Externalizing psychopathology and the error-related negativity.
Prior research has demonstrated that antisocial behavior, substance-use disorders, and personality dimensions of aggression and impulsivity are indicators of a highly heritable underlying dimension of risk, labeled externalizing. Other work has shown that individual trait constructs within this psychopathology spectrum are associated with reduced self-monitoring, as reflected by amplitude of the error-related negativity (ERN) brain response. In this study of undergraduate subjects, reduced ERN amplitude was associated with higher scores on a self-report measure of the broad externalizing construct that links these various indicators. In addition, the ERN was associated with a response-locked increase in anterior theta (4-7 Hz) oscillation; like the ERN, this theta response to errors was reduced among high-externalizing individuals. These findings suggest that neurobiologically based deficits in endogenous action monitoring may underlie generalized risk for an array of impulse-control problems.
Hall
Jason R
JR
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. hallx109@umn.edu
Bernat
Edward M
EM
Patrick
Christopher J
CJ
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001931:Brain Mapping; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012535:Scalp; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires