Reward-Based Decision-Making Engages Distinct Modes of Cross-Frequency Coupling

Justin Riddle; Morgan L Alexander; Crystal Edler Schiller; David R Rubinow; Flavio Frohlich

doi:10.1093/cercor/bhab336

Reward-Based Decision-Making Engages Distinct Modes of Cross-Frequency Coupling

Cereb Cortex. 2022 May 14;32(10):2079-2094. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhab336.

Authors

Justin Riddle^{1

2}, Morgan L Alexander^{1

2}, Crystal Edler Schiller¹, David R Rubinow¹, Flavio Frohlich^{1

2

3

4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
² Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁴ Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁶ Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.

Abstract

Prefrontal cortex exerts control over sensory and motor systems via cross-frequency coupling. However, it is unknown whether these signals play a role in reward-based decision-making and whether such dynamic network configuration is altered in a major depressive episode. We recruited men and women with and without depression to perform a streamlined version of the Expenditure of Effort for Reward Task during recording of electroencephalography. Goal-directed behavior was quantified as willingness to exert physical effort to obtain reward, and reward-evaluation was the degree to which the decision to exert effort was modulated by incentive level. We found that the amplitude of frontal-midline theta oscillations was greatest in participants with the greatest reward-evaluation. Furthermore, coupling between frontal theta phase and parieto-occipital gamma amplitude was positively correlated with reward-evaluation. In addition, goal-directed behavior was positively correlated with coupling between frontal delta phase to motor beta amplitude. Finally, we performed a factor analysis to derive 2 symptom dimensions and found that mood symptoms positively tracked with reward-evaluation and motivation symptoms negatively tracked with goal-directed behavior. Altogether, these results provide evidence that 2 aspects of reward-based decision-making are instantiated by different modes of prefrontal top-down control and are modulated in different symptom dimensions of depression.

Keywords: cross-frequency coupling; depression; goal-directed behavior; reward-evaluation; symptom dimensions.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Decision Making
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Electroencephalography
Female
Humans
Male
Motivation
Prefrontal Cortex
Reward

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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