Monitoring the past and choosing the future: the prefrontal cortical influences on voluntary action

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25127-y
• Publication Date: 2018-05-02T11:56:19Z
• Authors: H. N. Phillips; T. E. Cope; L. E. Hughes; J. Zhang; J. B. Rowe
• Keywords: Magnetoencephalography; Voluntary Action

Choosing between equivalent response options requires the resolution of ambiguity. One could facilitate such decisions by monitoring previous actions and implementing transient or arbitrary rules to differentiate options. This would reduce entropy chosen actions. We examined voluntary action during magnetoencephalography, identifying spatiotemporal correlates stimulus- choice-entropy. Negative correlations frontotemporal activity past trials were observed after participants' responses, reflecting sequential recent events. In contrast, choice correlated negatively with prefrontal activity, before response, consistent activation latent response-sets ahead a decision updating monitor responding. Individual differences in current choices related strength signals that reflect statistical regularities Together, these results explain individual expressions action, through differential engagement areas guide decisions.