Adina Maria Mincic1,2, Patricia A. McGrath3, Karen D. Davis4,5
1Division of Brain, Imaging and Behavior Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute,University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania; 3Department of Anesthesia, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; 4Division of Brain, Imaging and Behavior Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; 5Department of Surgery and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
To date it is unclear to what extent the mechanisms engaged in cognitive control are similar in an emotional, compared to non-emotional context. We used variants of Stroop task and fMRI, to compare the activation patterns during cognitive and negative emotional interference, and to identify areas specifically engaged in processing selection (i.e. commonly showing activation in task vs. various baseline conditions - fixation, motor control, neutral words). Cognitive interference elicited activation in a bilateral fronto-parietal circuit; emotional interference engaged a mainly left lateralized fronto-temporo-occipital network. Brocas area, BA 45, was found to be specifically involved in both types of interference.