Altered Response Evaluation: Monitoring of Late Responses After Administration of D-Amphetamine

• Published in: Journal of psychophysiology Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 311 - 318
• Main Authors: de Bruijn, Ellen R. A., Hulstijn, Wouter, Verkes, Robbert J., Ruigt, Gé S. F., Sabbe, Bernard G. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hogrefe & Huber Publishers 2005
• Subjects: ERN; P3; Ne; amphetamine; action monitoring; flankers task; P2a
• ISSN: 0269-8803; 2151-2124
• DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803.19.4.311

Recently, D-amphetamine was shown to
increase the error negativity, the so-called "response
Ne/ERN," after incorrect choices of hand. We investigated whether
this stimulation of action monitoring would also be present in the monitoring
of late responses, reflected in the "late Ne/ERN." Twelve
healthy volunteers performed a speeded choice-reaction task on two
separate occasions on which either D-amphetamine or a placebo was
administered. The results showed a clear late Ne/ERN following too late
(TL) responses, but the amplitude of this late Ne/ERN was not
affected by treatment condition. An error positivity (Pe) was present
after the late Ne/ERN in the placebo condition, but not in the amphetamine
condition. Also, P2a amplitudes following TL feedback were larger after
administration of amphetamine compared to placebo. Questionnaires filled in by
participants showed that they overrated their own speed and accuracy after
administration of amphetamine. Overall, this suggests that the stimulating
aspects of amphetamine lead to changes in affective and motivational evaluation
of errors and performance in general. Therefore, along with the established
cognitive contributions, the current results provide evidence for an important
role of affective processes in action monitoring and the effects they have on
accompanying ERP components.