Surprise disrupts cognition via a fronto-basal ganglia suppressive mechanism

Authors :: Jan R. Wessel
Ned Jenkinson
John-Stuart Brittain
Sarah H. E. M. Voets
Tipu Z. Aziz
Adam R. Aron
Source :: Nature Communications, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2016)
Publication Year :: 2016
Publisher :: Nature Portfolio, 2016.
Abstract: Surprising events affect ongoing behaviour and cognitive processing, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Wessel and colleagues show that surprise recruits a motor suppression mechanism which may be implemented via the sub-thalamic nucleus and interrupts working memory performance.

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