Measures Of Response Inhibition Research Articles

M76. ATYPICAL RESPONSE INHIBITION IN 22Q11.2DS: DIMINISHED ERROR REGISTRATION AND AWARENESS

Background22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS; also known as DiGeorge syndrome or velo-cardio-facial syndrome) is characterized by increased vulnerability for neuropsychiatric symptoms, with approximately 30% of the individuals with the deletion developing schizophrenia. Clinically, deficits in executive function have been noted in this population, but the underlying neural processes are not well understood.MethodsUsing high-density electrophysiology (EEG), we investigated the neural dynamics of inhibition of a prepotent response (a critical component of executive function) in individuals with 22q11.2DS with and without psychotic symptoms. Twenty-seven individuals with 22q11.2DS (14–35 years old, 14 with at least one psychotic symptom) and 27 age-matched neurotypical controls participated in a go/no-go task while EEG was recorded. Analyses were focused on the P3 go/no-go response and error-related positivity (Pe).ResultsBehaviorally, individuals with 22q11.2DS were slower and unable to inhibit prepotent responses as the controls, with significantly more false alarms. Atypical inhibitory processing was confirmed by significantly reduced P3 no-go responses in the 22q11.2DS group. Such reductions were particularly marked in those with psychotic symptomatology. Pe was likewise significantly decreased (regardless of the presence of psychotic symptoms), suggesting impaired ability to register errors (i.e., false alarms) in 22q11.2DS. Both Pe and P3 correlated with clinical measures of inhibition (DKEFS and CPT).DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first study looking at electrophysiological measures of response inhibition in 22q11.2DS. P3 and Pe reductions, which have also been shown in schizophrenia, suggest diminished error registration and awareness in 22q11.2DS and, possibly, a consequent difficulty in adjusting response strategies.

Quantitative tractography reveals changes in the corticospinal tract in drug-naïve children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The specific role of the corticospinal tract with respect to inattention and impulsive symptoms in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been explored in the past. However, to our knowledge, no study has identified the exact regions of the corticospinal tract that are affected in ADHD. We aimed to determine comprehensive alterations in the white matter microstructure of the corticospinal tract and underlying neuropsychological substrates in ADHD. We recruited 38 drug-naïve children with ADHD and 34 typically developing controls. We employed a tract-based quantitative approach to measure diffusion parameters along the trajectory of the corticospinal tract, and we further correlated alterations with attention and response inhibition measures. Compared with controls, children with ADHD demonstrated significantly lower fractional anisotropy and higher radial diffusivity at the level of cerebral peduncle, and higher fractional anisotropy at the level of the posterior limb of the internal capsule in the right corticospinal tract only. As well, increased fractional anisotropy in the posterior limb of the internal capsule was negatively correlated with continuous performance test attention quotients and positively correlated with reaction time on the Stroop Colour–Word Test; increased radial diffusivity in the right peduncle region was positively correlated with omissions in the Stroop test. The sample size was relatively small. Moreover, we did not consider the different subtypes of ADHD and lacked sufficient power to analyze subgroup differences. Higher-order diffusion modelling is needed in future white matter studies. We demonstrated specific changes in the right corticospinal tract in children with ADHD. Correlations with measures of attention and response inhibition underscored the functional importance of corticospinal tract disturbance in ADHD.

Measuring response inhibition with a continuous inhibitory-control task.

Inhibitory control enables subjects to quickly react to unexpected changes in external demands. In humans, this kind of behavioral flexibility is often used as an indicator of an individual's executive functions, and more and more research has emerged to investigate this link in nonhuman animals as well. Here we explored the value of a recently developed continuous inhibitory-control task in assessing inhibitory-control capacities in animals. Pigeons completed a response-inhibition task that required them to adjust their movement in space in pursuit of a reward across changing target locations. Inhibition was measured in terms of movement trajectory (path taken toward the correct location for trials in which the target location did and did not change) and velocity (both before and after correcting the trajectory toward the changed location). Although the observed velocities did not follow any of our predictions in a clear way, the pigeons' movement trajectories did prove to be a good indicator of inhibitory control, showing that pigeons, though limited in their capacities relative to the sophisticated control strategies expressed by humans, are capable of exerting some forms of inhibitory control. These results strengthen the role of this paradigm as a valuable tool for evaluating inhibitory-control abilities across the animal kingdom.

Neighborhood poverty predicts altered neural and behavioral response inhibition

Socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood is associated with a myriad of negative adult outcomes. One mechanism through which disadvantage undermines positive outcomes may be by disrupting the development of self-control. The goal of the present study was to examine pathways from three key indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage – low family income, low maternal education, and neighborhood poverty – to neural and behavioral measures of response inhibition. We utilized data from a representative cohort of 215 twins (ages 7–18 years, 70% male) oversampled for exposure to disadvantage, who participated in the Michigan Twins Neurogenetics Study (MTwiNS), a study within the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR). Our child-friendly Go/No-Go task activated the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and activation during this task predicted behavioral inhibition performance, extending prior work on adults to youth. Critically, we also found that neighborhood poverty, assessed via geocoding, but not family income or maternal education, was associated with IFG activation, a finding that we replicated in an independent sample of disadvantaged youth. Further, we found that neighborhood poverty predicted response inhibition performance via its effect on IFG activation. These results provide the first mechanistic evidence that disadvantaged contexts may undermine self-control via their effect on the brain. The broader neighborhood, beyond familial contexts, may be critically important for this association, suggesting that contexts beyond the home have profound effects on the developing brain and behaviors critical for future health, wealth, and wellbeing.

The role of inhibition capacities in the Iowa gambling test performance in young tattooed women

BackgroundUsing the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT), we demonstrated previously impaired decision- making process in young tattooed women. The purpose of the present study was to explore the associations among the three facets of impaired inhibition (response inhibition, reflection inhibition and interference inhibition) and decision-making processes in this population.MethodsTo this end, the participants of the previous study (60 tattooed women and 60 non-tattooed women) were assessed in the Go/NoGo task, a measure of response inhibition, the Matched Familiar Figure Test (MFFT), a measure of reflection inhibition and the Stroop task a measure of interference inhibition.ResultsTattooed women were significantly slower than non-tattooed women in the Go/NoGo performance; however, no differences were detected in the MFFT and the Stroop task. A hierarchical regression analysis did not reveal any significant main effects of these inhibition measures on the IGT performance.ConclusionsThese findings do not support the hypothesis that risky decision in young tattooed women is due to impaired inhibitory control. Further studies are needed to identify the cognitive mechanisms involved in the tendency to risky decisions in young tattooed women.

Using a serious game to measure executive functioning: Response inhibition ability

In previous research, we developed a serious target acquisition game (with moles as targets) for assessing cognitive speed. Tong, Chignell, Tierney, and Lee demonstrated that performance on the game may be a useful screening tool for risk of delirium onset. In this study, we validate a version of the game where there are not only targets (moles) that should be hit but also distractors (butterflies, or moles with hats) that should not be hit. We hypothesized that performance on the game should be a measure of response inhibition ability, which has been implicated as a factor in many types of psychopathology. We carried out an experiment (with 30 healthy participants) to test whether the serious game does in fact measure response inhibition by comparing game performance with a standard response inhibition task (the Go/No-Go discrimination task). Our results show that, with the distractors, the game does in fact assess response inhibition ability. We discuss the implications of this work for assessing executive functions in the elderly, and for evaluating recovery in neuro-rehabilitation, and declining ability to perform activities of daily living.

Does Co-Occurring Anxiety Modulate ADHD-Related Cognitive and Neurophysiological Impairments?

Objective: This study investigates whether anxiety modulates cognitive-performance, electrophysiological and electrodermal processes that we previously found impaired in individuals with ADHD. Method: Self-reported anxiety symptoms, cognitive-electrophysiological measures of response inhibition, working memory, attention, conflict monitoring, error processing, and peripheral arousal during three cognitive tasks were obtained from 87 adolescents and young adults with ADHD and 169 controls. We tested the association of anxiety symptoms with each measure and whether controlling for anxiety symptoms attenuates the ADHD–control difference for each measure. Results: Individuals with ADHD showed significantly elevated anxiety symptoms compared with controls. Only commission errors on a Continuous Performance Test (measuring response inhibition) were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms and only among controls, with the ADHD–control difference in this measure remaining significant. Conclusion: Using a wide range of cognitive, electrophysiological, and electrodermal measures, our investigation suggests, overall, limited malleability of these impairments in individuals with ADHD irrespective of their levels of anxiety.

