Comprehensive Analysis of Event-Related Potentials of Response
Inhibition: The Role of Urgency and Compulsivity
Abstract
Behavioral and neural correlates of response inhibition are assumed to
manifest in self-reported impulsivity and compulsivity, but findings are
inconsistent. Existing studies often examined only isolated components
of the complex underlying neural process and used sumscores of
impulsivity and compulsivity. Yet, there is evidence suggesting that
alterations in response inhibition may be linked to specific subfacets
of the multidimensional constructs. Therefore, our aim was twofold: to
investigate behavioral and neural correlates of response inhibition in a
comprehensive way, and to examine whether these effects are associated
with urgency, compulsivity, or the interaction of both. We examined 233
participants who performed a stop-signal task while
electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. The analysis involved
single-trial regression and latency analyses, exploring the
relationships with self-reported urgency and compulsivity. Stop-signal
reaction time (SSRT) was not related to urgency or compulsivity. SSRT
and urgency scores were negatively associated with an attenuated
successful inhibition-P3 effect. Crucially, whereas long SSRT was
associated with a reduced attention-P1 effect and a later onset and peak
of the P3, we observed the opposite pattern for higher urgency with
higher P1 related activity and an earlier onset and peak of the
successful inhibition-P3. Associations with compulsivity were not
observed. The absence of a direct association between urgency and SSRT
can possibly be clarified by considering early attentional processes
reflected in P1 and latency effects during response inhibition. Urgency
appears to be related to increased recruitment of early attention and a
faster action cancellation process that may compensate the reduced P3
related activity.