title: Blinking predicts enhanced cognitive control.
abstract: Recent models have suggested an important role for neuromodulation in explaining trial-to-trial adaptations in cognitive control. The adaptation-by-binding model (Verguts & Notebaert, Psychological review, 115(2), 518-525, 2008), for instance, suggests that increased cognitive control in response to conflict (e.g., incongruent flanker stimulus) is the result of stronger binding of stimulus, action, and context representations, mediated by neuromodulators like dopamine (DA) and/or norepinephrine (NE). We presented a flanker task and used the Gratton effect (smaller congruency effect following incongruent trials) as an index of cognitive control. We investigated the Gratton effect in relation to eye blinks (DA related) and pupil dilation (NE related). The results for pupil dilation were not unequivocal, but eye blinks clearly modulated the Gratton effect: The Gratton effect was enhanced after a blink trial, relative to after a no-blink trial, even when controlling for correlated variables. The latter suggests an important role for DA in cognitive control on a trial-to-trial basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Marlies.vanBochove@ugent.be
authors.forename: Marlies E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van Bochove
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van der Haegen
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Notebaert
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Verguts
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult