2009-09-24
Behavioural adaptation and cognitive control are crucial for goal-reaching behaviour. Common sense suggests that errors are an important source of information in the regulation of such processes. Much effort is undertaken to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these processes. Several lines of research suggest that the serotonergic system may be of special interest in this respect.
This study investigates the dependence of response monitoring and error detection on genetic influences modulating the serotonergic system, which was done using the event-related potentials (ERPs) after error (Ne/ERN) and correct trials (Nc/CRN). To induce a sufficient amount of errors, a standard flanker task was used. The subjects (N = 94) were genotyped for the functional 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism. In order to investigate neural processes that are specific for error monitoring, time-frequency analyses (wavelet-analyses) were applied. The results show that the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism specifically modulates error detection. Neurophysiological modulations on error detection were paralleled by a similar modulation of response slowing after an error, reflecting the behavioral adaptation. The 5-HT1A -1019 CC genotype group showed a larger Ne and stronger post-error slowing than the CG and GG genotype groups. More general processes of performance monitoring, as reflected in the Nc/CRN, were not affected. The finding that error-specific processes, but not general response monitoring processes, are modulated by the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism is underlined by a wavelet analysis. In summary, the results suggest a specific effect of the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism on error monitoring processes and suggest a neurobiological dissociation between processes of error monitoring and general response monitoring at the level of the serotonin 1A receptor system.
Behavioural adaptation and cognitive control are crucial for goal-reaching behaviour. Common sense suggests that errors are an important source of information in the regulation of such processes. Much effort is undertaken to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these processes. Several lines of research suggest that the serotonergic system may be of special interest in this respect.
This study investigates the dependence of response monitoring and error detection on genetic influences modulating the serotonergic system, which was done using the event-related potentials (ERPs) after error (Ne/ERN) and correct trials (Nc/CRN). To induce a sufficient amount of errors, a standard flanker task was used. The subjects (N = 94) were genotyped for the functional 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism. In order to investigate neural processes that are specific for error monitoring, time-frequency analyses (wavelet-analyses) were applied. The results show that the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism specifically modulates error detection. Neurophysiological modulations on error detection were paralleled by a similar modulation of response slowing after an error, reflecting the behavioral adaptation. The 5-HT1A -1019 CC genotype group showed a larger Ne and stronger post-error slowing than the CG and GG genotype groups. More general processes of performance monitoring, as reflected in the Nc/CRN, were not affected. The finding that error-specific processes, but not general response monitoring processes, are modulated by the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism is underlined by a wavelet analysis. In summary, the results suggest a specific effect of the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism on error monitoring processes and suggest a neurobiological dissociation between processes of error monitoring and general response monitoring at the level of the serotonin 1A receptor system.
Copyright © BioPsy 2023
Last update: Oct 10, 2023
