Lateral prefrontal theta oscillations causally drive a computational mechanism underlying conflict expectation and adaptation

• Published in: Nature communications 2024-11, Vol.15 (1), p.9858-16, Article 9858
• Main Authors: Martínez-Molina, María Paz, Valdebenito-Oyarzo, Gabriela, Soto-Icaza, Patricia, Zamorano, Francisco, Figueroa-Vargas, Alejandra, Carvajal-Paredes, Patricio, Stecher, Ximena, Salinas, César, Valero-Cabré, Antoni, Polania, Rafael, Billeke, Pablo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 59/36; 59/57; 631/378/1595/2618; 631/378/2649/2150; 631/477/2811; 9/26; Adaptation; Adaptation, Psychological - physiology; Adult; Brain Mapping; Cognition - physiology; Computer Simulation; Conflict, Psychological; EEG; Electroencephalography; Environmental effects; Female; Frontal gyrus; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Information processing; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; multidisciplinary; Oscillations; Prefrontal cortex; Prefrontal Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Prefrontal Cortex - physiology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Stimuli; Theta Rhythm - physiology; Theta rhythms; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54244-8

Adapting our behavior to environmental demands relies on our capacity to perceive and manage potential conflicts within our surroundings. While evidence implicates the involvement of the lateral prefrontal cortex and theta oscillations in detecting conflict stimuli, their causal role in conflict expectation remains elusive. Consequently, the exact computations and neural mechanisms underlying these cognitive processes still need to be determined. We employed an integrative approach involving cognitive computational modeling, fMRI, TMS, and EEG to establish a causal link between oscillatory brain function, its neurocomputational role, and the resulting conflict processing and adaptation behavior. Our results reveal a computational process underlying conflict expectation, which correlates with BOLD-fMRI and theta activity in the superior frontal gyrus (SFG). Modulation of theta activity via rhythmic TMS applied over the SFG induces endogenous theta activity, which in turn enhances computations associated with conflict expectation. These findings provide evidence for the causal involvement of SFG theta activity in learning and allocating cognitive resources to address forthcoming conflict stimuli. Martínez-Molina et al. utilized fMRI, EEG-TMS, and cognitive modeling to reveal the mechanisms behind expectation and adaptation to upcoming conflicting events, demonstrating the causal role of theta oscillations in the lateral prefrontal cortex.