Modified Flanker Task Research Articles

Inefficient and unique processing of social–emotional interference in school-aged children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder

IntroductionInterest is growing in investigating the ability of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to process social information under conflicting and complex environments. However, few studies have employed objective behavioral measures to directly explore the underlying profile of social–emotional interference control.MethodsIn the current study, 53 children with ASD and 53 typically developing (TD) control, aged 6–12 years, completed a set of modified flanker tasks involving arrows, schematic faces, same real faces (with facial interference by the same person), and different real faces (with facial interference by different people), respectively. Response time in incongruent (RTInc) and congruent conditions (RTCon), percentage of errors in incongruent (%ErrorInc) and congruent conditions (%ErrorCon), and flanker effect calculated by ΔRT = (RTInc − RTCon)/RTCon and Δ%Error = %ErrorInc − %ErrorCon were used as outcome metrics.ResultsWe obtained three major results: (1) the ASD group had longer RTInc and RTCon compared to the TD group in the arrow, schematic face, and same real-face tasks; (2) compared with the performance in the arrow flanker task, both groups exhibited longer RTs and reduced ΔRTs in the same real-face task; however, in the schematic-face task, longer RT and reduced ΔRT were exhibited in the TD group, but not in the ASD group; and (3) in the different real-face task, ASD group had higher %Error than the TD group, and %Error was negatively correlated with RT only in the ASD group.ConclusionThe current study delineates the inefficient processing of social–emotional interference in school-aged children with ASD and further suggests that these children might adopt a relatively optimized strategy like symbolization when dealing with emotional conflict. However, such compensatory cognitive strategies may be exhausted along with the increase in information load. These findings provide new perspectives of considering the difference more than difficulty in the cognitive profile of ASD, which will benefit the development of targeted behavioral interventions.

Cognitive benefits of higher cardiorespiratory fitness in preadolescent children are associated with increased connectivity within the cingulo-opercular network

Higher cardiorespiratory fitness has been associated with improved cognitive control in preadolescent children, with various studies highlighting related brain health benefits. This cross-sectional study aimed to provide novel insights into the fitness-cognition relationship by investigating task-related changes in effective connectivity within two brain networks involved in cognitive control: the cingulo-opercular and fronto-parietal networks. Twenty-four higher-fit and twenty-four lower-fit preadolescent children completed a modified flanker task that modulated inhibitory control demand while their EEG and task performance were concurrently recorded. Effective connectivity for correct trials in the theta band was estimated using directed transfer function. The results indicate that children with higher fitness levels demonstrated greater connectivity in specific directions within the cingulo-opercular network (average effect size, d = 0.72). Brain-behavior correlations demonstrated a positive association between the majority of these connections and general task accuracy, which was also higher in higher fit children (average correlation coefficient, ρ = 0.34). The findings further support a positive relationship between fitness and cognitive performance in children. EEG findings offer novel insights into the potential brain mechanisms underlying the fitness-cognition relationship. The study suggests that increased task-related connectivity within the cingulo-opercular network may mediate the cognitive benefits associated with higher fitness levels in preadolescent children.

The interplay of dopaminergic genotype and parent-child relationship in relation to intra-individual response time variability in preschoolers: A replication study.

