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Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons

Perceptual decisions based on the comparison of two vibrotactile frequencies have been extensively studied in non-human primates. Recently, we obtained corresponding findings from human oscillatory electroencephalography (EEG) activity in the form of choice-selective modulations of upper beta band a...

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Autores principales: Herding, Jan, Ludwig, Simon, Blankenburg, Felix
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350154/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28360848
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00118
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author Herding, Jan
Ludwig, Simon
Blankenburg, Felix
author_facet Herding, Jan
Ludwig, Simon
Blankenburg, Felix
author_sort Herding, Jan
collection PubMed
description Perceptual decisions based on the comparison of two vibrotactile frequencies have been extensively studied in non-human primates. Recently, we obtained corresponding findings from human oscillatory electroencephalography (EEG) activity in the form of choice-selective modulations of upper beta band amplitude in medial premotor areas. However, the research in non-human primates as well as its human counterpart was so far limited to decisions reported by button presses. Thus, here we investigated whether the observed human beta band modulation is specific to the response modality. We recorded EEG activity from participants who compared two sequentially presented vibrotactile frequencies (f1 and f2), and decided whether f2 > f1 or f2 < f1, by performing a horizontal saccade to either side of a computer screen. Contrasting time-frequency transformed EEG data between both choices revealed that upper beta band amplitude (∼24–32 Hz) was modulated by participants’ choices before actual responses were given. In particular, “f2 > f1” choices were always associated with higher beta band amplitude than “f2 < f1” choices, irrespective of whether the choice was correct or not, and independent of the specific association between saccade direction and choice. The observed pattern of beta band modulation was virtually identical to our previous results when participants responded with button presses. In line with an intentional framework of decision making, the most likely sources of the beta band modulation were now, however, located in lateral as compared to medial premotor areas including the frontal eye fields. Hence, we could show that the choice-selective modulation of upper beta band amplitude is on the one hand consistent across different response modalities (i.e., same modulation pattern in similar frequency band), and on the other hand effector specific (i.e., modulation originating from areas involved in planning and executing saccades).
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spelling pubmed-53501542017-03-30 Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons Herding, Jan Ludwig, Simon Blankenburg, Felix Front Hum Neurosci Neuroscience Perceptual decisions based on the comparison of two vibrotactile frequencies have been extensively studied in non-human primates. Recently, we obtained corresponding findings from human oscillatory electroencephalography (EEG) activity in the form of choice-selective modulations of upper beta band amplitude in medial premotor areas. However, the research in non-human primates as well as its human counterpart was so far limited to decisions reported by button presses. Thus, here we investigated whether the observed human beta band modulation is specific to the response modality. We recorded EEG activity from participants who compared two sequentially presented vibrotactile frequencies (f1 and f2), and decided whether f2 > f1 or f2 < f1, by performing a horizontal saccade to either side of a computer screen. Contrasting time-frequency transformed EEG data between both choices revealed that upper beta band amplitude (∼24–32 Hz) was modulated by participants’ choices before actual responses were given. In particular, “f2 > f1” choices were always associated with higher beta band amplitude than “f2 < f1” choices, irrespective of whether the choice was correct or not, and independent of the specific association between saccade direction and choice. The observed pattern of beta band modulation was virtually identical to our previous results when participants responded with button presses. In line with an intentional framework of decision making, the most likely sources of the beta band modulation were now, however, located in lateral as compared to medial premotor areas including the frontal eye fields. Hence, we could show that the choice-selective modulation of upper beta band amplitude is on the one hand consistent across different response modalities (i.e., same modulation pattern in similar frequency band), and on the other hand effector specific (i.e., modulation originating from areas involved in planning and executing saccades). Frontiers Media S.A. 2017-03-15 /pmc/articles/PMC5350154/ /pubmed/28360848 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00118 Text en Copyright © 2017 Herding, Ludwig and Blankenburg. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Neuroscience
Herding, Jan
Ludwig, Simon
Blankenburg, Felix
Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons
title Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons
title_full Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons
title_fullStr Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons
title_full_unstemmed Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons
title_short Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons
title_sort response-modality-specific encoding of human choices in upper beta band oscillations during vibrotactile comparisons
topic Neuroscience
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350154/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28360848
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00118
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