Strategies of selective changing: Preparatory neural processes seem to be responsible for differences in complex inhibition

Abstract

Selective inhibition describes the stopping of an action while other actions are further executed. It can be differentiated between two strategies to stop selectively: the fast but global stop all , then discriminate strategy and the slower but more selective first discriminate , then stop strategy . It is assumed that the first discriminate , then stop strategy is especially used when information regarding which action might have to be stopped is already available beforehand. Moreover, it is supposed that both strategies differ in matters of basal ganglia pathways used for their execution. Aim of the present study was to investigate the use of the two strategies in situations requiring selective changing of an action. Eighteen healthy male participants performed a selective stop-change task with informative and uninformative cues during fMRI. Behavioral results show that informative cues led to a benefit in both inhibition times and selectivity. FMRI data revealed that the same cortico-subcortical pathway was used with informative and uninformative cues. Behavioral and neuronal results indicate that participants used the first discriminate , then stop strategy for selective inhibition irrespective of the amount of previously available information. Moreover, the neural activity data indicate that the benefit in the informed condition was produced by an efficient preparation for the concrete change process. Possible factors that might affect which strategy is used for selective stopping are the level of previously available information (foreknowledge) and the experimental set-up, as e.g. task complexity.

Neural substrates of the executive function construct, age‐related changes, and task materials in adolescents and adults: ALE meta‐analyses of 408 fMRI studies

“…The engagement of the inferior occipital gyrus in our findings indicates the encoding of task‐relevant visual information to modulate inhibition control. The temporal regions have been correlated with successful performance on inhibition tasks (Antons et al., 2019). Evidence has implied that the temporal regions underlie the long‐term storage of information and the short‐term retention and integration of new recalled information (Owen, 2000; Takahashi et al., 2007).…”

“…Previous studies have linked the supramarginal gyrus with the motor and attentional control required to inhibit a prepotent response (Arrington et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2020). The temporal regions may represent ongoing inhibition processes that underlie task performance (Antons et al., 2019). For switching, our results revealed the involvement of the right superior parietal lobule and left superior frontal gyrus in switching‐specific activation.…”

Motor inhibition errors and interference suppression errors differ systematically on neural and behavioural features of response monitoring

“…In the 8ART, the first strategy is more efficient, as the congruent trials are more frequent than the incongruent trials. The latter strategy might be more suitable for less complex tasks which focus on the speed of stopping 47 .…”

Dual-Coil Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Reveals Temporal Dynamics of Bilateral Corticomotor Excitability During Response Inhibition

“…Mounting evidence suggests the pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) is important for resolving conflict in the presence of competing response options and reprogramming responses during task switching (Dove, Pollmann, Schubert, Wiggins, & von Cramon, 2000; Isoda & Hikosaka, 2007; Neubert, Mars, Buch, Olivier, & Rushworth, 2010). The preSMA therefore plays a pivotal role in the stop-change framework (Antons et al, 2019; Jha et al, 2015; Roberts & Husain, 2015; Swann et al, 2012). Of note, preSMA activation is specifically linked to successful partial cancellation trials of the ARI task (Coxon et al, 2016; Coxon et al, 2009; Coxon, Van Impe, Wenderoth, & Swinnen, 2012) which implies the presence of response reprogramming.…”