Study Guide Page (per 2) (CogCon) PDF

1. What is cognitive control? How does it relate to the case of Phineas Gage and the graph on the PebblePad page? a. Cognitive control: The ability to guide behavior + processing in the direction of a goal i. Central aspect of higher-level thinking ii. Ov...

1. What is cognitive control? How does it relate to the case of Phineas Gage and the graph on the PebblePad page? a. Cognitive control: The ability to guide behavior + processing in the direction of a goal i. Central aspect of higher-level thinking ii. Overrides automatic or habitual responses b. Phineas Gage i. Prime case for the loss of cognitive control ii. Frontal lobe is related to response based, goal-directed behavior 1. Can do things but not control (inhibit) impulsive behaviors iii. Loss of inhibition (impulsive, poor emotional regulation (vmPFC damage)) iv. Impaired goal behavior (can’t plan, make decisions, or focus on long-term goals (disrupted connection between PFC + brain)) v. Emotional dysregulation (difficulty balancing emotional impulses + rational thinking (vmPFC damage)) c. Graph i. Detailed later 2. How does the Stroop Task work (instructions, conditions, results, brain regions involved)? a. Instruction: name color, not word i. Conditions: 1. Congruent a. Color + word are the same (BLUE in blue) b. Minimal cognitive control 2. Incongruent a. Color + word are not the same (RED in blue) b. Inhibit automatic tendency (higher cognitive control) 3. Neutral a. Color + word are unrelated (HOUSE in blue)  b. Establishes baseline speed for color recognition b. Results i. Reaction time (RT) 1. Incongruent takes longer than congruent or neutral (cognitive interference) ii. Error rates 1. Incongruent has more errors (struggle to suppress automatic word-reading response) c. Brain regions involved i. PFC → executive functions (cognitive control, attention, response inhibition) 1. dlPFC → goal-directed behavior + conflict response (top-down control) 2. Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) → detects conflicts between competing responses (word vs color) + monitors errors a. Prevention of future mistakes ii. Parietal Cortex → attention process + selecting relevant sensory stuff iii. Visual Cortex → processes visual stimulus (reading word/color perception) iv. Basal Ganglia → suppressing automatic motor response d. Inhibition (concept) i. Halting previously valid behaviors ii. Blocking irrelevant information from impacting processing iii. Restraining inappropriate actions iv. Removing irrelevant information from working memory 3. How do feedback loops function in terms of cognitive control and sensory stimuli? Explain the PebblePad page model. a. Feedback loops are required for cognitive control bcs cognitive control requires conflict detection and response  i. Conflict is identified → control processes happen, signal is adjusted → conflict resolved + behaviors are adapted (attempted) 1. (feedback loop (conflict identifier + control process loop back and forth until the conflict is resolved)) 2. ACC (conflict identifier) monitors the dlPFC (control process center) ii. Goal is to increase accuracy + efficiency; central to higher-level processing iii. Basal ganglia, thalamus, cortex feedback loop 1. Modal response is adjusted; attention is maintained; errors are detected b. Image/model i. 3 layers (with example of the Stroop Task) 1. Input layer → sensory stimulus (color vs word) 2. Response layer → response options (name color vs name word) a. Motor cortex + premotor cortex 3. Task representation layer → maintaining task goal (to name either color or word) a. dlPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) ii. ACC (anterior cingulate cortex) → conflict monitor above network iii. Stroop task and model 1. Input layer (color + word activate representations in layer) → response layer (name color + name word response both activated) 2. Incongruent trial → conflicting responses → ACC activity increases → increased need for cognitive control → task rep layer (corrects response, better future response) → response layer (response is adjusted) 4. Try to link the model on the PebblePad page to brain regions and re-evaluate the case of Phineas Gage. a. Model + brain (Stroop task specific) i. Input → occipital lobe (ventral stream for color; dorsal stream for words) 1. Varies based on task!! ii. Response → motor cortex + premotor cortex iii. Task rep → dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) → top-down control iv. Conflict monitor → ACC (anterior cingulate cortex) b. Phineas Gage i. Damage to the dlPFC → fucked task representation layer (fucked ability to maintain task goals, implement top-down control, + resolve conflict) ii. impairment → difficulty inhibiting inappropriate responses, easier distracted, can’t adapt to changing task demands. iii. “Gage's personality changes” → impulsivity, poor planning, difficulty completing tasks (dlPFC dysfunction) 5. Article things a. McDonald i. Double-dissociation attempt between the ACC + dlPFC to register the loop and response 1. ACC input is monitored and dlPFC activity is monitored 2. Used a modified version of the Stroop Task; instruction either to read the word or the color but only one a. Had to hold the instruction for a short delay before stimulus was presented b. Hypothesized that responses in the dlPFC will temporarily be separated from those in the ACC c. Independent variable: i. Naming color vs reading a word ii. Congruent vs incongruent trial iii. Delay time (12.5 seconds of delay; 25 second trial split into instruction period (given instructions; 12.5  seconds) and response period (granted the stimulus; 12.5 seconds)) 1. To separate the activity of the dlPFC + ACC a. Highest activity while maintaining the task goal; double dissociation d. Dependent variable: i. Activity levels in the dlPFC ii. Activity levels in the ACC e. Method: i. Scanned with fMRI ii. 12 people in the study 1. Results inconclusive; sample size too small + hard to generalize 3. dlPFC activity increases with instructions for the Stroop Task with focus on color + congruent only a. Evidence that it implements a top-down control i. Goal is created in brain (top) and this impacts the focus + response (down) of the person b. Focus on the color inhibits natural response to read the word 4. ACC activity doesn’t increase; focus is already established a. Increases if there are incongruent examples i. Higher Stroop Interference (higher reaction time; more effort to resolve conflict) ii. dlPFC is active, but activity is the same for congruent or incongruent trials 1. Only active for attending to stimuli, not deciding on a response 5. Finding a. ACC is more active if conflict is present; no higher activity during instruction period  b. dlPFC is more active based on the burden/strain of a task (words take less effort than colors); activity remains steady with or without conflict because it has no say in deciding a response c. Stroop Interference (more dlPFC activity decreases interference amount (conflict is more monitored); ACC activity increases if there is conflict (more effort to resolve conflict)) ii. dlPFC lesions causes difficulty maintaining attention demands even if they are given instructions to and inability to using information in working memory 1. Working memory is linked to cognitive control bcs it is related to the immediate information about a task; goal response is disrupted iii. Research with primates 1. Also have a similar region to the dlPFC; high activity → strategic response to a situation (same as in people)