Differential profiles of response inhibition deficit between male children with autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are both associated with response inhibition impairment. However, the relative pattern of deficits in these two disorders remains unclear. Twenty-three male children with ASD, 23 male children with SZ, and 32 typically developing male controls were recruited to complete a set of tasks measuring response inhibition in the visual, auditory, and verbal domains. We found that visual, auditory, and verbal response inhibitions were impaired in both children with ASD and children with SZ. Compared with typically developing controls, children with ASD made more commission errors whereas children with SZ responded much slower in the visual response inhibition task. Both clinical groups showed comparable impairment in verbal response inhibition, but children with SZ were more impaired in auditory response inhibition than children with ASD. These different patterns of response inhibition deficit between male children with ASD and SZ may help to differentiate between these two disorders and may be potential targets for intervention. Autism Res 2020, 13: 591-602. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: In this study, we found that male children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) made more commission errors whereas male children with schizophrenia (SZ) responded much slower in the visual response inhibition task. Both clinical groups exhibited comparable impairments in verbal response inhibition, but male children with SZ were more impaired in auditory response inhibition than male children with ASD. Our findings provide potential targets for intervention.

1.39 ACTIVATE TEST OF EMBODIED COGNITION (ATEC): A NEW AUTOMATED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM USING COGNITIVELY DEMANDING PHYSICAL TASKS TO ASSESS DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

Executive function (EF) develops throughout childhood and is related to prefrontal cortex development. Standardized tests (eg, NIH Toolbox) assess executive function (EF) in children but require little body movement and have only modest relationships with daily functioning. The ACTIVATE Test of Embodied Cognition (ATEC) measures cognitive development based on a child’s performance of cognitively demanding physical tasks assessed using an automated administration and motion capture technology. This study relates ATEC scores to parent reports of their child’s functioning and compares ATEC to standardized measures of EF and other widely used measures of response inhibition and adaptive risk taking.

Brain Activity Correlates With Cognitive Performance Deterioration During Sleep Deprivation.

We studied the correlation between oscillatory brain activity and performance in healthy subjects performing the error awareness task (EAT) every 2 h, for 24 h. In the EAT, subjects were shown on a screen the names of colors and were asked to press a key if the name of the color and the color it was shown in matched, and the screen was not a duplicate of the one before (“Go” trials). In the event of a duplicate screen (“Repeat No-Go” trial) or a color mismatch (“Stroop No-Go” trial), the subjects were asked to withhold from pressing the key. We assessed subjects’ (N = 10) response inhibition by measuring accuracy of the “Stroop No-Go” (SNGacc) and “Repeat No-Go” trials (RNGacc). We assessed their reactivity by measuring reaction time in the “Go” trials (GRT). Simultaneously, nine electroencephalographic (EEG) channels were recorded (Fp2, F7, F8, O1, Oz, Pz, O2, T7, and T8). The correlation between reactivity and response inhibition measures to brain activity was tested using quantitative measures of brain activity based on the relative power of gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta waves. In general, response inhibition and reactivity reached a steady level between 6 and 16 h of sleep deprivation, which was followed by sustained impairment after 18 h. Channels F7 and Fp2 had the highest correlation to the indices of performance. Measures of response inhibition (RNGacc and SNGacc) were correlated to the alpha and theta waves’ power for most of the channels, especially in the F7 channel (r = 0.82 and 0.84, respectively). The reactivity (GRT) exhibited the highest correlation to the power of gamma waves in channel Fp2 (0.76). We conclude that quantitative measures of EEG provide information that can help us to better understand changes in subjects’ performance and could be used as an indicator to prevent the adverse consequences of sleep deprivation.

