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Abstract:
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is often thought of as
playing an important role in attention and executive control. It
has recently been proposed that, rather than implementing top-down
control or error detection mechanisms, the role of the ACC in
attention is to detect response conflicts that might occur during
information processing. The present study tried to replicate
earlier functional MRI results using high-density event-related
potential (ERP) recording in combination with dipole source
localization procedures (using BESA). In prior research, both the
N2c and the error-related negativity (ERN) have been hypothesized
to be generated by the ACC. In order to compare the N2c with the
ERN, the Eriksen flanker task was used, in a version that can
distinguish conflict at the stimulus and response levels.
Behavioral data showed both stimulus and response interference;
however, the N2c was only modulated by response conflict,
replicating our earlier fMRI findings. Furthermore, the N2c and the
ERN were found to have similar scalp topographies, and source
localization indicated the same neural generator for both peaks,
located in the ACC. These results indicate that the N2c and the ERN
reflect the operation of the same mechanism (detecting response
conflict), and that this mechanism is localized in the ACC.
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