Biology subjects

Hervault, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Hervault, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Cortico-basal ganglia dynamics of global and selective response inhibition in humans

Response inhibition is an important cognitive control mechanism, which enables flexible behavior by stopping inappropriate actions. Intracranial recordings across species have identified a neural circuit that implements response inhibition via the subthalamic nucleus of the basal ganglia. However, this work has been limited to simple tasks, in which unequivocal, salient "stop"-signals require the inhibition of all ongoing responses. Notably, response inhibition in the real world is substantially different. Real-world response inhibition is selective: it occurs only after specific salient signals ( stimulus-selectivity) and stops only specific movements, while others continue ( response-selectivity). If and how the fronto-subthalamic system implements selective inhibition is largely unknown. Here, we recorded subthalamic local field potentials and scalp-EEG in humans performing a novel, selective inhibition task. Salient signals either required stopping all initiated responses (global inhibition), stopping only some responses (response-selective inhibition), or continuing all responses - i.e., ignoring the signal (which ensures stimulus-selectivity). All three signals initially triggered a common fronto-subthalamic inhibitory process, signified by a rapid increase in {beta}-burst activity. During global inhibition, subthalamic {beta}-bursting subsequently increased above baseline, persisting for over a second. During response-selective inhibition, this activity was delayed, which enabled a second bout of disinhibition and allowed appropriate responses to continue. Throughout this period, frontal cortical and subthalamic {beta}-band activity was tightly coupled. This shows that selective inhibition is implemented through rapid, context-dependent engagement and release of fronto-subthalamic inhibition. Moreover, subthalamic activity lasted substantially longer than assumed by classic behavioral-computational models. This supports recent theoretical models that assume protracted response inhibition during action-stopping.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Common and unique neurophysiological signatures for the stopping and revising of actions reveal the temporal dynamics of inhibitory control

Inhibitory control is a crucial cognitive-control ability for behavioral flexibility that has been extensively investigated through action-stopping tasks. Multiple neurophysiological features have been proposed to represent signatures of inhibitory control during action-stopping, though the processes signified by these signatures are still controversially discussed. The present study aimed to disentangle these processes by comparing simple stopping situations with those in which additional action revisions were needed. Three experiments in female and male humans were performed to characterize the neurophysiological dynamics involved in action-stopping and - changing, with hypotheses derived from recently developed two-stage pause-then-cancel models of inhibitory control. Both stopping and revising an action triggered an early broad pause-process, marked by frontal EEG {beta}-bursts and non-selective suppression of corticospinal excitability. However, partial-EMG responses showed that motor activity was only partially inhibited by this pause, and that this activity can be further modulated during action-revision. In line with two-stage models of inhibitory control, subsequent frontocentral EEG activity after this initial pause selectively scaled depending on the required action revisions, with more activity observed for more complex revisions. This demonstrates the presence of a selective, effector-specific retune phase as the second process involved in action-stopping and -revision. Together, these findings show that inhibitory control is implemented over an extended period of time and in at least two phases. We are further able to align the most commonly proposed neurophysiological signatures to these phases and show that they are differentially modulated by the complexity of action-revision. Significance StatementInhibitory control is one of the most important control processes by which humans can regulate their behavior. Multiple neurophysiological signatures have been proposed to reflect inhibitory control. However, these play out on different time scales and appear to reflect different aspects of cognitive control, which are controversially debated. Recent two-stage models of inhibitory control have proposed that two phases implement the revisions of actions: pause and retune. Here, we provide the first empirical evidence for this proposition: Action revisions engendered a common initial low-latency pause, during which motor activity is broadly suppressed. Later activity, however, distinguishes between simple stopping of actions and more complex action revisions. These findings provide novel insights into the sequential dynamics of human action control.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Cortical sensorimotor activity in the execution and suppression of discrete and rhythmic movements

Although the engagement of sensorimotor cortices in movement is well documented, the functional relevance of brain activity patterns remains ambiguous. Especially, the cortical engagement specific to the pre-, within-, and post-movement periods is poorly understood. The present study addressed this issue by examining sensorimotor EEG activity during the performance as well as STOP-signal cued suppression of movements pertaining to two distinct classes, namely, discrete vs. ongoing rhythmic movements. Our findings indicate that the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), which is classically used as a marker of pre-movement processing, indexes multiple pre- and in-movement-related brain dynamics in a movement-class dependent fashion. In- and post-movement event-related (de)synchronization (ERD/ERS) observed in the Mu (8-13 Hz) and Beta (15-30 Hz) frequency ranges were associated with estimated brain sources in both motor and somatosensory cortical areas. Notwithstanding, Beta ERS occurred earlier following cancelled than actually performed movements. In contrast, Mu power did not vary. Whereas Beta power may reflect the evaluation of the sensory predicted outcome, Mu power might engage in linking perception to action. Additionally, the rhythmic movement forced stop (only) showed a post-movement Mu/Beta rebound, which might reflect an active "clearing-out" of the motor plan and its feedback-based online control. Overall, the present study supports the notion that sensorimotor EEG modulations are key markers to investigate control or executive processes, here initiation and inhibition, which are exerted when performing distinct movement classes.

neuroscience↗