Electrophysiological Dynamics of Insula in Effort Based Decision Making

Abstract

Motivational deficits—reduced engagement in daily activities—are key symptoms in various psychiatric disorders. Research using Effort-Based Decision-Making (EBDM) paradigms suggests these deficits stem from impaired evaluation of the effort-reward tradeoff. Understanding the neural circuit mechanisms of EBDM is vital for developing targeted therapies like brain stimulation. However, current EBDM studies often neglect metabolic constraints and rely on indirect measures (e.g., fMRI). To address this, we use stereoEEG and a novel, physiologically-demanding effort decision and learning task, PEDaL, which requires subjects to pedal a bike for physical exertion.