How the brain says ‘oops’!
Marin Krebbers (s5122155)
Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen
Introduction
- The medial frontal cortex (MFC) has
been shown to play a large role in
evaluating performance and decisions.
- However, not much is known about
how this area can support both
domain-specific and domain-general
performance evaluation.
- Zhonzheng Fu, together with 6 other
researchers conducted a study to find
out whether there are neural
representations that support both types
of performance evaluation.
Methods
- The study was conducted on 34
epileptic patients.
- These patients were undergoing
seizure monitoring through electrodes.
The researchers used the depth
electrodes (fig. 1) to monitor individual
neurons.
- Two areas of interest within the MFC
were monitored (fig. 2).
- Participants performed two tests:
- Stroop test: name the ink colour of a
word, while the letters will spell out a
colour. This test is domain-general.
- MSIT test: identify a target character in
a sequence of characters. This test is
domain-specific.
Figure 1: Depth electrode which will be positioned inside
the brain area of interest.
Figure 2: pre-SMA (supplementary motor area) and dACC
(dorsal anterior cingulate cortex). Both part of the MFC.
Results
- Readings were divided up into before
and after the button was pressed (fig.
3).
- Individual neurons show a preference
for a specific part of the conflict
monitoring process (fig. 4).
- Similar neural activation patterns were
found while participants did the Stroop
(domain-general) and MSIT
(domain-specific) test.
- Groups of neurons showed activity
either exclusively before or after the
button press
Figure 3: Temporal division of readings, can be found back
in the x-axis of fig. 4.
Figure 4: An example neuron shows very high activation for
errors, but not for other parts of the monitoring process.
Discussion
- The data suggests individual neurons
encode different parts of performance
monitoring, like conflict, error and
conflict probability.
- Two distinct populations of neurons
(within the same brain areas), show a
focus on domain general and domain
specific performance monitoring.
- This suggests there are neural
representations of domain-specific and
domain-general performance
monitoring.
Critical assessment
- I think this article is a good summary of
the conclusions of the original paper. I like
the fact this study brings something new
to the table and adds significantly to our
understanding of these brains areas.
- However, I think it would have been nice
to show a part of the data the researches
drew their conclusions from. Although, in
the paper this isn’t that clear either.
For future research
- Investigating the underlying mechanisms
that make the coexistence of these types
of performance monitoring possible
- Investigating performance monitoring
across multiple domains, such as
perception and memory.
Applications
- Understanding performance monitoring
can help understanding mental
illnesses such as OCD and
schizophrenia (van Veen, 2006)
- I think we can use this knowledge to
improve AI performance monitoring
systems, maybe to make general
problem solving more possible.
- We can improve upon adaptive
learning systems if we know more
about the inner workings of
performance monitoring (fusco, 2022).
References
- Fusco, G., Cristiano, A., Perazzini, A., & Aglioti, S. M.
(2022). Neuromodulating the performance monitoring
network during conflict and error processing in healthy
populations: Insights from transcranial electric
stimulation studies. Frontiers in Integrative
Neuroscience, 16.
- van Veen, V., & Carter, C. S. (2006). Error detection,
correction, and prevention in the brain: a brief review of
data and theories. Clinical EEG and neuroscience,
37(4), 330-335.
- Ullsperger, M., Danielmeier, C., & Jocham, G. (2014).
Neurophysiology of performance monitoring and
adaptive behavior. Physiological reviews, 94(1), 35-79.
- Fu, Z., Beam, D., Chung, J. M., Reed, C. M., Mamelak,
A. N., Adolphs, R., & Rutishauser, U. (2022). The
geometry of domain-general performance monitoring in
the human medial frontal cortex. Science, 376(6593),
eabm9922.
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. (2022, May 5). How the
brain says 'oops!'. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 5, 2023
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/22050514372
1.htm