Delayed Response Improves Inhibitory Control in Low- and High-Impulsivity Adolescents: Effects of Emotional Contexts

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of delayed response on inhibitory control in low- and high-impulsivity adolescents in the presence of an emotional context. Participants performed a Go/No-Go task in 4 conditions: a control context with and without delayed response, and a pleasant context with and without delayed response. The amplitudes and latencies of the N2 and P3 components were evaluated. The delay increased the number of correct inhibitions and omissions but decreased the number of correct responses and N2 and P3 amplitudes during inhibition. The high-impulsivity adolescents showed larger amplitudes in P3NoGo but shorter N2 latencies during the NoGo trials, and the opposite during the Go trials, as they required more processing time than the low-impulsivity adolescents to restart their motor responses. In conclusion, the delayed response did improve inhibitory control and, the beneficial effects of the delay were less pronounced in the high-impulsivity adolescents when the distraction of the pleasant stimuli was present.