Organisms make two types of decisions on a regular basis. Perceptual decisions are determined by objective states of the world (e.g., melons are bigger than apples), whereas value-based decisions are determined by subjective preferences (e.g., I prefer apples to melons). Theoretical accounts suggest that both types of choice involve neural computations accumulating evidence for the choice alternatives; however, little is known about the overlap or differences in the processes underlying perceptual versus value-based decisions. We analyzed EEG recordings during a paradigm where perceptual- and value-based choices were based on identical stimuli. For both types of choice, evidence accumulation was evident in parietal gamma-frequency oscillations, whereas a similar frontal signal was unique for value-based decisions. Fronto-parietal synchronization of these signals predicted value-based choice accuracy. These findings uncover how decisions emerge from topographic- and frequency-specific oscillations that accumulate distinct aspects of evidence, with large-scale synchronization as a mechanism integrating these spatially distributed signals.

Efficient recognition of odorous objects universally shapes animal behavior and is crucial for survival. To distinguish kin from non-kin, mate from non-mate, food from non-food, organisms must be able to create meaningful perceptual representations of odor qualities and categories. It is currently unknown where, and in what form, the brain encodes information about odor quality. By combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with multivariate (pattern-based) techniques, we show that spatially distributed ensemble activity in human posterior piriform cortex (PPC) coincides with perceptual ratings of odor quality, such that odorants with more (or less) similar fMRI patterns were perceived as more (or less) alike. Critically, these effects were not observed in anterior piriform cortex, amygdala, or orbitofrontal cortex, demonstrating that ensemble coding of odor categorical perception is regionally specific for PPC. These findings substantiate theoretical models emphasizing the importance of distributed piriform templates for the perceptual reconstruction of odor object quality.A key property of the brain is to create coherent, meaningful perceptual constructs from the complexity of the outside world. These internalized representations of the external environment provide a neural basis for object recognition, identification, and categorization, enabling organisms to focus cognitive resources, optimize behavioral responses, and generalize past experiences to novel events 1,2 .Research on object processing has traditionally focused on visual object processing 2,3 , which tends to overshadow the critical ecological role of "odor objects" -here defined as the perceptual quality or character of a smell emitted from an odorous substance. Efficient

Which meal would you like today, chicken or pasta? For such value-based choices, organisms must flexibly integrate various types of sensory information about internal states and the environment to transform them into actions. Recent accounts suggest that these choice-relevant processes are mediated by information transfer between functionally specialized but spatially distributed brain regions in parietal and prefrontal cortex; however, it remains unclear whether such fronto-parietal communication is causally involved in guiding value-based choices. We find that transcranially inducing oscillatory desynchronization between the frontopolar and -parietal cortex leads to more inaccurate choices between food rewards while leaving closely matched perceptual decisions unaffected. Computational modelling shows that this exogenous manipulation leads to imprecise value assignments to the choice alternatives. Thus, our study demonstrates that accurate value-based decisions critically involve coherent rhythmic information transfer between fronto-parietal brain areas and establishes an experimental approach to non-invasively manipulate the precision of value-based choices in humans.