Intra-individual response time variability (IIRTV) during cognitive performance is increasingly recognized as an important indicator of attentional control (AC) and related brain region function. However, what determinants contribute to preschoolers' IIRTV received little attention. The present study explored the interaction of dopaminergic polygenic composite score (DPCS) and the parent-child relationship in relation to preschoolers' IIRTV. In the initial sample, 452 preschoolers (M age=5.17, SD=0.92) participated in the study. The modified Flanker task was used to evaluate children's IIRTV and their parents were requested to complete the Parent-Child Relationship Scale to assess the parent-child relationship (closeness/conflict). DNA data were extracted from children's saliva samples, and a DPCS was created by the number of COMT, DAT1, and DRD2 alleles associated with lower dopamine levels. Results showed that DPCS significantly interacted with the parent-child closeness to impact preschoolers' IIRTV. Specifically, preschoolers with higher DPCS exhibited lower IIRTV under higher levels of the parent-child closeness, and greater IIRTV under lower levels of the parent-child closeness compared to those with lower DPCS, which supported the differential susceptibility theory (DST). A direct replication attempt with 280 preschoolers (M age=4.80, SD=0.86) was conducted to investigate whether the results were in accordance with our exploratory outcomes. The interactive effect of DPCS and the parent-child closeness on IIRTV was confirmed. Additionally, the significant interactive effect of DPCS and the parent-child conflict on IIRTV was found in the replication study. The findings indicate that preschoolers' IIRTV, as an indicator of AC and related brain region function, is influenced by the interactions of dopaminergic genotypes and the parent-child relationship. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We investigated the Gene × Environment mechanism to underline the intra-individual response time variability as an indicator of attentional control (AC) in Chinese preschoolers. Dopaminergic polygenic composite score (COMT, DAT1, and DRD2) interacted with the parent-child relationship to predict preschoolers' intra-individual reaction time variability. A direct replication attempt has been conducted, and the results were in accordance with our exploratory outcomes, which increased the credibility of the present findings. The findings highlight the importance of considering precursors, including polygenic and environmental factors, which contribute to the development of early cognitive performance such as AC.

Effects of 9 Weeks of High- or Moderate-Intensity Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Inhibitory Control, and Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Danish Adolescents-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The primary aims of this study were to examine the effects of 9 weeks of aerobic training, comprising three 30-min sessions per week, on V̇O2max, inhibitory control, and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels among adolescents aged 16-19 years. One hundred twenty-one untrained or recreationally active adolescents from a Danish high school were enrolled in the study, with 58 females (17.8 ± 0.8 years) and 27 males (18.0 ± 0.9 years) completing it. Participants were randomly divided into three groups performing aerobic training at either moderate-intensity (MIT: 60%-70% heart rate reserve [HRR]) or high-intensity (HIT: 80%-100% HRR) or a passive control group (CON) continuing their habitual lifestyle. Both the training groups exercised for 3×30 min per week for 9 weeks using a combination of cycling and running. Before and after the intervention period maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) and the primary outcomes (inhibitory control measured by a modified flanker task, and resting plasma levels of BDNF) were evaluated. After the intervention period, the HIT group demonstrated a larger increase in V̇O2max compared to both the CON and MIT groups, while no significant effects were observed on inhibitory control or plasma BDNF levels in any training group. However, compared to the CON group, the HIT group exhibited a tendency for greater improvement in the flanker interference score (accuracy), attributable to enhanced accuracy on the incongruent stimuli from pre to post. Aerobic training in adolescents increased cardiorespiratory fitness in an intensity-dependent manner, but no clear effects were observed on neither inhibitory control nor resting plasma BDNF levels. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02075944.

The influence of app-based mindfulness training on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during an attentional control task: A fNIRS driven pilot study

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in treating psychological disturbances such as depression and anxiety. However the neural mechanisms underpinning MBIs, remain unclear. While studies employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography have advanced our understanding of neural correlates influenced by mindfulness, these modalities have notable limitations that restrict their applicability across various demographics. This study explored the feasibility of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a viable alternative for assessing neurocognitive changes induced by MBIs. To do this, fNIRS data was collected from 19 university students during a modified flanker task, before and after a week-long, app-based mindfulness intervention. Post intervention, participants improved their ability to inhibit pre-potent responses to stimuli after a rule change. While no significant pre-post changes in cortical activation of the DLPFC were observed, participants who performed better (i.e., better response accuracy) required less modulation from the DLPFC. These results continue to establish the use of fNIRS as an effective tool for understanding neurocognitive underpinnings of mindfulness. As a less invasive, cost-efficient modality, fNIRS shows promise in expanding neuroscientific investigation into understudied samples that may not be well suited for traditional methods such as fMRI. Ultimately, this could lead to more effective mindfulness interventions that have already shown promise in treating a range of physical and psychological disorders.

The Benefits of Acute Exercise for Children's Cognition Are Associated with Trait Anxiety.

Children's anxiety is associated with decreased cognitive performance. One well-established behavioral intervention to transiently improve cognitive performance in children is acute aerobic exercise (AAE). Thus far, however, it is unclear whether the benefits of AAE on cognition vary based on individual differences in children's anxiety level. Therefore, we investigated whether trait anxiety levels mediate the effects of AAE on cognitive outcomes in preadolescent children. Ninety-five preadolescent children (9 to 11 yr, 41 females) underwent two experimental interventions in a random, crossover, and counterbalanced design: an exercise protocol (20 min of walking at 65% to 75% of HRpeak) and a nonexercise control (seated rest). Behavioral indices of cognitive performance (accuracy, reaction times, response time (RT) variability) were assessed before and after each intervention using a modified flanker task. The effects of each intervention on cognitive performance were calculated as pre- to postintervention differences (effect scores). These scores were first correlated with children's personal characteristics: anxiety (STAIC), sex, age, body mass index, intelligence quotient, and aerobic fitness. Significant correlations guided subsequent hierarchical regression models, which specifically tested for associations between the effects scores and anxiety levels while controlling for remaining relevant covariates. Regression analysis revealed that anxiety was a significant predictor of the effects that AAE and rest had on cognitive performance. Specifically, higher anxiety scores were associated with greater exercise-induced cognitive benefits (increased accuracy, decreased RT variability; all P < 0.05) and greater rest-induced cognitive impairments (decreased accuracy, increased RT variability; all P < 0.01). These findings suggest that children reporting higher trait anxiety might experience greater cognitive benefits from a single bout of AAE.

Neuroelectric indices of pre-motor planning and adiposity are selectively related to balance in children

BackgroundMotor function and weight status are components of physical fitness that have been implicated in childhood motor and cognitive development. The lateralized readiness potential (LRP), an index of motor planning and action, can provide context surrounding relationships between fitness and brain activity underlying cognitive and motor functions. This study evaluated the relationship between the LRP and motor skills, as well as associations between weight status and neural and behavioral motor functions. MethodsChildren aged 7–13 (n = 35) participated in a cross-sectional study, using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition (MABC-2) to assess balance, manual dexterity, and aiming/catching. The stimulus- (LRP-S) and response-locked (LRP-R) LRPs were elicited from a modified flanker task. Stepwise regressions tested the association between LRPs and MABC-2 components. Linear regressions were conducted to examine BMI and %Fat in relation to LRPs and MABC-2 components. ResultsAnalyses revealed that LRP-S mean amplitude difference (β = 0.401, P = 0.042) and reaction time interference scores (β = 0.545, P = 0.004) were positively associated with balance, after adjusting for covariates. The LRP-S and interference scores did not predict other MABC-2 outcomes and LRP-R did not predict any MABC-2 components. Further, %Fat (β = −0.439, P = 0.044), not BMI (β = −0.364, P = 0.082), only predicted balance. ConclusionWe found that changes in the LRP-S amplitude were positively associated with balance, and %Fat was negatively related to balance. This evidence is that fitness components such as weight status and coordination are related to neural markers of motor function which may be useful in intervention designs aimed to improve brain function via improvements in physical fitness and health behaviors.

The effect of working memory load on selective attention to emotional faces for social anxiety individuals.

