Date of Award

4-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Psychological Science

Program

Psychological Science (MS)

First Advisor/Chairperson

Joshua Carlson

Abstract

Inhibitory control is defined as the stopping or overriding of a mental process with or without intention. It is known as a motor process in which executive control suppresses an automated motor response. Currently, there is no existing research discussing the neural mechanisms of an emotional anti-saccade task, therefore with the use of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and an emotional anti-saccade task, this study aims to identify the neural correlates of inhibitory control over emotional stimuli. The anti-saccade task is known as an effective measure of inhibitory control since it requires inhibiting a reflexive response and re-orienting attention while emotional faces are presented. Given the nature of the anti-saccade, where it requires the top-down inhibition of an automatic pro-saccade response, investigating the neural correlates could serve as an important tool to evaluate deficits in response inhibition in clinical populations. Previous research was confirmed by demonstrating significant effects for the anti-saccade task. ROI-to-ROI analyses showed overlap in the salience and frontoparietal networks in relation to response inhibition. Seed-to-voxel analysis revealed significant connectivity between numerous seed networks in relation to response inhibition. Anti-saccade trials showed stronger functional connectivity between seeds (i.e. salience, default mode network, frontoparietal, and amygdala) compared to pro-saccade trials.

Access Type

Open Access

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