Neural Dynamics of Reward-Induced Response Activation and Inhibition

Lihui Wang, Wenshuo Chang, Ruth M. Krebs, C. Nico Boehler, Jan Theeuwes, Xiaolin Zhou

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Abstract

Reward-predictive stimuli can increase an automatic response tendency, which needs to be counteracted by effortful response inhibition when this tendency is inappropriate for the current task. Here we investigated how the human brain implements this dynamic process by adopting a reward-modulated Simon task while acquiring EEG and fMRI data in separate sessions. In the Simon task, a lateral target stimulus triggers an automatic response tendency of the spatially corresponding hand, which needs to be overcome if the activated hand is opposite to what the task requires, thereby delaying the response. We associated high or low reward with different targets, the location of which could be congruent or incongruent with the correct response hand. High-reward targets elicited larger Simon effects than low-reward targets, suggesting an increase in the automatic response tendency induced by the stimulus location. This tendency was accompanied by modulations of the lateralized readiness potential over the motor cortex, and was inhibited soon after if the high-reward targets were incongruent with the correct response hand. Moreover, this process was accompanied by enhanced theta oscillations in medial frontal cortex and enhanced activity in a frontobasal ganglia network. With dynamical causal modeling, we further demonstrated that the connection from presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) to right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) played a crucial role in modulating the reward-modulated response inhibition. Our results support a dynamic neural model of reward-induced response activation and inhibition, and shed light on the neural communication between reward and cognitive control in generating adaptive behaviors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3961-3976
Number of pages16
JournalCerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
Volume29
Issue number9
Early online date25 Oct 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2019

Funding

National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program: 2015CB856400) and the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 31630034) to Xiaolin Zhou, an advanced grant awarded to Jan Theeuwes by the European Research Council (ERC-2012- AdG-323413), and Grant 636116 awarded to Ruth M. Krebs by the European Research Council (ERC) under the Horizon 2020 framework.

FundersFunder number
Horizon 2020 framework
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme636116, 323413
European Research Council
National Natural Science Foundation of China31630034
National Key Research and Development Program of China2015CB856400

    Keywords

    • LRP
    • MFC
    • response control
    • reward
    • theta-band oscillation

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