Table_3_An Action-Independent Role for Midfrontal Theta Activity Prior to Error Commission.pdf

Error-related electroencephalographic (EEG) signals have been widely studied concerning the human cognitive capability of differentiating between erroneous and correct actions. Midfrontal error-related negativity (ERN) and theta band oscillations are believed to underlie post-action error monitoring. However, it remains elusive how early monitoring activity is trackable and what are the pre-response brain mechanisms related to performance monitoring. Moreover, it is still unclear how task-specific parameters, such as cognitive demand or motor control, influence these processes. Here, we aimed to test pre- and post-error EEG patterns for different types of motor responses and investigate the neuronal mechanisms leading to erroneous actions. We implemented a go/no-go paradigm based on keypresses and saccades. Participants received an initial instruction about the direction of response to be given based on a facial cue and a subsequent one about the type of action to be performed based on an object cue. The paradigm was tested in 20 healthy volunteers combining EEG and eye tracking. We found significant differences in reaction time, number, and type of errors between the two actions. Saccadic responses reflected a higher number of premature responses and errors compared to the keypress ones. Nevertheless, both led to similar EEG patterns, supporting previous evidence for increased ERN amplitude and midfrontal theta power during error commission. Moreover, we found pre-error decreased theta activity independent of the type of action. Source analysis suggested different origin for such pre- and post-error neuronal patterns, matching the anterior insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, respectively. This opposite pattern supports previous evidence of midfrontal theta not only as a neuronal marker of error commission but also as a predictor of action performance. Midfrontal theta, mostly associated with alert mechanisms triggering behavioral adjustments, also seems to reflect pre-response attentional mechanisms independently of the action to be performed. Our findings also add to the discussion regarding how salience network nodes interact during performance monitoring by suggesting that pre- and post-error patterns have different neuronal sources within this network.

与人类区分错误与正确行为的认知能力相关的错误相关脑电图（electroencephalographic, EEG）信号已得到广泛研究。学界普遍认为，动作后错误监测的神经基础为额中区错误相关负波（midfrontal error-related negativity, ERN）与θ波段振荡（theta band oscillations）。然而，动作前的监测活动可被追踪的具体时机，以及与绩效监测相关的反应前脑机制，仍未明确。此外，任务特异性参数（如认知负荷或运动控制）如何影响上述过程，目前尚无定论。本研究旨在针对不同类型的运动反应，检验错误前与错误后的脑电图模式，并探究引发错误行为的神经机制。我们采用了基于按键反应（keypresses）与眼跳（saccades）的Go/No-Go任务范式（go/no-go paradigm）：参与者需先根据面部线索（facial cue）确定反应方向，再依据物体线索（object cue）明确需执行的动作类型。共有20名健康志愿者参与本实验，同步采集脑电图与眼动追踪（eye tracking）数据。研究发现，两种运动反应的反应时（reaction time）、错误数量与错误类型均存在显著差异。与按键反应相比，眼跳反应表现出更多的提前反应（premature responses）与错误行为。但二者的脑电图模式并无显著差异，这与既往研究中错误发生时错误相关负波波幅（ERN amplitude）升高、额中区θ功率（midfrontal theta power）增强的结论一致。此外，我们还发现，无论动作类型如何，错误前的θ活动均会减弱。源定位分析（source analysis）显示，此类错误前与错误后的神经模式具有不同的起源，分别对应前脑岛皮层（anterior insular cortex）与前扣带回皮层（anterior cingulate cortex）。这种相反的模式进一步支持了既往研究结论：额中区θ活动不仅可作为错误发生的神经标志物，还可作为行为表现的预测因子。通常与触发行为调整的警觉机制相关的额中区θ活动，似乎也能反映与动作类型无关的反应前注意机制。本研究结果还为突显网络（salience network）节点在绩效监测过程中的交互机制提供了新的讨论视角——我们的发现表明，错误前与错误后的神经模式在该网络内具有不同的神经起源。