abstract K. Richard Ridderinkhof

K. Richard Ridderinkhof (Department of Psychology, Cognitive Science Center, University of Amsterdam)

Frontostriatal mechanisms underlying inhibitory control over impulsive actions

To head rather than heed to temptations is easier said than done. Since tempting actions are often contextually inappropriate, selective suppression is invoked to inhibit such actions. Experimental studies typically focus 1) on mean reaction times (RT), which conceals the temporal dynamics of action control, and 2) on group means, while considering individual differences as a source of error variance. Here, we present recent behavioral, pharmacological, deep-brain stimulation, and neuroimaging studies on the inhibitory control over impulsive actions, in healthy adults and in patients with Parkinson’s Disease. We argue that these effects, and their underlying mechanisms, tend to remain fuzzy when only mean RTs and group means are analyzed.