The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol 9, 788-798, Copyright © 1997 by The MIT Press

ARTICLES

Event-Related Brain Potentials Following Incorrect Feedback in a Time-Estimation Task: Evidence for a 'Generic' Neural System for Error-Detection

Wolfgang H. R. Miltner, Christoph H. Braun and and Michael G. H. Coles

We examined scalp-recorded event-related potentials following feedback stimuli in a time-estimation task. Six hundred msec after indicating the end of a 1 sec interval, subjects received a visual, auditory, or somatosensory stimulus that indicated whether the interval they had produced was correct. Following feedback indicating incorrect performance, a negative deflection occurred, whose characteristics corresponded closely to those of the component (the error-related negativity) more, equivalent dipole analysis suggested that, for all three modalities, the distribution of the scalp potential was consistent with a local source in the anterior cingulate cortex or a more distributed source in the supplementary motor areas. These loci correspond closely to those described previously for the error-related negativity. We conclude that the error-related negativity is the manifestation of the activity of a 'generic' neural system involved in error detection.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				U. M. Kramer, S. Buttner, G. Roth, and T. F. Munte Trait Aggressiveness Modulates Neurophysiological Correlates of Laboratory-induced Reactive Aggression in Humans J. Cogn. Neurosci., August 1, 2008; 20(8): 1464 - 1477. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. K. Ferdinand, A. Mecklinger, and J. Kray Error and deviance processing in implicit and explicit sequence learning. J. Cogn. Neurosci., April 1, 2008; 20(4): 629 - 642. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Bellebaum, B. Koch, M. Schwarz, and I. Daum Focal basal ganglia lesions are associated with impairments in reward-based reversal learning Brain, March 1, 2008; 131(3): 829 - 841. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. E. Emeric, J. W. Brown, M. Leslie, P. Pouget, V. Stuphorn, and J. D. Schall Performance Monitoring Local Field Potentials in the Medial Frontal Cortex of Primates: Anterior Cingulate Cortex J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2008; 99(2): 759 - 772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. T. P. Oliveira, J. J. McDonald, and D. Goodman Performance Monitoring in the Anterior Cingulate is Not All Error Related: Expectancy Deviation and the Representation of Action-Outcome Associations. J. Cogn. Neurosci., December 1, 2007; 19(12): 1994 - 2004. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Michelet, B. Bioulac, D. Guehl, L. Escola, and P. Burbaud Impact of Commitment on Performance Evaluation in the Rostral Cingulate Motor Area J. Neurosci., July 11, 2007; 27(28): 7482 - 7489. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Papo, A. Douiri, F. Bouchet, J.-C. Bourzeix, J.-P. Caverni, and P.-M. Baudonniere Time-Frequency Intracranial Source Localization of Feedback-Related EEG Activity in Hypothesis Testing Cereb Cortex, June 1, 2007; 17(6): 1314 - 1322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. F. Taylor, E. R. Stern, and W. J. Gehring Neural Systems for Error Monitoring: Recent Findings and Theoretical Perspectives Neuroscientist, April 1, 2007; 13(2): 160 - 172. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Hewig, R. Trippe, H. Hecht, M. G.H. Coles, C. B. Holroyd, and W. H.R. Miltner Decision-Making in Blackjack: An Electrophysiological Analysis Cereb Cortex, April 1, 2007; 17(4): 865 - 877. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Mangels, B. Butterfield, J. Lamb, C. Good, and C. S. Dweck Why do beliefs about intelligence influence learning success? A social cognitive neuroscience model Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, September 1, 2006; 1(2): 75 - 86. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Kopp, S. Tabeling, C. Moschner, and K. Wessel Fractionating the neural mechanisms of cognitive control. J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2006; 18(6): 949 - 965. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Yeung, C. B. Holroyd, and J. D. Cohen ERP Correlates of Feedback and Reward Processing in the Presence and Absence of Response Choice Cereb Cortex, May 1, 2005; 15(5): 535 - 544. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Yeung and A. G. Sanfey Independent Coding of Reward Magnitude and Valence in the Human Brain J. Neurosci., July 14, 2004; 24(28): 6258 - 6264. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Nieuwenhuis, N. Yeung, C. B. Holroyd, A. Schurger, and J. D. Cohen Sensitivity of Electrophysiological Activity from Medial Frontal Cortex to Utilitarian and Performance Feedback Cereb Cortex, July 1, 2004; 14(7): 741 - 747. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ullsperger and D. Y. von Cramon Error Monitoring Using External Feedback: Specific Roles of the Habenular Complex, the Reward System, and the Cingulate Motor Area Revealed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging J. Neurosci., May 15, 2003; 23(10): 4308 - 4314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Papo, P.-M. Baudonniere, L. Hugueville, and J.-P. Caverni Feedback in Hypothesis Testing: An ERP Study J. Cogn. Neurosci., May 1, 2003; 15(4): 508 - 522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. R. Laurens, E. T. C. Ngan, A. T. Bates, K. A. Kiehl, and P. F. Liddle Rostral anterior cingulate cortex dysfunction during error processing in schizophrenia Brain, March 1, 2003; 126(3): 610 - 622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. J. Gehring and A. R. Willoughby The Medial Frontal Cortex and the Rapid Processing of Monetary Gains and Losses Science, March 22, 2002; 295(5563): 2279 - 2282. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. J. Gehring and D. E. Fencsik Functions of the Medial Frontal Cortex in the Processing of Conflict and Errors J. Neurosci., December 1, 2001; 21(23): 9430 - 9437. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Luu, T. Flaisch, and D. M. Tucker Medial Frontal Cortex in Action Monitoring J. Neurosci., January 1, 2000; 20(1): 464 - 469. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]