Cognitive inhibition of number/length interference in a Piaget-like task: Evidence by combining ERP and MEG
Clinical Neurophysiology. 2009-08-01; 120(8): 1501-1513
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2009.06.003
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1. Clin Neurophysiol. 2009 Aug;120(8):1501-13. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2009.06.003.
Epub 2009 Jul 2.
Cognitive inhibition of number/length interference in a Piaget-like task:
evidence by combining ERP and MEG.
Joliot M(1), Leroux G, Dubal S, Tzourio-Mazoyer N, Houdé O, Mazoyer B, Petit L.
Author information:
(1)CI-NAPS, Centre d’Imagerie Neurosciences et Applications aux Pathologies,
UMR6232, CNRS, CEA, Université de Caen Basse Normandie et Université Paris
Descartes, GIP Cyceron, BP 5229, Caen, France.
OBJECTIVE: We combined event-related potential (ERP) and magnetoencephalography
(MEG) acquisition and analysis to investigate the electrophysiological markers of
the inhibitory processes involved in the number/length interference in a
Piaget-like numerical task.
METHODS: Eleven healthy subjects performed four gradually interfering conditions
with the heuristic “length equals number” to be inhibited. Low resolution
tomography reconstruction was performed on the combined grand averaged
electromagnetic data at the early (N1, P1) and late (P2, N2, P3(early) and
P3(late)) latencies. Every condition was analyzed at both scalp and regional
brain levels.
RESULTS: The inhibitory processes were visible on the late components of the
electromagnetic brain activity. A right P2-related frontal orbital activation
reflected the change of strategy in the inhibitory processes. N2-related
SMA/cingulate activation revealed the first occurrence of the stimuli processing
to be inhibited. Both P3 components revealed the working memory processes
operating in a medial temporal complex and the mental imagery processes subtended
by the precuneus.
CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous ERP and MEG signal acquisition and analysis allowed to
describe the spatiotemporal patterns of neural networks involved in the
inhibition of the “length equals number” interference.
SIGNIFICANCE: Combining ERP and MEG ensured a sensitivity which could be reached
previously only through invasive intracortical recordings.
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2009.06.003
PMID: 19576847 [Indexed for MEDLINE]