Project description
Theta and beta oscillations in action execution
Large-scale synchronised “oscillations” of neuronal activity across brain areas are associated with the processing of complex information that requires multiple brain regions. This includes the process consisting of sensorimotor prediction, sensory integration, and the planning, execution and evaluation of movement. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the THE-BET project aims to investigate the relationships between frontal midline theta (approximately 4-8 Hertz) and sensorimotor beta (about 13-30 Hertz) activity and their contributions to action execution and monitoring in the performance of goal-oriented actions. The study will utilise novel high-density data recorded using magnetoencephalography in participants performing many trials of conflict-inducing tasks. Data will inform novel neuro-behavioural models of conflict and error processing.
Objective
Human actions are complex processes that require the coordination of numerous brain areas responsible for sensorimotor prediction, sensory integration, action planning, decision-making, movement execution, and performance evaluation. Various neural oscillations in different frequency bands, including delta, theta, alpha/mu, beta, and gamma, have been identified as markers of these processes. However, their precise functional significance, interrelationships, and specificity remain poorly understood. This proposal is dedicated to investigating the neural mechanisms involved in action execution and monitoring, with a specific focus on the roles of frontal midline theta and sensorimotor beta activity. The primary objective is to unravel the relationships between these neural activities and their contributions to the performance of goal-oriented actions. To achieve this, I will record a new high-density MEG dataset with participants performing a large number of trials involving conflict-inducing tasks. The proposal is centered around three 3 sub-projects (SPs). Sub-Project 1 (SP1) focuses on unraveling the functional specificity of frontal theta(s) in goal-related actions. The main hypothesis of SP1 is that conflict-related, error-related, and monitoring-related theta activity exhibits different temporal dynamics (e.g. burst vs. sustained oscillation) and originates from distinct neural sources. Sub-Project 2 (SP2) will investigate the functional connectivity between theta(s) and beta activity during action execution. Beta activity in individual trials occurs in brief, sporadic bursts, rather than in sustained oscillations. SP2 will explore long-range directed connectivity measures between action-monitoring areas and M1 during motor execution, considering the burst-like nature of beta and theta. Sub-Project 3 (SP3) will combine results from SP1 and SP2 and focus on neuro-behavioural joint modeling of conflict and error processing using Drift Diffusion Models.
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
75794 Paris
France