Distinct trajectories in low-dimensional neural oscillation state space track dynamic decision-making in humans

Abstract

The brain evolved to govern behavior in a dynamic world, in which pertinent information about choices is often in flux. Thus, the commitment to an action choice must reflect a balance between monitoring that information and the necessity to act before opportunities are lost. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of dynamic decision-making in humans using low dimensional space representation of brain wide magnetoencephalography recordings. We show that the principal components (PCs) of alpha (9-13 Hz) and beta power (16-24 Hz) are involved in tracking sensory information evolving over time in the sensorimotor and visual cortex. We also found that alpha PCs reflect the commitment to a particular choice, while beta PCs reflect motor execution. Finally, higher frequency components in subcortical areas reflect the adjustment of speed- accuracy tradeoff policies. These results provide a new detailed characterization of the distributed oscillatory brain processes underlying dynamic decision-making in humans.