Work

Alpha and beta oscillations mediate the effect of motivation on neural coding of cognitive flexibility

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Cognitive flexibility is crucial for adaptive human behaviour. Prior studies have analysed the effect of reward on cognitive flexibility; however, the neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unknown. This study explores how reward influences neural oscillations and how these changes impact behavioural performance. Using time-frequency decomposition, we examined electroencephalographic data from participants engaged in rule-guided task-switching with varying reward prospects. Higher anticipated rewards lead to greater desynchronisation of alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (20-30 Hz) oscillations, which in turn correlated with improved task performance. Both alpha power and event-related potential (ERP) coding of reward independently predicted reward-based performance improvements, suggesting distinct mechanisms supporting proactive control. These findings underscore the unique contributions of neural oscillations in mediating motivational effects on cognitive flexibility.

Source: Biological Psychology

DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109085

Authors: Juan M. Chau Delgado, Matias J. Ison, Paul S. Muhle-Karbe, Mark G. Stokes, Sam Hall-McMaster, Nicholas E. Myers