Background: Previous studies have shown that people always pay more attention to highly preferred items of choice, which is well defined by behavioral measurements and eye-tracking. However, less is known about the neural dynamics underlying the role that visual attention plays in value-based decisions, especially in those characterized by the “relative value” (ie, value difference) between two items displayed simultaneously in a binary choice.
Purpose: This study examined the neural temporal and neural oscillatory features underlying selective attention to subjective preferences in value-based decision making.
Methods: In this study, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) measurements while participants performed a binary choice task in which they were instructed to respond to their preferred snack in high value difference (HVD) or low value difference (LVD) conditions.
Results: Behaviorally, participants showed faster responses and lower error rates in the HVD condition than in the LVD condition. In parallel, participants exerted a reduced prefrontal N2 component and attenuated frontal theta-band synchronization in the HVD condition as opposed to the LVD condition. Crucially, participants showed greater N2pc component and theta-band synchronization over the human posterior cortex in the HVD condition than in the LVD condition. Moreover, there was a direct correlation between frontal and posterior theta-band synchronization.
Conclusion: The results show that theta-band oscillatory dynamics may represent attentional bias to subjective preferences, and this effect can be modulated by the level attentional bias to subjective preferences, and this effect can be modulated by the level of value difference. Our research provides insights into a new avenue via which the processing of selective attention and value representation in the value-based decisions can be implicated in an integrative neural oscillatory mechanism.



中文翻译：

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脑电图 Theta 波段振荡动力学代表基于价值的决策中对主观偏好的注意偏差

背景：以前的研究表明，人们总是更加关注高度偏好的选择项目，这可以通过行为测量和眼动追踪得到很好的定义。然而，对于视觉注意力在基于价值的决策中所起的作用背后的神经动力学知之甚少，特别是在那些以二元选择中同时显示的两个项目之间的“相对价值”（即价值差异）为特征的决策中。
目的：本研究检查了在基于价值的决策中选择性注意主观偏好的神经时间和神经振荡特征。
方法：在这项研究中，我们记录了脑电图 (EEG) 测量结果，而参与者执行了一项二元选择任务，在该任务中，他们被指示在高价值差异 (HVD) 或低价值差异 (LVD) 条件下对他们喜欢的零食做出反应。
结果：在行为上，参与者在 HVD 条件下比在 LVD 条件下表现出更快的响应和更低的错误率。同时，与 LVD 条件相反，参与者在 HVD 条件下减少了前额叶 N2 分量并减弱了额叶 theta 波段同步。至关重要的是，与 LVD 条件相比，与 LVD 条件相比，与 LVD 条件相比，在 HVD 条件下，参与者在人类后皮质上表现出更大的 N2pc 分量和 theta 带同步。此外，前部和后部θ波段同步之间存在直接相关性。
结论：结果表明，theta-band 振荡动力学可能代表了对主观偏好的注意偏差，这种效应可以通过对主观偏好的注意偏差水平进行调节，这种效应可以通过价值差异的水平进行调节。我们的研究提供了一种新途径的见解，通过该途径，基于价值的决策中选择性注意和价值表示的处理可以与综合神经振荡机制有关。