CNTRICS final task selection: executive control

Abstract

The third meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (CNTRICS) was focused on selecting promising measures for each of the cognitive constructs selected in the first CNTRICS meeting. In the domain of executive control, the 2 constructs of interest were "rule generation and selection" and "dynamic adjustments in control." CNTRICS received 4 task nominations for each of these constructs, and the breakout group for executive control evaluated the degree to which each of these tasks met prespecified criteria. For rule generation and selection, the breakout group for executive control recommended the intradimensional/extradimensional shift task and the switching Stroop for translation for use in clinical trial contexts in schizophrenia research. For dynamic adjustments in control, the breakout group recommended conflict and error adaptation in the Stroop and the stop signal task for translation for use in clinical trials. This article describes the ways in which each of these tasks met the criteria used by the breakout group to recommend tasks for further development.

Fig. 1.

(A) Illustration of the Structure of the switching Stroop Task. The cue is either to “color” or “word” read and then the stimulus is congruent, neutral, or incongruent. (B) An illustration of trial structure for computing conflict adaptation effects in the trial-by-trial Stroop.

Fig. 2.

Stroop Task Accuracy and Reaction Times from Cohen et al. Reprinted with permission from the American Psychological Association. C = congruent, N = neutral, I = incongruent.

Fig. 3.

An Illustration of the Structure of the Stop Signal Task. On each trial, subjects are presented with a stimulus to which they must respond. On some trials they receive a subsequent cue that indicates that they have to stop their response (the stop signal). If the stop signal comes quickly after the initial stimulus, it is a short stop signal delay and it is easier for participants to halt their response. If the stop signal is presented at a longer time following the initial stimulus, it is harder for participants to halt their response.