Beta- and gamma-band activity reflect predictive coding in the processing of causal events. Issue 6 (12th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van Pelt, Stan; Heil, Lieke; Kwisthout, Johan; Ondobaka, Sasha; van Rooij, Iris; Bekkering, Harold
• Is Part Of: Social cognitive and affective neuroscience. Volume 11:Issue 6(2016)
• Page Start: 973
• Page End: 980
• Publication Date: 2016-02-12
• Subjects: causal inference -- action perception -- predictive coding -- magnetoencephalography -- connectivity; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Cognitive neuroscience -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; 612.8205
• DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1749-5016

Abstract

Abstract: In daily life, complex events are perceived in a causal manner, suggesting that the brain relies on predictive processes to model them. Within predictive coding theory, oscillatory beta-band activity has been linked to top-down predictive signals and gamma-band activity to bottom-up prediction errors. However, neurocognitive evidence for predictive coding outside lower-level sensory areas is scarce. We used magnetoencephalography to investigate neural activity during probability-dependent action perception in three areas pivotal for causal inference, superior temporal sulcus, temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex, using bowling action animations. Within this network, Granger-causal connectivity in the beta-band was found to be strongest for backward top-down connections and gamma for feed-forward bottom-up connections. Moreover, beta-band power in TPJ increased parametrically with the predictability of the action kinematics-outcome sequences. Conversely, gamma-band power in TPJ and MPFC increased with prediction error. These findings suggest that the brain utilizes predictive-coding-like computations for higher-order cognition such as perception of causal events.