Predicted action-effects shape action representation through pre-activation of alpha oscillations

Abstract

Actions are typically accompanied by sensory feedback (or action-effects). Action-effects, in turn, influence the action. Theoretical accounts of action control assume a pre-activation of action-effects prior to action execution. Here we show that when participants were asked to report the time of their voluntary keypress using the position of a fast-rotating clock hand, a predictable action-effect (i.e. a 250 ms delayed sound after keypress) led to a shift of visuospatial attention towards the clock hand position of action-effect onset, thus demonstrating an influence of action-effects on action representation. Importantly, the attention shift occurred about 1 second before the action execution, which was further preceded and predicted by a lateralisation of alpha oscillations in the visual cortex. Our results indicate that when the spatial location is the key feature of action-effects, the neural implementation of the action-effect pre-activation is achieved through alpha lateralisation.