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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2023 Jan 27;24(3):153–172. doi: 10.1038/s41583-022-00670-w

Table 1 ∣.

Technical considerations linked to and cognitive processes examined in performance monitoring in humans and macaques

Item Humans Macaques
Technical issues
Acquisition of task rules Verbal instruction Non-verbal conditioning
Number of participants At least 20 Typically 2
Number of sessions or number of trials per individual Low High
Motivation Social reinforcement Primary reinforcement
Brain geometry Large, highly folded, idiosyncratic cortex Small, modestly folded, stereotyped cortex
EEG electrode placement On scalp On scalp; on skull beneath scalp and muscles
Typical microelectrode recordings Brush wire with no layer specificity Linear electrode arrays allowing layer specificity; square electrode arrays allowing areal sample
Possible causal interventions Electrical stimulation Electrical stimulation, pharmacology, lesions, optogenetics
Potential impact of neurological disease and/or medication Yes No
Effectors typically studied Button press with finger Eye movements, arm movements
Study of individual differences (large samples) Yes No
ERP-single neuron correlates Yes Yes
Study impact of comorbid neurological disease Yes No
Cognitive processes examined
Outcome registration (reward, points) Yes Yes
Error monitoring Yes Yes
Expertise level Naive High
Task switching or multitask comparisons (domain generality) Yes No
Response inhibition or conflict monitoring (slowing) Yes Yes
Interference or conflict due to reading Yes No
Test of awareness of performance Yes No
Time estimation Yes Yes
Aversive outcomes No Yes

ALL factors are considered from the point of view of invasive medial frontal cortex recordings. ‘Yes’ and ‘no’ entries indicate topics that, to date, have or have not been studied routinely in the given species, respectively. EEG, electroencephalography; ERP, event-related potential.