Summary
The present experiment was designed to replicate and extend the previous finding of an increased postimperative negative slow brain potential shift (PINV) in healthy subjects following an unexpected change from the condition of control over an aversive imperative stimulus to that of loss of control. Two groups of 16 male students each participated in a constant-foreperiod reaction time paradigm with two warning stimuli (WS), each of 6 s duration, followed by two imperative stimuli (IS) of either aversive (loud noise) or neutral (soft tone) quality. The experimental subjects could terminate each IS by pressing a microswitch within 300 ms of IS-onset. After they had experienced this contingency for 40 trials, control was withdrawn in that the IS lasted for 5 s during another 40-trial block, irrespective of the actual motor response of the subject. The yoked control subjects received the same stimuli and performed the same motor response as the experimental subjects, but experienced no contingency between response and IS-termination. EEGs were recorded monopolarly from Fz, Cz, and Pz. In response to the unexpectedly uncontrollable aversive IS, the experimental subjects showed a pronounced PINV over frontal areas, while no comparable PINV developed in yoked controls. Experimental subjects showed no PINV during the first trial block (control conditions), and in response to the neutral uncontrollable IS. Statistical analyses of principle components documented that the PINV can be considered an independent endogenous component.
Zusammenfassung
Die vorliegende Studie untersucht langsame kortikale Potentiale in Reaktion auf einen unerwarteten Verlust von Kontrolle über aversive Stimulation. Zwei Gruppen von jeweils 16 männlichen Studenten wurden Zwei-Stimulus-Reaktionszeit-Bedingungen ausgesetzt, unter denen einer von zwei Warnsignalen von jeweils 6 s Dauer entweder einen neutralen imperativen Reiz (Ton) oder ein unangenehm lautes Geräusch (aversiver Reiz) ankündigte. Versuchspersonen einer Experimentalgruppe konnten den jeweiligen imperativen Stimulus (IS) durch Knopfdruck innerhalb von 300 ms abbrechen. Nach 40 Durchgängen dieser Kontrollkontingenz wurde die Kontrolle unerwartet entzogen, indem in weiteren 40 Durchgängen der jeweilige IS unabhängig von der motorischen Reaktion der Vp 5 s dargeboten wurde. Die Gruppe “yoked”-Kontrollpersonen erfuhr die gleiche Reizabfolge und-dauer wie die zugeordneten Experimentalpersonen, jedoch ohne Kontrollkontingenz. Das EEG wurde monopolar vom Frontalkortex (Fz), Vertex (Cz) und Parietalkortex (Pz) abgeleitet. In Reaktion auf den unerwartet unkontrollierbaren aversiven, IS zeigte sich bei den Experimentalpersonen eine ausgeprägte frontale postimperative Negativierung (PINV). Eine vergleichbare Negativierung war weder unter Kontrollbedingungen (erster Block von 40 Durchgängen), noch bei Kontrollpersonen, noch in Reaktion auf den unkontrollierbaren neutralen IS zu beobachten. Die Analyse von Komponenten, die durch eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse (PCA) gewonnen wurden, weist darauf hin, daß die PINV als eigenständige endogene Komponente betrachtet werden kann.
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Research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant Bi 195.
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Elbert, T., Rockstroh, B., Lutzenberger, W. et al. Slow brain potentials after withdrawal of control. Arch. F. Psychiatr. U. Z. Neur. 232, 201–214 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02141781
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02141781