Sensorimotor‐independent prefrontal activity during response inhibition

Abstract

A network of brain regions involving the ventral inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (vIFG/AI), presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and basal ganglia has been implicated in stopping impulsive, unwanted responses. However, whether this network plays an equal role in response inhibition under different sensorimotor contexts has not been tested systematically. Here, we conducted an fMRI experiment using the stop signal task, a sensorimotor task requiring occasional withholding of the planned response upon the presentation of a stop signal. We manipulated both the sensory modality of the stop signal (visual versus auditory) and the motor response modality (hand versus eye). Results showed that the vIFG/AI and the preSMA along with the right middle frontal gyrus were commonly activated in response inhibition across the various sensorimotor conditions. Our findings provide direct evidence for a common role of these frontal areas, but not striatal areas in response inhibition independent of the sensorimotor contexts. Nevertheless, these three frontal regions exhibited different activation patterns during successful and unsuccessful stopping. Together with the existing evidence, we suggest that the vIFG/AI is involved in the early stages of stopping such as triggering the stop process while the preSMA may play a role in regulating other cortical and subcortical regions involved in stopping.

The Role of the Frontal and Parietal Cortex in Proactive and Reactive Inhibitory Control: A Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Study

“…Relevant to both proactive and reactive inhibitory control, the anodal tDCS on the right IFG has been shown to change its excitability and its functional connectivity with the pre-SMA (Cai, Cannistraci, Gore, & Leung, 2014;Aron, 2011;Aron & Poldrack, 2006), which is another important area implicated in both inhibitory control processes (Aron, 2011;Wardak, 2011;Chen, Scangos, & Stuphorn, 2010). For example, a diffusion tensor imaging study showed that the right IFG and pre-SMA were structurally connected (Aron et al, 2007) and the strength of this anatomical connectivity predicted performance on an inhibitory task (Buch, Mars, Boorman, & Rushworth, 2010).…”

Decomposing Decision Components in the Stop-signal Task: A Model-based Approach to Individual Differences in Inhibitory Control

“…Differences in inhibitory control are often assessed by calculating a stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), which provides an index of how long it takes an individual to inhibit the response, and thus the strength of their inhibitory ability. Differences in SSRT across individuals relate to activation of a number of neural systems involved in the “stopping network”, including right inferior frontal gyrus, posterior parietal cortex, and pre-supplementary motor areas (Aron, 2007; Cai et al, 2013; Congdon et al, 2010). Individuals with shorter SSRTs, reflective of stronger/faster inhibition, typically show greater activation of these neural systems on inhibition trials.…”

Theory of Cognitive Aging in Parkinson Disease

“…They found that response inhibition correlated with activity in right inferior frontal cortex while error performance correlated with mesial frontopolar and bilateral inferior frontal cortex. Furthermore, Cai et al [74] subjects. They found that activation in inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus and basal ganglia was modality independent.…”