Connecting EEG signal decomposition and response selection processes using the theory of event coding framework

Abstract

The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the integration of perception and action are an important topic in cognitive neuroscience. Yet, connections between neurophysiology and cognitive theoretical frameworks have rarely been established. The theory of event coding (TEC) details how perceptions and actions are associated (bound) in a common representational domain (the “event file”), but the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these processes are hardly understood. We used complementary neurophysiological methods to examine the neurophysiology of event file processing (i.e., event‐related potentials [ERPs], temporal EEG signal decomposition, EEG source localization, time‐frequency decomposition, EEG network analysis). We show that the P3 ERP component and activity modulations in inferior parietal regions (BA40) reflect event file binding processes. The relevance of this parietal region is corroborated by source localization of temporally decomposed EEG data. We also show that temporal EEG signal decomposition reveals a pattern of results suggesting that event file processes can be dissociated from pure stimulus and response‐related processes in the EEG signal. Importantly, it is also documented that event file binding processes are reflected by modulations in the network architecture of theta frequency band activity. That is, when stimulus–response bindings in event files hamper response selection this was associated with a less efficient theta network organization. A more efficient organization was evident when stimulus–response binding in event files facilitated response selection. Small‐world network measures seem to reflect event file processing. The results show how cognitive‐theoretical assumptions of TEC can directly be mapped to the neurophysiology of response selection.

Neurophysiological correlates of perception–action binding in the somatosensory system

“…Until now, the neural mechanisms underlying event file binding effects have extensively been investigated in visuo-motor paradigms using EEG and fMRI methods [13][14][15][16][17][18] . These studies support central aspects of TEC 11,12 using different types of stimuli like pictures of objects and faces requiring different actions (e.g., finger or facial responses). A study considering the TEC investigated the neurophysiological basis of distractor-response binding mechanisms in the visual domain using letter stimuli and found that event files but not object or action files are modulated by stimulus-response interactions 11 .…”

“…Since P1 and N1 components constitute early electrophysiological responses to sensory stimulus modulations, stimulus-response association processes were not expected to be reflected by these components. Also, previous findings on event file binding processes did not show modulations in these ERP-components 12 . This is in line with theoretical conceptions of TEC stating that perceptual properties of stimuli are coded in object files and not in event files 3 which are focus of the current study.…”

“…Processes reflecting stimulus-response transition encoded in event files are likely allocated to the C-cluster assumed to reflect intermediate processes occurring between stimulus and action. Modulations in the C-cluster have indeed been found to underlie stimulus-response binding 11,12 . Based on the assumption that event files represent the connection between stimulus and response features and the observation that this binding is reflected by central stimulus-response transition processes, it is hypothesized that the C-cluster is modulated by stimulus-response binding during somatosensory-motor processing akin to previous studies on action control using somatosensory stimuli 20,22,23,25 .…”

“…It is noteworthy that there is an overlap between the RIDE clusters and above-described TEC concepts 11,12 . While the stimulus-related object file might be reflected by the S-cluster, action-related features are more likely to be displayed in the R-cluster.…”

“…This was corroborated in a recent study examining neurophysiological mechanisms of event file binding in the visual domain using the S-R task comprising vertical and horizontal bars of different colors 8 . The authors applied different neurophysiological methods, including event-related potential (ERP) analysis and EEG signal decomposition 12 .…”