Three-month cumulative exposure to testosterone and cortisol predicts distinct effects on response inhibition and risky decision-making in adolescents

Prior studies have established that cortisol and testosterone play a role in impulsive behavior, but little is known about how cumulative exposure to these hormones over a recent period influences cognitive processes that help to regulate impulsive behavior. We addressed this gap in the present study by examining how hair concentrations of testosterone and cortisol related to response inhibition and risky decision-making in adolescents. Adolescents provided 3 cm of hair cut as close as possible to the scalp from a posterior vertex position—indexing three months of hair growth—and completed two behavioral tasks, one that measures response inhibition and the second that measures risky decision-making. We found that greater three-month cumulative exposure to testosterone predicted better response inhibition but was unassociated with risky decision-making, whereas greater three-month cumulative exposure to cortisol predicted less risky decision-making but was unassociated with response inhibition. These results suggest that testosterone and cortisol may be associated with unique cognitive processes underpinning impulsive behavior, providing further evidence for their roles in contributing to complex impulsive behaviors in adolescence.

B-16 Evaluating the Effects of Obesity on Cognitive Functioning in a Sample of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Abstract Objective Fergenbaum et al., 2009 found that obesity was linked to increased cognitive issues in otherwise healthy individuals, while another study found obesity to be neuroprotective in a sample of dementia patients (Fitzpatrick et al., 2009). The present study explores whether obesity is associated with worse cognitive dysfunction in those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Method This study examined archival neuropsychological test data of 40 patients diagnosed with MS. Participants were separated into two groups based on their BMI: healthy/overweight individuals and obese/morbidly obese. ANOVA was performed to compare performances between groups on tasks measuring learning and memory, processing speed, and executive functioning; areas commonly affected in MS. Results Significant differences between groups were noted on only portions of two different tests; unstructured verbal learning (p = .003) and mental sequencing (p = .048), but no differences were found in other tasks. Particularly, performance was statistically equal between groups on measures of response inhibition (p = .887), visual processing speed (p = .182), visuospatial learning (p = .118), visuospatial free recall (p = .205), simple auditory attention (p = .630), working memory (p = .223), psychomotor speed (p = .969), and complex divided attention (p = .202). Conclusion Obese patients with MS scored significantly better on the majority of tasks that we reviewed. These results seem to contradict a study that examined healthy subjects but seems to replicate findings in at least one clinical population; those with dementia. It is possible that increased BMI in clinical populations may indicate better overall health leading to better cognition, though if it is actually neuroprotective and only limited to MS and dementia is uncertain. Future research endeavors are discussed.

The Effects of Repeated Dyspnea Exposure on Response Inhibition.

In order to treat dyspnea (=breathlessness) successfully, response inhibition (RI) as a major form of self-regulation is a premise. This is supported by research showing that self-regulation is associated with beneficial behavioral changes supporting treatment success in patients. Recent research showed that dyspnea has an impairing effect on RI, but the effects of repeated dyspnea exposure on RI remain unknown. Therefore, the present study tested the effects of repeated resistive load-induced dyspnea on RI over a 5-day period. Healthy volunteers (n = 34) performed the standard version of the Stroop task during baseline and dyspnea conditions on the first and fifth testing day and underwent an additional dyspnea exposure phase on each testing day. Variables of interest to investigate RI were reaction time, accuracy as well as the event-related potentials late positive complex (LPC) and N400 in the electroencephalogram. Reduced accuracy for incongruent compared to congruent stimuli during the dyspnea condition on the first testing day were found (p < 0.001). This was paralleled by a reduced LPC and an increased N400 for incongruent stimuli during the induction of dyspnea (p < 0.05). After undergoing dyspnea exposure, habituation of dyspnea intensity was evident. Importantly, on the fifth testing day, no differences between baseline, and dyspnea conditions were found for behavioral and electrophysiological measures of RI. These findings demonstrate that the impairing effect of dyspnea on RI disappeared after repeated dyspnea exposure in healthy participants. Translated to a clinical sample, it might cautiously be suggested that dyspnea exposure such as dyspnea perceived during physical exercise could reduce the impairing effect of dyspnea on RI which might have the potential to help increase self-regulation abilities and subsequent treatment efforts in dyspneic patients.

