Unraveling the neural mechanisms of changes in performance monitoring induced by neuro-stimulation

• Applicant: Dr. Eva Niessen
• Subject Area: Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience ; General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2021 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 493154987

Cognitive control is an essential capacity for the generation of goal-oriented behaviour. Insufficient cognitive control processes can result in action errors that do not only occur in experimental tasks, but also affect activities of daily living. A fundamental mechanism of cognitive control is to adapt behaviour after committed errors to prevent future errors. This often becomes apparent as slower and more cautious responses following errors. To enable these behavioural adaptations, a so called performance monitoring system constantly tracks whether our actions had been carried out as intended or whether there were discrepancies between the planned and executed action. This monitoring can occur with and without the subjects’ awareness, but the behavioural adaptations are most efficient when errors are detected, i.e., when subjects are aware of their errors. Therefore, error detection is a sub-function of cognitive control which is important for improving performance. Previous studies suggest that two regions are important for performance monitoring: the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which seem to be involved in distinguishable cognitive (sub-)processes of performance monitoring. Most studies focussed on the processes associated with the ACC in the context of error processing. However, the exact role of the DLPFC is less well understood. Neural processes of error detection are usually described by two error-related event-related potentials (ERP): the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe), both of which originate in the ACC. They represent the automatic processing of an incorrect action (ERN) as well as a signal of the need for behavioural adaptations (Pe). The implementation of the requested behavioural adaptations is assumed to be executed by the DLPFC. However, a comprehensive characterization of the temporal and thus functional interactions between the two regions is yet missing. With the current project, I pursue the aim of extending our knowledge about the under¬lying neural mechanisms concerning error processing, especially the coordination between the associated cortical brain regions. To realize this, I will introduce the innovative method of combined EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS, i.e., TMS-EEG) to the field of performance monitoring and error processing with the support and expertise of Professor Gregor Thut from the University of Glasgow. The innovative TMS-EEG method will allow for a modulation of cognitive control processes and the respective networks through stimulation-induced effects and simultaneously recording neural consequences of these modulations. Thus, for the first time, it will be possible to not only accrue evidence for a causal involvement of the DLPFC in error processing, but also to unravel the underlying neural mechanisms.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Gereon Rudolf Fink; Professorin Dr. Jutta Stahl; Professor Dr. Peter Weiss
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Gregor Thut