Abstract
Recent models of human behavior suggest a hierarchical organization of cognitive control processes. These models assume that different sub-goals of cognitive control processes are nested in each other, such that higher-level sub-goals can only be accomplished when lower-level sub-goals have been realized. While the neuroanatomical localization of this organizational principle has already been successfully tested, the exact temporal nature remains to be explored. The present study applied event-related potentials (ERPs) and investigated neural oscillations during performance of three different nested cognitive control tasks. Results demonstrated a parametric modulation of the P300 component as well as beta-band (13–25 Hz) oscillations as a function of different levels of cognitive control. Moreover, conditions requiring flexible updating of information exhibited similar alpha-band (8–13 Hz) oscillations, which differed from the condition without flexible updating (low-level). These results suggest dissociable mechanisms of flexible information updating and complexity of cognitive control processes indexed by different oscillatory effects.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Behavioural Brain Research |
| Volume | 320 |
| Pages (from-to) | 154-164 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISSN | 0166-4328 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01.03.2017 |
Funding
This work was supported by grants of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to JB (BA 4871/1-1) and TFM, and Bundesministerium f?r Bildung und Forschung to TFM, and an intramural grant (E05-2014) of the University of L?beck to ND. ND is currently an honorary research fellow at the University of Cambridge, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DO1915/1-1).
Research Areas and Centers
- Academic Focus: Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM)
