Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: o.d.boer@essb.eur.nl.
² PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
³ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
⁸ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁹ PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁰ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Behavioural Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, OsloMet, Oslo, Norway.
¹¹ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway.
¹² Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience Cluster, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 39729859
PMCID: PMC11732202
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101500

Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood

Olga D Boer et al. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Jan.

. 2025 Jan:71:101500.

doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101500. Epub 2024 Dec 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: o.d.boer@essb.eur.nl.
² PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
³ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
⁸ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁹ PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁰ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Behavioural Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, OsloMet, Oslo, Norway.
¹¹ Center for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway.
¹² Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 DR, Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience Cluster, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 39729859
PMCID: PMC11732202
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101500

Abstract

Detecting errors and adapting behavior accordingly constitutes an integral aspect of cognition. Previous studies have linked neural correlates of error processing (e.g., error-related negativity (ERN) and error-related positivity (Pe)) to task performance and broader behavioral constructs, but few studies examined how these associations manifest in adolescence. In this study, we examined neural error processing markers and their behavioral associations in an adolescent/emerging adult sample (N = 143, M_age = 18.0 years, range 11-25 years), employing a stop-signal task. Linear regressions were conducted using bootstrap resampling to explore associations between ERN/Pe peak amplitudes and latencies, stop accuracy, stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), and post-error slowing, as well as self-reported substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems. After adjusting for age and sex, smaller frontocentral Pe amplitude and later Pe latency were associated with longer SSRT, and later Pe latency was associated with lower stop accuracy. This might indicate that the Pe, which is thought to reflect conscious error processing, reflects task performance on a response inhibition task better than the ERN, which reflects subconscious error processing. After correcting for multiple testing, there were no associations between ERN/Pe parameters and substance-related or externalizing problems, and no age interactions for these associations were detected.

Keywords: Adolescence; EEG; ERP; Error processing; Externalizing behavior; Substance use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest One of the authors (C.K. Tamnes) is an Editorial Board Member for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Depiction of the stop-signal task used in the current study. A) An example go-trial and B) an example stop trial. Color assignment of stimuli was counterbalanced.

**Fig. 2**
Grand average response-locked (response at time = 0 ms) event-related potentials for correct (black) and incorrect (red) responses in a stop-signal task, at FCz of all participants (N = 143). The waveform after incorrect (red) responses is characterized by a sharp negative peak at M = 65.7 ms (ERN), and a broader positive peak at M = 296.3 ms (frontocentral Pe). The waveform after correct (black) responses does not show these ERPs, but a correct response negativity (CRN) occurs due to stop-signal task characteristics.

**Fig. 3**
Topographic distribution of EEG amplitude (μV) averaged within various time bins following error responses across individuals (N = 143). The ERN, peaking between 0 and 100 ms after an incorrect response was largest over frontocentral recording sites (specifically, FCz). The Pe, peaking between 200 and 400 ms after an error, primarily peaked in frontocentral recording sites (FCz), but shows a more centroparietal distribution from 300 to 400 ms post response.

**Fig. 4**
Pearson’s correlation matrix of age, ERP parameters, behavioral parameters, substance-related risks and problems, externalizing and internalizing behavior. Significant (p < .05) correlations are underlined. Abbreviations: ERN = error-related negativity, Pe = error-related positivity, SSRT = stop-signal reaction time, SSD = stop-signal delay.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood

Affiliations

Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical