Interacting sources of interference during sensorimotor integration processes

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Every day, a multitude of interfering sensory inputs needs to be integrated and adequately processed using response selection processes. Interference effects are typically investigated using classical paradigms like the Flanker and Simon task. The sources of interference for Flanker and Simon effect are known to be different and according to dual process accounts, two distinct functional pathways are involved in resolving these types of interference. It is an open question how far these sources of interference are related to each other and interact. We investigated this question in a system neurophysiological study utilizing a hybrid paradigm combining both Flanker effect-like and Simon effect-like features. We focus on event-related theta oscillations and use beamforming methods to examine functional neuroanatomical networks. The results show that Simon and Flanker interference interacted in a non-additive fashion by modulating theta band activity, probably reflecting the recruitment of cognitive control processes. Beamforming source reconstruction revealed that theta band activity was related to a broad neuronal network comprising prefrontal and cerebellar regions, including the MFG, SFG, IFG, and SMA. These regions were connected to interference processing and conflict resolution, but differed in the amount of specificity for different sources of interference.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)342-349
Number of pages8
JournalNeuroImage
Volume125
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jan 2016
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 26596550
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/160952518
ORCID /0000-0002-9069-7803/work/160953301

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Beamforming, EEG, Flanker task, Interference, Sensorimotor processes, Simon task, Theta