Striving to optimize behavior: performance monitoring and adaptive changes in brain activity

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Striving to optimize behavior: performance monitoring and adaptive changes in brain activity Markus Ullsperger1* 1 Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands For successful, goal-directed behavior it is necessary to continuously monitor for deviations of action outcomes from the intended goals and for situations associated with high likelihood to fail. This performance monitoring enables us to adaptively change our behavior, strategies, motivation and cognition in order to achieve optimal action outcomes. I will give an overview on the current knowledge about the functional neuroanatomy of performance monitoring. To elucidate the interactions between performance monitoring and adaptive changes in brain activity and behavior I will discuss findings demonstrating systematic trial-by-trial changes in EEG and fMRI signals prior to, on, and after errors. The presented data support the notion that the posterior mesial frontal cortex signals the need for adjustments and triggers diverse and independent adaptive mechanisms by interactions with other brain regions. Moreover, error-preceding changes in brain activity and our current understanding of maladaptive processes leading to erroneous behavior will be discussed. In the last part of the presentation, I will discuss the relationship of reinforcement learning and performance monitoring. By means of genetic and pharmacological data I will highlight the role of dopamine in this function. Keywords: erroneous behavior, Functional neuroanatomy, Performance monitoring, reinforcement learning Conference: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Keynote Lecture Topic: Keynote Lectures Citation: Ullsperger M (2011). Striving to optimize behavior: performance monitoring and adaptive changes in brain activity. Conference Abstract: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00003 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 02 Nov 2011; Published Online: 08 Nov 2011. * Correspondence: Prof. Markus Ullsperger, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands, m.ullsperger@donders.ru.nl Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Markus Ullsperger Google Markus Ullsperger Google Scholar Markus Ullsperger PubMed Markus Ullsperger Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.