Error-Related Cognitive Control and Behavioral Adaptation Mechanisms in the Context of Motor Functioning and Anxiety

Abstract

Motor proficiency reflects the ability to perform precise and coordinated movements in different contexts. Previous research suggests that different profiles of motor proficiency may be associated with different cognitive functioning characteristics thus suggesting an interaction between cognitive and motor processes. The current study investigated this interaction in the general population of healthy adults with different profiles of motor proficiency by focusing on error-related cognitive control and behavioral adaptation mechanisms. In addition, the impact of these processes was assessed in terms of trait anxiety and worries. Forty healthy adults were divided into high and low motor proficiency groups based on an assessment of their motor skills. Using electroencephalography during a flanker task, error-related negativity (ERN) was measured as the neural indicator of cognitive control. Post-error slowing (PES) was measured to represent behavioral adaptation. Participants also completed an anxiety assessment questionnaire. Participants in the high motor proficiency group achieved better task accuracy and showed relatively enhanced cognitive control through increased ERN. Contrastingly, individuals in the lower motor proficiency group achieved poorer accuracy whilst showing some evidence of compensation through increased PES. Trait anxiety reflecting general worries was found to be correlated with motor functioning, but the study could not provide evidence that this was related to cognitive or behavioral control mechanisms. The interaction between cognitive and motor processes observed in this study is unique for healthy and sub-clinical populations and provides a baseline for the interpretation of similar investigations in individuals with motor disorders.

Keywords: anxiety; behavioral adaptation; cognitive control; error-related negativity; motor skills; post-error slowing.

Figure 1

An example of the conditions presented in the flanker task. (A) is the congruent condition, (B) is the incongruent conditions, and (C) is the neutral condition.

Figure 2

Post-error and post-correct waveforms presented for each motor proficiency group. The high motor proficiency group is presented in panel (A) and the low motor proficiency group is presented in panel (B). The difference waves in panel (C) reflect the error-related negativity (ERN) response which is additionally presented with a topographic distribution for each group.

Figure 3

Individual data are displayed in the form of jittered dots and data density, indicated by the width of the shape. The mean value is marked by the black indicator line and the box around it marks the high-density intervals of the mean. (A) Differences in the error-related negativity (ERN) values between the two groups. ERN values were inverted from negative to positive values to represent larger ERN at the top of the plot and smaller ERN at the bottom. (B) Differences in the post-error slowing (PES) values between the two groups.

Figure 4

Visual representation of the relationship between anxiety scores (x-axis) and motor proficiency (y-axis) with a marked line of best fit and the confidence intervals reflected with the shadowed area.

Figure 5

Visual representation of the relationship between task accuracy (x-axis) and the error-related negativity (ERN) amplitudes (y-axis) with a marked line of best fit and the confidence intervals reflected with the shadowed area. The ERN values have been reversed for visualization purposes as the more negative the ERN the stronger the cognitive control signal.