Conflict monitoring and anterior cingulate cortex: an update

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One hypothesis concerning the human dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is that it functions, in part, to signal the occurrence of conflicts in information processing, thereby triggering compensatory adjustments in cognitive control. Since this idea was first proposed, a great deal of relevant empirical evidence has accrued. This evidence has largely corroborated the conflict-monitoring hypothesis, and some very recent work has provided striking new support for the theory. At the same time, other findings have posed specific challenges, especially concerning the way the theory addresses the processing of errors. Recent research has also begun to shed light on the larger function of the ACC, suggesting some new possibilities concerning how conflict monitoring might fit into the cingulate's overall role in cognition and action.

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A cortical response to conflict

The first claim of the conflict-monitoring theory is that specific brain structures, and in particular the ACC, respond to the occurrence of conflict. This idea was originally motivated by a review of studies in which ACC activation had been observed during the performance of cognitive tasks 4, 5. In the majority of such studies, ACC engagement was associated with one of three behavioral contexts: (1) tasks that required the overriding of prepotent responses, (2) tasks that required selection

Conflict monitoring and the modulation of control

According to the conflict-monitoring hypothesis, the ACC response to conflict triggers strategic adjustments in cognitive control, which serve to reduce conflict in subsequent performance. Initial evidence for this proposal was drawn from cognitive psychology, where several observations suggested the occurrence of adjustments in strategy following the occurrence of conflict. For example, Gratton et al. [58] showed, in the flanker task, that interference is reduced following incompatible trials (

Conflict monitoring in the larger context of ACC function

As noted earlier, an important assertion of the conflict-monitoring hypothesis is that conflict monitoring constitutes one instance of a more general evaluative function. In earlier work, we suggested that the ACC might serve to detect events or internal states indicating a need to shift the focus of attention or strengthen top-down control ([4], see also [20]), an idea consistent, for example, with the fact that the ACC responds to pain [48]. Although this idea remains plausible, recent

Acknowledgements

The authors' work is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (K01 MH65241 to M.M.B.; K02 MH64190 to C.S.C.; MH62196 to J.D.C.), and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (C.S.C.).

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