thus, the present study provides further evidence that cognitive control is flexibly adapted to task requirements even in the presence of misleading cues.Peer Reviewe

Behavioral data (error rates in incompatible trials, response times in compatible and incompatible trials) in trials with negative and neutral pictures in the FC and FI condition before and after training.

Error rates are presented in %; response times are presented in ms. Bars represent standard errors. RT = response time, FC = frequent compatible, FI = frequent incompatible.</p

Experimental design of the flanker task: Flanker stimuli were presented superimposed on neutral or negative IAPS pictures or OCD-related pictures.

Participants were instructed to respond fast and accurately with their left or right index finger to the target arrow. The experiment consisted of two conditions containing 25% (frequent compatible, FC) and 75% incompatible trials (frequent incompatible, FI condition). Because of copyright restrictions, the picture presented here is not from the IAPS but approximates the types of pictures presented during the experiment.</p