Error-related negativity (ERN) and sustained threat: Conceptual framework and empirical evaluation in an adolescent sample

Abstract

The error-related negativity (ERN) currently appears as a physiological measure in relation to three Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) constructs: Cognitive Control, Sustained Threat, and Reward Learning. We propose a conceptual model in which variance in the ERN reflects individual differences in the degree to which errors are evaluated as threatening. We also discuss evidence for the placement of the ERN in the "Sustained Threat" construct, as well as evidence that the ERN may more specifically reflect sensitivity to endogenous threat. Following this, we present data from a sample of 515 adolescent females demonstrating a larger ERN in relation to self-reported checking behaviors, but only in older adolescents, suggesting that sensitivity to internal threat and the ERN-checking relationship may follow a developmental course as adolescents develop behavioral control. In contrast, depressive symptoms were linked to a smaller ERN, and this association was invariant with respect to age. Collectively, these data suggest that the magnitude of the ERN is sensitive both to specific anxiety-related processes and depression, in opposing directions that may reflect variation in internal threat sensitivity. We discuss directions for future research, as well as ways in which findings for the ERN complement and challenge aspects of the current RDoC matrix.

Keywords: Adolescents; Anxiety; Cognitive control; ERPs; Emotion.

Figure 1

Our model of the evaluative and compensatory components of the error-monitoring process. As we have argued, the ERN reflects an evaluative stage in executive control over behaviors. The magnitude and direction of this evaluative response is sensitive to both contextual factors and individual differences. This evaluative signal then triggers downstream processes, including activation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), amygdala, and motor and sensory areas of the brain, activation of which may or may not lead to adaptive behavioral adjustments. While not depicted in this figure, contextual factors and individual differences likely also influence each step of the downstream process, and may also directly influence compensatory behaviors.

Figure 2

Response-locked Event-Related Potentials (ERP) waveforms at electrode site FCz, during the flanker task. Also depicted are the topographic maps depicting differences (in μV) between error and correct responses in the time range of the Error-related Negativity (ERN) (−25–75 ms). For the purpose of presentation, we created high and low checking groups based on quartiles, using a residual approach.

Figure 3

The interaction of age and checking behaviors measured in the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS). As depicted, the association between checking behaviors and the Error-related Negativity (ERN) only became evident at older ages.