The error-correcting brain: New insights into the neurobiology of adaptive behavior
(Medical Xpress) -- A key phenomenon studied by neuroscientists is the brains ability to recognize errors when they occur, link them to the associated behavior, and apply those errors in a way that modifies the behavior - the overall goal being to optimize the intended result of engaging in that behavior. Two neural measurements the error-related negativity (ERN) and error-related functional MRI (fMRI) activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC, sometimes referred to as the medial frontal cortex) have historically been seen as reflecting the same underlying neural process. Recently, however, findings by scientists at Harvard Medical School-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital have suggested that the ERN is differentially localized to the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).