Evidence for hierarchical error processing in the human brain.
Human goal-directed behavior depends on multiple neural systems that monitor and correct for different types of errors. For example, tracking errors in continuous motor tasks appear to be processed by a system involving posterior parietal cortex, whereas errors in speeded response and trial-and-error learning tasks appear to be processed by a system involving frontal-medial cortex. To date, it is unknown whether there is a functional relationship between the posterior and frontal error systems. We recorded the event-related brain potential from participants engaged in a tracking task to investigate the role of the frontal system in continuous motor control. Our results demonstrate that tracking errors elicit temporally distinct error-related event-related brain potentials over frontal and posterior regions of the scalp, suggesting an interaction between the subcomponents of a hierarchically organized system for error processing. Specifically, we propose that the frontal error system assesses high-level errors (i.e. goal attainment) whereas the posterior error system is responsible for evaluating low-level errors (i.e. trajectory deviations during motor control).
Krigolson
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OE
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, PO Box 3015, Station CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3P1. olav@uvic.ca
Holroyd
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CB
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*