Research has confirmed that individuals with social anxiety (SA) show an attentional bias towards threat-related stimuli. However, the extent to which this attentional bias depends on top-down cognitive control processes remains controversial. The present study investigated the effect of working memory (WM) load on selective attention to emotional faces in both high social anxiety (HSA) and low social anxiety (LSA) groups by manipulating WM load through the inclusion of forward counting in multiples of two (low load) or backward counting in multiples of seven (high load) within a modified flanker task. In the flanker task, emotional faces (angry, happy, or neutral faces) were used as targets and distractors. A total of 70 participants (34 HSA participants; 36 LSA participants) completed the flanker task in the laboratory. The results showed that the HSA individuals performed worse when responding to angry targets. Relative to LSA individuals, HSA individuals showed interference from angry distractors in the flanker task, resulting in significantly lower accuracy in identifying angry targets compared to happy targets. These results were unaffected by the manipulation of WM load. The findings imply HSA individuals have impaired attentional control, and that their threat-related attentional bias relies more on the bottom-up automatic attentional process.

Impaired insight and error-monitoring deficits among outpatients with attenuated psychosis syndrome and first-episode psychosis

We aimed to determine the relationship between electrophysiological signatures of error monitoring and clinical insight among outpatients with attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) and first-episode psychosis (FEP). Error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), and correct response negativity (CRN) were recorded during a modified flanker task for patients with FEP (n = 32), APS individuals (n = 58), and healthy controls (HC, n = 49). Clinical insight was measured using the Schedule of Assessment of Insight (SAI) and included awareness of illness (SAI-illness), relabeling of specific symptoms (SAI-symptoms), and treatment compliance (SAI-treatment). Compared with HC, patients with FEP showed smaller ERN (p < 0.001) and Pe (p = 0.011) amplitudes and individuals with APS showed smaller ERN amplitude (p = 0.009). No significant difference in CRN amplitude was observed among the groups. A smaller negative amplitude of ERN correlated with a lower score on SAI-symptoms (b = −0.032, 95% CI: 0.062 to −0.002, p = 0.035) and a decreased total score of SAI (b = −0.096, 95% CI: 0.182 to −0.010, p = 0.029). This links were adjusted for age, education, and diagnosis (a dummy variable with FEP = 1 and APS = 0), and was independent of positive symptoms. SAI-illness was predominantly influenced by diagnosis, whereas SAI-treatment was additionally affected by disorganized communications. Neither Pe nor CRN amplitude exhibited an association with clinical insight. Unconscious error detection, as indicated by ERN, may aid individuals at the preliminary stage of psychosis in recognizing the unusual symptoms.

Direct and indirect effects of error monitoring on social functioning in a cohort with high-risk and first-episode psychosis

Error monitoring plays a key role in people's adjustment to social life. This study aimed to examine the direct (DE) and indirect effects (IDE) of error monitoring, as indicated by error-related negativity (ERN), on social functioning in a clinical cohort from high-risk (APS) to first-episode psychosis (FEP). This study recruited 100 outpatients and 49 healthy controls (HC). ERN was recorded during a modified flanker task; social functioning was evaluated using the social scale of global functioning. The path analysis was executed using the “lavaan” package. When controlling for age and education, the clinical cohort had a smaller ERN than the HC group (F1, 145 = 19.58, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.12, 95%CI: 0.04–0.22). ERN demonstrated no substantial direct impact on current social functioning; however, it manifested indirect influences on social functioning via the disorganization factor of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, both with (standardized IDE: −0.139, p = 0.009) and without (standardized IDE: −0.087, p = 0.018) accounting for the diagnosis, defined as a dummy variable (FEP = 1 and APS = 0) and included as a covariate. These findings suggest that error monitoring, as indicated by ERN, may serve as a potential prognostic indicator of social functioning in patients with psychosis.

Cue Predictability Modulates the Perceptual Load's Attentional Control on Threatening Facial Distractors