Feasibility and effects of galantamine on cognition in humans with cannabis use disorder

BackgroundAs long-term use of medicinal and recreational cannabis becomes more common and concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis increase, it is timely to identify strategies to counteract the cognitive effects of cannabinoids. ObjectiveGalantamine is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of galantamine administration to individuals with cannabis use disorder (CUD), and the effects of galantamine on cognition. We hypothesized galantamine would be well tolerated and would not have procognitive effects in the absence of acute cannabis intoxication. MethodsThirty individuals with CUD (73.5% male, 26.5% female) participated in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial. Participants completed a baseline session followed by a 10-day outpatient treatment period, during which they received either 8 mg/day of galantamine orally or placebo. Cognitive assessments were conducted at three time points and self-reported measures that may impact cognitive performance (cannabis withdrawal, craving, and mood) were completed at six time points. ResultsThere were no significant differences in demographic and baseline variables between groups (galantamine vs. placebo). There were no significant adverse effects from galantamine. Cannabis withdrawal and craving continuously decreased over the study. We saw evidence of a modest improvement in cognitive outcomes during the 10-day period, exemplified by a statistically significant increase in measures of response inhibition (increased median reaction time on the Stop Signal Task), and a trend for improvement in measures of attention (increased RVP A'), for both groups. Analyses did not show, however, a significant main effect for treatment or treatment-by-time interactions. ConclusionsThe findings of this pilot study support the feasibility of the administration of galantamine for individuals with CUD. Adequately powered, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are required to investigate the potential of galantamine to improve cognitive deficits associated with CUD.

Cognitive Modeling Suggests That Attentional Failures Drive Longer Stop-Signal Reaction Time Estimates in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Mean stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) is frequently employed as a measure of response inhibition in cognitive neuroscience research on ADHD. However, this measurement model is limited by two factors which may bias SSRT estimation in this population: 1) excessive skew in "go" RT distributions, and 2) trigger failures, or instances in which individuals fail to trigger an inhibition process in response to the "stop" signal. We use a Bayesian parametric approach, which allows unbiased estimation of the shape of entire SSRT distributions and the probability of trigger failures, to clarify mechanisms of stop-signal task deficits in ADHD. Children with ADHD displayed greater positive skew than their peers in both "go" RT and SSRT distributions. However, they also displayed more frequent trigger failures, which appeared to drive ADHD-related stopping difficulties. Results suggest that stop-signal task performance in ADHD reflects impairments in early attentional processes, rather than inefficiency in the stop process.

The relationship between numerosity discrimination and arithmetic skill reflects the approximate number system and cannot be explained by inhibitory control

Numerosity discrimination tasks (judging which of two random dotarrays contains the larger number) have been widely used as a measure of the efficiency of an approximate number system (ANS) and are a correlate of early arithmetic skills. Recently, it has been suggested that the relationship between numerosity discrimination and arithmeticis explained by inhibition rather than the ANS. We assessed this hypothesis in astudy of 496 children (mean age = 81.23 months) using numerosity discrimination tasks that manipulated the congruency between surface area and numerosity. Numerosity discrimination for incongruent arrays (which are postulated to require inhibition due to a conflict between judgments based on surface area rather than numerosity) was more difficult than that for congruent arrays. However, all numerosity discrimination tasks showed substantial correlations with each other and correlated with arithmetic. A latent variable path model showed that a general numerosity judgment factorcorrelated witharithmetic even after controlling for a measure of response inhibition. In contrast, numerosity discrimination for incongruent arrays showed no unique relationship with arithmetic ability. Our results do not support the view that the relationship between numerosity discrimination and arithmetic is largely attributable to inhibition; rather, theyare consistent withthe view that numerosity discrimination tasks tap the operation of an ANS.

Behaviour planning and inhibitory control in Sepedi-speaking primary school children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common disorders that can occur in children. The symptoms are thought to result from a deficit in executive functions. This study investigated whether children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes differed in behavioural planning and response inhibition, two of the domains of executive functioning, from a control group without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Furthermore, it examined whether the three attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes differed from each other in terms of performance. The sample ( n = 320) consisted of primary school children, aged between 6 and 14 years, from the Moletjie circuit (Limpopo). It consisted of an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder group ( n = 160) and a control group ( n = 160). The Disruptive Behavioural Disorder rating scale was used to establish the symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Tower of London was used to measure planning ability, and the inhibition subtest (arrows and shapes) from the NEPSY-II (Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, second edition) to measure response inhibition. Analysis of variance was employed to establish differences in subtype, gender, and age group. The results showed that children with the combined attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder subtype demonstrated significantly more deficits than the control group, in both behavioural planning and inhibition control. No significant differences between the hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes and the control group were found. Gender and age did not influence performance with regard to planning and inhibition tasks. Correlations between planning behaviour and response inhibition were low, which suggests that they are distinct processes.

