Human intracranial recordings of consequential decision-making in the frontoparietal cortex (v1)

In goal-oriented interactions with the environment, organizing actions into sequences is vital to anticipate outcomes in complex decision-making processes, even if it means prioritizing long-term gains over immediate convenience. We performed invasive human recordings in the frontoparietal cortex, to understand how the brain activity in these areas reflects the evaluation of consequences in multi-step processes. Four patients with refractory neuropathic facial pain were implanted with 16-channel epidural electrode grids (Specify 5-6-5, Medtronic) targeting the primary motor cortex (M1) and covering a broad region of the central frontoparietal cortex. We recorded from 80 channels in total (patient 2 was implanted with 2 grids that covered bilateral frontoparietal cortex). The patients performed a consequential task aimed at maximizing cumulative reward through decision sequences. The trials were organized into independent sessions or grouped into episodes of one or two trials. The subjects were required to discover the optimal strategy leading to the highest cumulative reward. We share both behavioral (reaction times, and performance) and neural data (pre-processed Local Field Potentials). The invasively recorded data from patients provides an invaluable opportunity to impose physical constraints on computational models, and refine and validate them, ensuring alignment with actual neural processes observed in the human and shedding light on the neural mechanisms underlying decision-making.