Background: According to the perceptual load theory, distractor processing is determined by the perceptual load. Alternatively, some explanations suggest that perceptual load and distractor salience may have opposing effects. Objectives: Although numerous studies have been conducted on the effect of distractor salience on attentional capture, even under conditions of high perceptual load, it is still unclear whether spatial cueing of the distractor interferes with the perceptual load. Methods: In two experiments, the effect of the predictability of distractor cueing on attentional capture due to threatening facial stimuli was studied using a modified flanker task. In experiment 2, unlike the first experiment, heterogeneous targets and distractors were used to mimic real-life experiences. Results: In experiment 1, the high perceptual load was associated with decreased distractor processing, whether the cueing was completely valid, invalid, or absent. However, the distractor processing between low and high perceptual loads was not different in ambiguous cueing. In the second experiment, contrary to the first experiment, no perceptual load effect was observed in the absence of spatial cueing. Conclusions: Even in displays with high perceptual load, some stimulus-driven features-inability to predict the distractor's location—can interfere with attentional control. Therefore, although the perceptual load is an influential factor in the selection, it clearly cannot be the only factor determining attentional control. Additionally, this study reveals that the effect of perceptual load on attentional control in everyday life should be further studied and questioned.

Effects of institutional rearing and foster care intervention on error monitoring and externalizing behaviors in adolescence

Children raised in institutions display deficits in error monitoring and increased psychopathology. Deficits in error monitoring might be a pathway for the emergence of psychopathology in previously institutionalized adolescents. Here we investigate the impact of early psychosocial deprivation and a foster care intervention on error monitoring and its association with internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in adolescence A modified Flanker task assessed error monitoring in 16-year-old adolescents from the BEIP. The ERN and mid-frontal theta power were computed as indices of neural responses of error monitoring. Adolescents who experienced early institutional rearing and were subsequently placed into foster care showed comparable behavioral (RT, accuracy) and neural (ERN, theta power) measures of error monitoring to their never institutionalized peers; whereas adolescents who received care as usual showed both perturbed behavioral performance and neural responses. Longer duration of institutional care was associated with a reduction in mid-frontal theta power. The results further demonstrated a link between error monitoring as measured by ERN and mid-frontal theta and externalizing-ADHD behavioral problems in adolescents who continued receiving care as usual. The results highlight the long‐term positive impact of early foster care placement and perturbations due to prolonged institutional care in neural responses of error monitoring.

Effects of a Summer Physical Activity Program on Fitness and Cognitive Function among Children from Low Socioeconomic Households.

During the summer months, school aged children experience a loss in academic gains made over the course of the school year, as well as engage in poorer health behaviors such as decreased physical activity and poor diet that can lead to excess weight gain. This study aimed to assess changes in body composition, fitness, and cognitive abilities in children from low-income households after a summer physical activity program and explored whether time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was related to these changes. Participant's (N = 77) body composition, aerobic fitness (i.e., PACER), and cognitive function (i.e., modified flanker task) were measured during week 1 and week 3. MVPA was collected via hip accelerometer worn during program hours. Paired t-tests and regression analyses were conducted to determine changes between week 1 and 3, whether participation was related to changes in fitness, adiposity, and cognitive function. T-tests revealed significant changes in PACER score (10.71 ± 7.72 to 13.301 ± 10.68; p< 0.001) and incongruent accuracy on the flanker task (65.94% ± 23.83 to 69.00% ± 21.89; p< 0.006), however no significant change in BMI-for-age percentile or body fat percentage was detected. Additionally, regression analyses revealed no significant relationship between change in MVPA or attendance, and changes in PACER, flanker task performance, BMI, or body fat percentage. Children that participated in a summer physical activity program targeted toward children affected by poverty exhibited significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive abilities, and no changes in body composition.

Effects of cognitive demand during acute exercise on inhibitory control and its electrophysiological indices: A randomized crossover study

