Conflict- and error-related theta activities are coupled to BOLD signals in different brain regions

Beldzik, Ewa; Ullsperger, Markus; Domagalik, Aleksandra; Marek, Tadeusz · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.15.480552

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Summary

This study investigates the neural sources of conflict- and error-related midfrontal theta (4–8 Hz) oscillations by coupling trial-by-trial EEG theta power with fMRI BOLD signals. While previous EEG-fMRI studies in resting-state or working memory tasks linked theta power only to task-related deactivations in default mode network regions, this research aimed to determine if conflict-related theta, typically associated with anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) activity, follows the same pattern. The authors hypothesized that conflict and error theta might originate from different brain regions, given their distinct temporal and functional characteristics. The experiment involved 35 participants performing simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings while completing two conflict tasks: the Stroop and Simon tasks. The design manipulated congruency (50% vs. 20%), task type, and stimulus duration. EEG data were denoised using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to isolate individual midfrontal components, while fMRI data were parcellated using group ICA to identify functional regions in the frontal, cingulate, and insular cortices. Linear mixed-effects models (LME) were used to couple theta power (extracted from stimulus-locked or response-locked windows) with peak BOLD responses from various cortical sites. The results revealed a dissociation between conflict- and error-related theta. Conflict-related pre-response theta showed a significant negative correlation with BOLD activity in midline area 9 (MA9), a region associated with default mode network deactivation. In contrast, error-related theta exhibited a positive relationship with activity in the aMCC, consistent with prior source localization studies. The negative coupling in MA9 suggests that conflict theta reflects an active inhibition process that suppresses MA9 activity, a mechanism influenced by stimulus congruency, reaction time variance, and time-on-task effects. This theta amplitude also predicted the likelihood of omission errors. These findings indicate that conflict- and error-related theta oscillations represent fundamentally different cognitive processes. Conflict theta is linked to the suppression of task-irrelevant default mode activity (specifically MA9), whereas error theta is tied to aMCC activation involved in action monitoring. This distinction resolves previous ambiguities in the literature where theta was broadly associated with aMCC, highlighting that the neural generators of theta vary depending on whether the cognitive process involves conflict resolution or error detection.

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