Brain network dynamics during error commission

Abstract

Previous studies suggest that the anterior cingulate and other prefrontal brain regions might form a functionally-integrated error detection network in the human brain. This study examined whole brain functional connectivity to both correct and incorrect button presses using independent component analysis (ICA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from 25 adolescent and 25 adult healthy participants (ages 11-37) performing a visual Go/No-Go task. Correct responses engaged a network comprising left lateral prefrontal cortex, left postcentral gyrus/inferior parietal lobule, striatum, and left cerebellum. In contrast, a similar network was uniquely engaged during errors, but this network was not integrated with activity in regions believed to be engaged for higher-order cognitive control over behavior. A medial/dorsolateral prefrontal-parietal neural network responded to all No-Go stimuli, but with significantly greater activity to errors. ICA analyses also identified a third error-related circuit comprised of anterior temporal lobe, limbic, and pregenual cingulate cortices, possibly representing an affective response to errors. There were developmental differences in error-processing activity within many of these neural circuits, typically reflecting greater hemodynamic activation in adults. These findings characterize the spatial structure of neural networks underlying error commission and identify neurobiological differences between adolescents and adults.

Figure 1

Brain regions in each component associated with correct hit button presses. A: a motor‐execution neural circuit integrated with frontal, parietal, and striatal regions (Orange), B: the ‘default mode’ neural network (Blue; also associated with errors, see Table I). Statistical results are thresholded at a low of P < 0.001, corrected for searching the whole brain.

Figure 2

Brain regions in each component associated with errors. A: a motor‐execution neural circuit showing absent or decreased activity in brain regions engaged for higher‐order control (Green), B: a low‐probability stimulus processing functional circuit that has a greater response amplitude to errors (Red), C: the pregenual cingulate‐temporal lobe network possibly reflecting an affective response to errors (Yellow). Statistical results are thresholded at a low of P < 0.001, corrected for searching the whole brain.

Figure 3

Cortical surface renderings of positive (orange‐yellow) and negative (blue‐aqua) signal change in each component. Statistical results are thresholded at a low of P < 0.001, corrected for searching the whole brain. Each component hemodynamic time course is averaged over errors separately for adolescent and adult age groups to illustrate significant linear effects of age (dashed lines indicate standard error of measurement). A–C: corresponds with the green, yellow, and blue components, respectively.