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive demand during acute exercise on the behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of inhibitory control. In a within- participants design, 30 male participants (age range = 18–27 years) performed 20-min sessions of high cognitive-demand exercise (HE), low cognitive-demand exercise (LE), and an active control (AC) on separate days in a randomized order. A moderate-to-vigorous intensity interval step exercise was used as the exercise intervention. During the exercise periods, the participants were instructed to respond to the target among competing stimuli to impose different cognitive demands with their feet. A modified flanker task was administered to assess inhibitory control before and after the interventions, and electroencephalography was used to derive stimulus-elicited N2 and P3 components. Behavioral data showed that the participants performed significantly shorter reaction time (RT), regardless of congruency and a reduced RT flanker effect following HE and LE compared with the AC condition with large (ds = −0.934 to −1.07) and medium effect sizes (ds = −0.502 to −0.507), respectively. Electrophysiological data revealed that compared with the AC condition, acute HE and LE had facilitative effects on stimuli evaluation, as indicated by significantly shorter N2 latency for congruent trials and P3 latency regardless of congruency with medium effect sizes (ds = −0.507 to −0.777). Compared with the AC condition, only acute HE elicited more efficient neural processes in conditions requiring high inhibitory control demand, as indicated by significantly shorter N2 difference latency, with a medium effect size (d = −0.528). Overall, the findings suggest that acute HE and LE facilitate inhibitory control and the electrophysiological substrates of target evaluation. Acute exercise with higher cognitive demand may be associated with more refined neural processing for tasks demanding greater amounts of inhibitory control.

Children’s inhibition skills are associated with their P3a latency—results from an exploratory study

BackgroundThe P3a response is thought to reflect involuntary orienting to an unexpected stimulus and has been connected with set-shifting and inhibition in some studies. In our exploratory study, we investigated if the amplitude and the latency of the P3a response were associated with the performance in a modified flanker task measuring inhibition and set-shifting in 10-year-old children (N = 42). Children participated in electroencephalography (EEG) measurement with an auditory multifeature paradigm including standard, deviating, and novel sounds. In addition, they performed a separate flanker task requiring inhibition and set-shifting skills.ResultsThe P3a latencies for deviant sounds were associated with the reaction time reflecting inhibition: the shorter the response latencies were, the faster the reaction time was. The P3a latencies for novel sounds were not linked to the reaction times reflecting either inhibition or set-shifting. In addition, the magnitude of the P3a response was not associated with the performance in the flanker task.ConclusionsOur results suggest that P3a response latency and reaction speed reflecting inhibitory skills are based on shared neural mechanism. Thus, the present study brings new insight to the field investigating the associations between behavior and its neural indices.

Cathepsin B and Muscular Strength are Independently Associated with Cognitive Control.

Although muscular strength has been linked to greater cognitive function across different cognitive domains, the mechanism(s) through which this occurs remain(s) poorly understood. Indeed, while an emerging body of literature suggests peripheral myokines released from muscular contractions may play a role in this relationship, additional research is needed to understand this link. Accordingly, this study sought to compare the influences of a particular myokine, Cathepsin B (CTSB), and muscular strength on hippocampal-dependent relational memory and cognitive control in 40 adults (age = 50.0±7.3 yrs). Overnight fasted venous blood draws were taken to assess plasma CTSB and muscular strength was assessed as maximal isokinetic strength testing using a Biodex dynamometer. Cognitive performance was assessed using a Spatial Reconstruction Task to assess relational memory and a modified Flanker task to assess cognitive control. Neuroelectric function for cognitive control was assessed using event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during the Flanker task. Initial bivariate correlational analyses revealed that neither sex, age, lean body mass, or muscular strength was associated with CTSB. However, CTSB was inversely associated with reaction time and fractional peak latency of the P3 component of the Flanker task. Muscular strength was also inversely associated with reaction time and positively associated with relational memory performance. However, the influence of muscular strength on relational memory did not persist following adjustment for covariates. Greater circulating CTSB was selectively associated with greater cognitive control as well as faster information processing speed. These findings are the first to link circulating CTSB to both cognitive control and neuroelectric function. Future intervention studies are needed to examine the effects of changes in muscular strength, circulating myokines, and different domains of cognitive function.

