title: Cortical representations of confidence in a visual perceptual decision.
abstract: To date the exact neuronal implementation of decision confidence has been subject to little research. Here we explore electroencephalographic correlates of human choice certainty in a visual motion discrimination task for either spatial attention or motor effector cue instructions. We demonstrate electrophysiological correlates of choice certainty that evolve as early as 300 ms after stimulus onset and resemble the primary visual motion representations in early visual cortex. These correlates do not emerge unless or until the subject unambiguously knows which of the competing visual stimuli is actually relevant to behaviour. They extend beyond stimulus presentation up to the motor response but are independent of the motor effector. Our findings suggest that perceptual confidence evolves in parallel with representations of stimulus properties and is dedicated to one specific aspect of the visual world. Its electroencephalographic correlates can be disentangled from representations of sensory evidence, objective discrimination performance and overt motor behaviour.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany [2] Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Strasse, 52428 Jülich, Germany [3].
authors.forename: Leopold
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zizlsperger
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany [2].
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauvigny
authors.affiliation: Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Deutschordenstrasse 46, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Händel
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany [2] Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haarmeier
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult