High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing

Abstract Physiological activation fluctuates throughout the day. Previous studies have shown that during periods of reduced activation, cognitive control remains resilient due to neural compensatory mechanisms. In this study, we investigate the effects of high physiological activation on both behavi...

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Main Authors: Chiara Avancini, Luis F. Ciria, Clara Alameda, Ana F. Palenciano, Andrés Canales-Johnson, Tristan A. Bekinschtein, Daniel Sanabria
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06851-w
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author Chiara Avancini
Luis F. Ciria
Clara Alameda
Ana F. Palenciano
Andrés Canales-Johnson
Tristan A. Bekinschtein
Daniel Sanabria
author_facet Chiara Avancini
Luis F. Ciria
Clara Alameda
Ana F. Palenciano
Andrés Canales-Johnson
Tristan A. Bekinschtein
Daniel Sanabria
author_sort Chiara Avancini
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Physiological activation fluctuates throughout the day. Previous studies have shown that during periods of reduced activation, cognitive control remains resilient due to neural compensatory mechanisms. In this study, we investigate the effects of high physiological activation on both behavioural and neural markers of cognitive control. We hypothesize that while behavioural measures of cognitive control would remain intact during periods of high activation, there would be observable changes in neural correlates. In our electroencephalography study, we manipulate levels of physiological activation through physical exercise. Although we observe no significant impact on behavioural measures of cognitive conflict, both univariate and multivariate time-frequency markers prove unreliable under conditions of high activation. Moreover, we observe no modulation of whole-brain connectivity measures by physiological activation. We suggest that this dissociation between behavioural and neural measures indicates that the human cognitive control system remains resilient even at high activation, possibly due to underlying neural compensatory mechanisms.
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issn 2399-3642
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spelling doaj-art-3548bcd5ae3248b491c6084fb3115bf72024-12-08T12:41:30ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422024-12-017111210.1038/s42003-024-06851-wHigh-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processingChiara Avancini0Luis F. Ciria1Clara Alameda2Ana F. Palenciano3Andrés Canales-Johnson4Tristan A. Bekinschtein5Daniel Sanabria6Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of GranadaMind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of GranadaMind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of GranadaMind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of GranadaCambridge Consciousness and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridge Consciousness and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeMind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of GranadaAbstract Physiological activation fluctuates throughout the day. Previous studies have shown that during periods of reduced activation, cognitive control remains resilient due to neural compensatory mechanisms. In this study, we investigate the effects of high physiological activation on both behavioural and neural markers of cognitive control. We hypothesize that while behavioural measures of cognitive control would remain intact during periods of high activation, there would be observable changes in neural correlates. In our electroencephalography study, we manipulate levels of physiological activation through physical exercise. Although we observe no significant impact on behavioural measures of cognitive conflict, both univariate and multivariate time-frequency markers prove unreliable under conditions of high activation. Moreover, we observe no modulation of whole-brain connectivity measures by physiological activation. We suggest that this dissociation between behavioural and neural measures indicates that the human cognitive control system remains resilient even at high activation, possibly due to underlying neural compensatory mechanisms.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06851-w
spellingShingle Chiara Avancini
Luis F. Ciria
Clara Alameda
Ana F. Palenciano
Andrés Canales-Johnson
Tristan A. Bekinschtein
Daniel Sanabria
High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
Communications Biology
title High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
title_full High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
title_fullStr High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
title_full_unstemmed High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
title_short High-intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
title_sort high intensity physiological activation disrupts the neural signatures of conflict processing
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06851-w
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