Interplay between alpha and theta band activity enables management of perception-action representations for goal-directed behavior

Abstract

Goal-directed behavior requires integrated mental representations of perceptions and actions. The neurophysiological underpinnings of these processes, however, are not yet understood. It is particularly undetermined, which oscillatory activities in which brain regions are involved in the management of perception-action representations. We examine this question with a focus on response inhibition processes and show that the dynamics of perception-action representations reflected in theta band activity (TBA) are particularly evident in the supplementary motor area and the occipito-temporal cortex. Mental representations coded in alpha band activity (ABA) during perception-action integration are associated with the occipito-temporal cortex. Crucially, perception-action representations are exchanged between theta and alpha frequency bands. The results imply that ABA functions as dynamic top-down control over binding, retrieval and reconfiguration processes during response inhibition, which in turn are reflected by TBA. Our study thus highlights how the interplay of oscillatory activity enables the management of perception-action representations for goal-directed behavior.