Shared patterns of cognitive control behaviour and electrophysiological markers in adolescence

Behavioural parameters obtained from cognitive control tasks have been linked to electrophysiological markers. Yet, most previous research has investigated only a few specific behavioural parameters at a time. An integrated approach with simultaneous consideration of multiple aspects of behaviour may better elucidate the development and function of cognitive control. Here, we aimed to identify shared patterns between cognitive control behaviour and electrophysiological markers using stop signal task data and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings from an adolescent sample (N = 193, aged 11-25). We extracted behavioural variables covering various aspects of reaction time, accuracy, inhibition, and decision-making processes, as well as amplitude and latency of the event-related potentials N1, N2, and P3. To identify shared patterns between the two sets of variables, we employed principal component analysis and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). First, we replicated previously reported associations between various cognitive control behavioural parameters. Next, results from the CCA showed that overall good task performance was associated with fast and strong neural processing. Furthermore, the canonical correlation was affected by age, indicating that the association varies depending on age. The present study suggests that although distributional and computational methods can be applied to extract specific behavioural parameters, they might not capture specific patterns of cognitive control or electrophysiological brain activity in adolescents.