The neurophysiology of continuous action monitoring

• Published in: iScience 2023-07, Vol.26 (7), p.106939-106939, Article 106939
• Main Authors: Wilken, Saskia, Böttcher, Adriana, Adelhöfer, Nico, Raab, Markus, Hoffmann, Sven, Beste, Christian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognitive neuroscience; Sensory neuroscience
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106939

Monitoring actions is essential for goal-directed behavior. However, as opposed to short-lasting, and regularly reinstating monitoring functions, the neural processes underlying continuous action monitoring are poorly understood. We investigate this using a pursuit-tracking paradigm. We show that beta band activity likely maintains the sensorimotor program, while theta and alpha bands probably support attentional sampling and information gating, respectively. Alpha and beta band activity are most relevant during the initial tracking period, when sensorimotor calibrations are most intense. Theta band shifts from parietal to frontal cortices throughout tracking, likely reflecting a shift in the functional relevance from attentional sampling to action monitoring. This study shows that resource allocation mechanisms in prefrontal areas and stimulus-response mapping processes in the parietal cortex are crucial for adapting sensorimotor processes. It fills a knowledge gap in understanding the neural processes underlying action monitoring and suggests new directions for examining sensorimotor integration in more naturalistic experiments. [Display omitted] •Continuous action monitoring is crucial for everyday goal-directed behavior•We investigate the underlying neurophysiology with a new EEG paradigm•Modulation of alpha, beta, and theta band activity in widespread cortical regions Sensory neuroscience; Cognitive neuroscience