Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Task preparation processes related to reward prediction precede those related to task-difficulty expectation.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Schevernels, H; Krebs, RM; Santens, P; Woldorff, MG; Boehler, CN
Published in: Neuroimage
January 1, 2014

Recently, attempts have been made to disentangle the neural underpinnings of preparatory processes related to reward and attention. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research showed that neural activity related to the anticipation of reward and to attentional demands invokes neural activity patterns featuring large-scale overlap, along with some differences and interactions. Due to the limited temporal resolution of fMRI, however, the temporal dynamics of these processes remain unclear. Here, we report an event-related potentials (ERP) study in which cued attentional demands and reward prospect were combined in a factorial design. Results showed that reward prediction dominated early cue processing, as well as the early and later parts of the contingent negative variation (CNV) slow-wave ERP component that has been associated with task-preparation processes. Moreover these reward-related electrophysiological effects correlated across participants with response time speeding on reward-prospect trials. In contrast, cued attentional demands affected only the later part of the CNV, with the highest amplitudes following cues predicting high-difficulty potential-reward targets, thus suggesting maximal task preparation when the task requires it and entails reward prospect. Consequently, we suggest that task-preparation processes triggered by reward can arise earlier, and potentially more directly, than strategic top-down aspects of preparation based on attentional demands.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Neuroimage

DOI

EISSN

1095-9572

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

84

Start / End Page

639 / 647

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Reward
  • Reaction Time
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Electroencephalography
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Schevernels, H., Krebs, R. M., Santens, P., Woldorff, M. G., & Boehler, C. N. (2014). Task preparation processes related to reward prediction precede those related to task-difficulty expectation. Neuroimage, 84, 639–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.09.039
Schevernels, Hanne, Ruth M. Krebs, Patrick Santens, Marty G. Woldorff, and C Nicolas Boehler. “Task preparation processes related to reward prediction precede those related to task-difficulty expectation.Neuroimage 84 (January 1, 2014): 639–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.09.039.
Schevernels H, Krebs RM, Santens P, Woldorff MG, Boehler CN. Task preparation processes related to reward prediction precede those related to task-difficulty expectation. Neuroimage. 2014 Jan 1;84:639–47.
Schevernels, Hanne, et al. “Task preparation processes related to reward prediction precede those related to task-difficulty expectation.Neuroimage, vol. 84, Jan. 2014, pp. 639–47. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.09.039.
Schevernels H, Krebs RM, Santens P, Woldorff MG, Boehler CN. Task preparation processes related to reward prediction precede those related to task-difficulty expectation. Neuroimage. 2014 Jan 1;84:639–647.
Journal cover image

Published In

Neuroimage

DOI

EISSN

1095-9572

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

84

Start / End Page

639 / 647

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Reward
  • Reaction Time
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Electroencephalography