Open AccessExecutive function and error detection: The effect of motivation on cingulate and ventral striatum activity
Author(s) -
SimõesFranklin Cristina,
Hester Robert,
Shpaner Marina,
Foxe John J.,
Garavan Hugh
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.20879
Subject(s) - psychology , tonic (physiology) , punishment (psychology) , anterior cingulate cortex , nucleus accumbens , neuroscience , ventral striatum , error related negativity , cognition , striatum , dissociation (chemistry) , dorsum , prefrontal cortex , developmental psychology , central nervous system , chemistry , medicine , anatomy , dopamine
Reacting appropriately to errors during task performance is fundamental to successful negotiation of our environment. This is especially true when errors will result in a significant penalty for the person performing a given task, be they financial or otherwise. Error responses and monitoring states were manipulated in a GO/NOGO task by introducing a financial punishment for errors. This study employed a mixed block design alternating between punishment and no punishment (neutral) conditions, enabling an assessment of tonic changes associated with cognitive control as well as trial‐specific effects. Behavioural results revealed slower responses and fewer commission errors in the punishment condition. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) had equal trial‐specific activity for errors in the neutral and punishment conditions but had greater tonic activity throughout the punishment condition. A region of interest analysis revealed different activation patterns between the dorsal and the rostral parts of the ACC with the rostral ACC having only trial‐specific activity for errors in the punishment condition, an activity profile similar to one observed in the nucleus accumbens. This study suggests that there is a motivational influence on cognitive processes in the ACC and nucleus accumbens and hints at a dissociation between tonic proactive activity and phasic reactive error‐related activity. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.