Cortical beta power reflects the influence of Pavlovian cues on human decision-making.

Reward-predictive cues can affect decision-making by enhancing instrumental responses towards the same (Specific transfer) or similar (General transfer) rewards. The main theories on cue-guided decision-making consider Specific transfer as driven by the activation of previously learned instrumental actions induced by cues sharing the sensory-specific properties of the reward they are associated with. However, to date, such theoretical assumption has never been directly investigated at the neural level.

Unraveling the influence of Pavlovian cues on decision-making: A pre-registered meta-analysis on Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer.

Amidst the replicability crisis, promoting transparency and rigor in research becomes imperative. The Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) paradigm is increasingly used in human studies to offer insights into how Pavlovian cues, by anticipating rewards or punishments, influence decision-making and potentially contribute to the development of clinical conditions. However, research on this topic faces challenges, including methodological variability and the need for standardized approaches, which can undermine the quality and robustness of experimental findings.

Topographically selective motor inhibition under threat of pain.

Pain-related motor adaptations may be enacted predictively at the mere threat of pain, before pain occurrence. Yet, in humans, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying motor adaptations in anticipation of pain remain poorly understood. We tracked the evolution of changes in corticospinal excitability (CSE) as healthy adults learned to anticipate the occurrence of lateralized, muscle-specific pain to the upper limb.