Joch Michael, Hegele Mathias, Maurer Heiko, Müller Hermann, Maurer Lisa Katharina
Neuromotor Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Sport Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
Neuromotor Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Sport Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
J Neurophysiol. 2017 Jul 1;118(1):486-495. doi: 10.1152/jn.00036.2017. Epub 2017 Apr 26.
The error (related) negativity (Ne/ERN) is an event-related potential in the electroencephalogram (EEG) correlating with error processing. Its conditions of appearance before terminal external error information suggest that the Ne/ERN is indicative of predictive processes in the evaluation of errors. The aim of the present study was to specifically examine the Ne/ERN in a complex motor task and to particularly rule out other explaining sources of the Ne/ERN aside from error prediction processes. To this end, we focused on the dependency of the Ne/ERN on visual monitoring about the action outcome after movement termination but before result feedback (action effect monitoring). Participants performed a semi-virtual throwing task by using a manipulandum to throw a virtual ball displayed on a computer screen to hit a target object. Visual feedback about the ball flying to the target was masked to prevent action effect monitoring. Participants received a static feedback about the action outcome (850 ms) after each trial. We found a significant negative deflection in the average EEG curves of the error trials peaking at ~250 ms after ball release, i.e., before error feedback. Furthermore, this Ne/ERN signal did not depend on visual ball-flight monitoring after release. We conclude that the Ne/ERN has the potential to indicate error prediction in motor tasks and that it exists even in the absence of action effect monitoring. In this study, we are separating different kinds of possible contributors to an electroencephalogram (EEG) error correlate (Ne/ERN) in a throwing task. We tested the influence of action effect monitoring on the Ne/ERN amplitude in the EEG. We used a task that allows us to restrict movement correction and action effect monitoring and to control the onset of result feedback. We ascribe the Ne/ERN to predictive error processing where a conscious feeling of failure is not a prerequisite.
错误（相关）负波（Ne/ERN）是脑电图（EEG）中与错误处理相关的一种事件相关电位。其在终端外部错误信息出现之前的出现条件表明，Ne/ERN指示了错误评估中的预测过程。本研究的目的是具体检查复杂运动任务中的Ne/ERN，并特别排除除错误预测过程之外的Ne/ERN的其他解释来源。为此，我们关注Ne/ERN对运动终止后但结果反馈之前关于动作结果的视觉监测（动作效应监测）的依赖性。参与者使用操作手柄执行一项半虚拟投掷任务，将电脑屏幕上显示的虚拟球投向目标物体。关于球飞向目标的视觉反馈被屏蔽，以防止动作效应监测。每次试验后，参与者会收到关于动作结果的静态反馈（850毫秒）。我们发现在错误试验的平均EEG曲线中，在球释放后约250毫秒（即错误反馈之前）出现了一个显著的负向偏转。此外，这种Ne/ERN信号不依赖于释放后对球飞行的视觉监测。我们得出结论，Ne/ERN有潜力指示运动任务中的错误预测，并且即使在没有动作效应监测的情况下也存在。在本研究中，我们在一项投掷任务中分离了脑电图（EEG）错误相关指标（Ne/ERN）的不同可能影响因素。我们测试了动作效应监测对EEG中Ne/ERN幅度的影响。我们使用了一项任务，该任务使我们能够限制运动校正和动作效应监测，并控制结果反馈的开始时间。我们将Ne/ERN归因于预测性错误处理，其中失败的自觉感受并非必要条件。
