The neuropsychopharmacology of action inhibition: cross-species translation of the stop-signal and go/no-go tasks.
OBJECTIVE
The term 'action inhibition' encapsulates the ability to prevent any form of planned physical response. Growing evidence suggests that different 'stages' or even subtypes of action inhibition activate subtly different neuropharmacological and neuroanatomical processes.


OBJECTIVE
In this review, we present evidence from two commonly used and apparently similar behavioural tests, the stop-signal task and the go/no-go task, to determine if these have similar neuroanatomical and neurochemical modulation.


RESULTS
Whilst performance of the stop-signal and go/no-go tasks is modulated across only subtly different anatomical networks, serotonin (5-HT) is strongly implicated in inhibitory control on the go/no-go but not the stop-signal task, whereas the stop-signal reaction time appears more sensitive to the action of noradrenaline.


CONCLUSIONS
There is clear neuropharmacological and neuroanatomical evidence that stop-signal and go/no-go tasks represent different forms of action inhibition. This evidence translates with remarkable consistency across species. We discuss the possible implications of this evidence with respect to the development of novel therapeutic treatments for disorders in which inhibitory deficits are prominent and debilitating.
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK. d.eagle@psychol.cam.ac.uk
Dawn M
DM
Eagle
Andrea
A
Bari
Trevor W
TW
Robbins
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D013045:Species Specificity
D002395:Catecholamines; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018490:Serotonin Agents; D012701:Serotonin