Abstract: Error-raleted ERP component–error-related negativity (ERN) is one of the primary barometers of error monitoring when the individuals make wrong reaction. First, the researchers ensure that participants have appropriate amount of error, only in this way can elicit obvious ERN amplitude. As a result, most researchers will adopt experimental duties with larger conflict. Now, investigators mainly adopt experimental paradigms include Eriksen Flanker task, Stroop task and Go/No-Go task, and one of the most common tasks is Eriksen Flanker task. In the overview, this review summarized the neural generators of error-related negativity from the healthy and the some special subjects through literature consulting. The special groups include anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) part-injury patients, anxiety and sleep deprivation subjects, patients with mental illness as well as behavior and substance addiction. 　　Many researchers were tried to gave explanations for the neural generators of ERN, conflict monitor theory, mismatch theory and reinforcement learning theory were the most representative interpretations among such explanations at present. These dominant theories from different angles to account for the neural bases of ERN, while, the above-mentioned theories were not completely mutually exclusive each other. 　　Recently, the accurate areas of the brain that control the error monitoring are still controversial. Most researches believed that ERN was located in cingulate gyrus. It is need to note that the activation time of cingulate gyrus does not always simultaneously during error monitoring. E.g. Edwards and colleagues jointly employed Independent Component Analysis and EEG, fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) had found that the ERN1 was associated with activity in the caudal ACC and lateral prefrontal cortex while the ERN2 was associated with activity in the rostral ACC (the ERN1 component (48 ms) occurred 38 ms earlier in time than the ERN2 component (86 ms) ), so the caudal ACC and lateral prefrontal cortex engaged prior to the rostral ACC during error-monitoring. However, other researches revealed that other parts of the brain were activated (such as insula, intraparietal suleus, pre-supplementarymotor area). There is a saying that the morphological structure decides function, because there is a complex neurological contact between cingulate gyrus and other brain regions–Pre-supplementarymotor area accept nerve fibers projection from a large number of neurons of prefrontal cortex area (Brodmann 46) , premotor cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Steinhauser and Yeung had found that the amplitude of the ERN may co-vary with error awareness. Similarly, the cingulate gyrus, the putative generator of the ERN, was actived on both reported and unreported errors, whereas the anterior insula was specifically modulated by error awareness. The insular cortex, due to its cytoarchitectonic layout and its functional as well as structural connectivity, was perfectly suited to play a key role in error awareness. Therefore, ERN potential is likely to be more comprehensive manifestation of brain electrical activity in the head rather than the single performance of a particular brain region. 　　Besides, the neural generators of error-related negativity was influenced by the factors like the task of the experiment, participants＇age and level of the sensation and so on. Activited error-related encephalic regions exist markedly differences between the Reaction Conflict task and the Reinforcement Learing task in the same study, and the activation level of accurate positions in the ACC is difference. Changes in ERN amplitude reflect developmental changes in the brain, possibly reflecting the continued maturation of the medial prefrontal cortex (includes ACC), meanwhile, individual＇s congnitive ability is also in development, and people who has better working memory span has the larger ERN amplitude in the error trials. There exist studies had found that activated brain regions caused by the true errors exist differences even under different level of consciousness. Participants who realized their own mistakes appear error-related dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation levels increased significantly, comparison with the subjects who did not realized their own errors. However, some studies had shown that the posterior cingulate cortex emerge significant activation. In the future, investigators should take full advantages of Dynamic EEG Recording and Analysis System for discovery and diagnosis of abnormal brain waves, in other words, promote the results of researches from laboratory to clinical practice. Next, researches of the neural underpinnings of error monitoring should conduct stimulus of combination of visual, audio multi-channels as experiment materials. In addition, researchers should be insight into the researches which are indexed by ERN as drug relapse predictor in order to improve the extrapolation of the validity of related researches.

Key words: ERN (error-related negativity), neural generators, cingulate gyrus

摘要： 与个体做出错误反应相伴的错误相关ERP成分叫错误相关负波 (error-related negativity, ERN)，当前冲突监控理论、表征失匹配理论和强化学习理论从不同的角度对ERN的神经机制进行解释，各理论间并非完全相互排斥。目前大部分研究认为ERN定位于扣带回，部分研究则出现其它脑区的激活，然而，扣带回与其它脑区存在复杂的神经功能联系，ERN 电位很可能是多个脑区电活动在头颅的综合表现，而非某一脑区的单独表现。ERN的神经机制受到实验任务、被试年龄及其意识水平等因素的影响。未来要推动实验室研究走向临床应用，发现与诊断脑电波异常的病人和毒品易复吸人群。

关键词: ERN (error-related negativity), 神经起源, 扣带回