The interaction between positive schizotypy and high sensitivity C-reactive protein on response inhibition in female individuals

This study aimed to measure the associations between high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), childhood maltreatment (CM), schizotypy and response inhibition, and to explore the interactions between hsCRP, CM and schizotypy on response inhibition. Two hundred and fourteen participants completed the Stop-Signal Task (SST), the Schizotypy Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ), which measured response inhibition, schizotypy and history of CM respectively. The level of hsCRP was also measured. The high schizotypy group (n = 114) had higher scores on SPQ and CTQ, higher hsCRP levels and longer SST reaction times (SSRTs) than the low schizotypy group (n = 100). In female participants, SSRT had a positive correlation with the SPQ positive factor and the disorganized SPQ factor and a positive correlation with physical neglect. HsCRP was positively correlated with the SPQ negative factor and positive SPQ factor. In male participants, SSRT was negatively correlated with emotional neglect and physical neglect. The majority of correlations between CTQ and SPQ variables were significant in both female and male participants. In female participants, hsCRP significantly predicted SSRT, and hsCRP significantly interacted with positive schizotypy in predicting SSRT.

Effects of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement Versus Social Support on Negative Affective Interference During Inhibitory Control Among Opioid-Treated Chronic Pain Patients: A Pilot Mechanistic Study.

Among opioid-treated chronic pain patients, deficient response inhibition in the context of emotional distress may contribute to maladaptive pain coping and prescription opioid misuse. Interventions that aim to bolster cognitive control and reduce emotional reactivity (e.g., mindfulness) may remediate response inhibition deficits, with consequent clinical benefits. To test the hypothesis that a mindfulness-based intervention, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), can reduce the impact of clinically relevant, negative affective interference on response inhibition function in an opioid-treated chronic pain sample. We examined data from a controlled trial comparing adults with chronic pain and long-term prescription opioid use randomized to either MORE (n = 27) treatment or to an active support group comparison condition (n = 30). Participants completed an Emotional Go/NoGo Task at pre- and post-treatment, which measured response inhibition in neutral and clinically relevant, negative affective contexts (i.e., exposure to pain-related visual stimuli). Repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that compared with the support group, participants in MORE evidenced significantly greater reductions from pre- to post-treatment in errors of commission on trials with pain-related distractors relative to trials with neutral distractors, group × time × condition F(1,55) = 4.14, p = .047, η2partial = .07. Mindfulness practice minutes and increased nonreactivity significantly predicted greater emotional response inhibition. A significant inverse association was observed between improvements in emotional response inhibition and treatment-related reductions in pain severity by 3-month follow-up. Study results provide preliminary evidence that MORE enhances inhibitory control function in the context of negative emotional interference.

Development and Preliminary Validation of a Virtual Reality–Based Measure of Response Inhibition Under Normal and Stressful Conditions

Response inhibition is a neurobehavioral construct important in understanding a range of various forms of psychopathology. Response inhibition is commonly assessed using paper-and-pencil behavioral measures and/or self-report questionnaires. Given that these assessment methods may be limited by a lack of ecological validity and retrospective recall biases, respectively, additional assessment methodologies are necessary. Virtual reality (VR) assessment may address some of the limitations of current assessment approaches in mental health. The purpose of this study was to therefore develop and preliminarily evaluate the validity of a VR-based measure of response inhibition and response inhibition under stress. Thirty-four participants completed the VR Task, as well as paper-and-pencil neurocognitive measures and self-report measures of attention and distress intolerance. Results suggest the VR Task performance converges with assessments of attention and response inhibition, and performance in the VR stressor condition is associated with perceived distress intolerance. These results, while highly preliminary, suggest that VR assessment of neurocognitive constructs relevant to mental health is feasible and a promising line of research.