Spectral Signatures of Saccade Target Selection

Action generation relies on a widely distributed network of brain areas. However, little is known about the spatiotemporal dynamics of neuronal activity in the network that gives rise to voluntary action in humans. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) and source analysis (n = 15, 7 female subjects) to investigate the spectral signatures of human cortical networks engaged in active and intrinsically motivated viewing behavior. We compared neuronal activity of externally cued saccades with saccades to freely chosen targets. For planning and execution of both saccade types, we found an increase in gamma band (~64–128 Hz) activity and a concurrent decrease in beta band (~12–32 Hz) activity in saccadic control areas, including the intraparietal sulcus and the frontal eye fields. Guided compared to voluntary actions were accompanied by stronger transient increases in the gamma and low frequency (<16 Hz) range immediately following the instructional cue. In contrast, action selection between competing alternatives was reflected by stronger sustained fronto-parietal gamma increases that occurred later in time and persisted until movement execution. This sustained enhancement for free target selection was accompanied by a spatially widespread reduction of lower frequency power (~8–45 Hz) in parietal and extrastriate areas. Our results suggest that neuronal population activity in the gamma frequency band in a distributed network of fronto-parietal areas reflects the intrinsically driven process of selection among competing behavioral alternatives.