ERP indices for response inhibition are related to anxiety-related personality traits

作者：Sehlmeyer C^*; Konrad C; Zwitserlood P; Arolt V; Falkenstein M; Beste C

来源：Neuropsychologia, 2010, 48(9): 2488-2495.

DOI：10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.04.022

• Trait anxiety
• Anxiety sensitivity
• Event-related potentials (ERPs)
• Response inhibition
• Nogo-N2
• Nogo-P3

Anxiety is often associated with impaired cognitive control and avoidance behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anxiety-related personality traits, such as anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety, on event-related potentials of response inhibition in a standard Go/Nogo-paradigm. We focused on the Nogo-N2 and Nogo-P3 components, which probably represent different sub-processes of response inhibition. The Nogo-N2 was mainly influenced by trait anxiety, while it was slightly affected by anxiety sensitivity. In contrast, the Nogo-P3 was significantly associated with anxiety sensitivity, but was less affected by trait anxiety. Thus, anxious subjects seem to maintain a higher level of cognitive control to prepare and to monitor the outcome of their actions, which is differentially reflected in Nogo-N2 and Nogo-P3 potentials. Our results show that anxiety-related personality traits modulate electrophysiological responses related to cognitive control processes and should be taken into consideration in studies investigating response inhibition.

• 出版日期2010-7