Linking Mild Childhood Adversity with Conflict and False Feedback Monitoring

ABSTRACT It was proposed that dimensions of childhood adversity (i.e., deprivation and threat) have distinct effects on neural development and function. Present study examined the relationships between mild deprivation/threat and performance monitoring among undergraduate students without psychiatric diagnoses. By using event-related potentials (ERPs), 78 participants underwent a modified Flanker task in which false feedback on approximately 10% of the correct response trials was administered. The dynamic stages of performance monitoring in this task were differentiated into interference monitoring, feedback processing, and behavior adjustment. Childhood adversity was assessed by a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), which was further divided into subscales of neglect (as a proxy for deprivation dimension) and abuse (as a proxy for threat dimension). Our results showed that higher score of childhood neglect was associated with more interference cost indicated by longer RT to interference trials at the behavioral level, and altered interference monitoring indicated by smaller N2 amplitude to interference trials at the neural level. Meanwhile, higher score of childhood abuse was related to smaller P3 amplitude to unexpected negative feedback. These results suggested that mild childhood deprivation might be associated with altered processing of interference monitoring, while mild childhood threat might be linked to lower electrophysiological response to unexpected negative feedback among young adults without psychiatric disorders.

Midfrontal theta is associated with errors, but no evidence for a link with error-related memory

Midfrontal theta is widely observed in situations with increased demand for cognitive control, such as monitoring response errors. It also plays an important role in the cognitive control involved in memory, supporting processes like the binding of single items into a memory representation or encoding contextual information. In the current study, we explored the link between midfrontal theta and error-related memory. To this end, we recorded EEG from 31 participants while they performed a modified flanker task. Their memory for the errors made during the task was assessed after each experimental block, and its relationship with error-related midfrontal theta effects was investigated. We have replicated the error-related increase in midfrontal theta power, reported in previous literature. However, this error-related theta effect could not predict subsequent memory of the committed errors. Our findings add to a growing literature on the prefrontal cortex-guided control process in error monitoring and memory.

Visual filtering in time and space among persons with Down syndrome.

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) appear to perform at a level that is commensurate with developmental expectations on simple tasks of selective attention. In this study, we examine how their selective attention is impacted by target changes that unfold over both time and space. This increased complexity reflects an attempt at greater ecological validity in an experimental task, as a steppingstone for better understanding attention among persons with DS in real-world environments. A modified flanker task was used to assess visual temporal and spatial filtering among persons with DS (n=14) and typically developing individuals (n=14) matched on non-verbal mental age (mental age=8.5years). Experimental conditions included varying the stimulus onset asynchronies between the onset of the target and flankers, the distances between the target and flankers, and the similarity of the target and flankers. Both the participants with DS and the typically developing participants showed slower reaction times and lower accuracy rates when the flankers appeared closer in time and/or space to the target. No group differences were found on a broad level, but the findings suggest that dynamic stimuli may be processed differently by those with DS. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the developmental approach to intellectual disability originally articulated by Ed Zigler.

Motivated for movement: Beta activation over the motor cortex resulting from intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

Past work on motivation has primarily studied dichotomous distinctions of motivation (e.g., extrinsic or intrinsic). However, focusing on the overall motivational intensity may be better at accentuating the unique differences within and between varying motivators as it pertains to the impetus to act. Specifically, motivational intensity influences neural patterns of beta band frequency (13-30 Hz) as measured by electroencephalography (EEG) that enable motor-action preparation, a neural correlate of motivated movement. The primary aim of across three experiments was to investigate neural motor-action preparation to modified flanker tasks within achievement (Experiment 1), autonomous (Experiment 2), and extrinsic vs. intrinsic (Experiment 3) motivational contexts. Experiment 1 revealed greater motor-action preparation for challenging trial cues and did not differ in behavioral attentional and performance measures across both trial types. Experiment 2 revealed no significant difference in motor-action preparation, did not differ in behavioral attentional narrowing and had worse behavioral performance in high autonomy relative to low autonomy trials. Experiment 3 revealed greater motor-action preparation for challenging trial cues, did not differ in behavioral attentional narrowing and had a faster performance for reward trials relative to high autonomy trials. These findings suggest motivators of the same category (i.e., intrinsic) may differ in motivational strength, as suggested by a neurophysiological measure of immediate motivated movement planning.