Inhibitory Control and the Structural Parcelation of the Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus

• Published in: Frontiers in human neuroscience Vol. 16; p. 787079
• Main Authors: Boen, Rune, Raud, Liisa, Huster, Rene J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 24.02.2022; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Accuracy; Behavior; Experiments; Frontal gyrus; inhibitory control; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neural networks; Neuroimaging; Neuroscience; Reaction time task; response execution; response inhibition; right inferior frontal gyrus; structural parcelation; Substantia alba; Substantia grisea; right inferior frontal gyrus; inhibitory control; response inhibition; structural parcelation; response execution
• ISSN: 1662-5161; 1662-5161
• DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.787079

The right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) has most strongly, although not exclusively, been associated with response inhibition, not least based on covariations of behavioral performance measures and local gray matter characteristics. However, the white matter microstructure of the rIFG as well as its connectivity has been less in focus, especially when it comes to the consideration of potential subdivisions within this area. The present study reconstructed the structural connections of the three main subregions of the rIFG (i.e., pars opercularis, pars triangularis, and pars orbitalis) using diffusion tensor imaging, and further assessed their associations with behavioral measures of inhibitory control. The results revealed a marked heterogeneity of the three subregions with respect to the pattern and extent of their connections, with the pars orbitalis showing the most widespread inter-regional connectivity, while the pars opercularis showed the lowest number of interconnected regions. When relating behavioral performance measures of a stop signal task to brain structure, the data indicated an association between the dorsal opercular connectivity and the go reaction time and the stopping accuracy.