Jim Cavanagh

Here's the goods:

authors.elsevier.com/a/1mNOx4sIRv...

We discuss over this valence dissociation as an opponent process, detail the analogy of this goal +RPE update as a critic-like process, and debate the generative neural structures contributing to this goal update process.

A huge thanks to Clay Holroyd whos precision balanced out my enthusiasm.

This goal-focus places the computation in the domain of frontal control-based processes.

Oddly, RewP only responds to the degree of surprise during goal achievement (i.e. +RPE). Goal failures (-RPE) trigger the canonical N2 control-related system that we already know so much about (ahem theta etc).

Well, its easy to confuse goals and rewards.

But you can make anything your goal - even if it isn't hedonically 'rewarding'. See Figure 3 for an example of my kids playing Mario Kart. (OMG what happens next!)

Yeah! Let's get this year started off right.

A new theoretical model for everyone's favorite sensitive and specific neural marker.

So why is it a marker of goals if it is called the Reward Positivity? 1/4

The Reward Positivity signals a goal prediction error The Reward Positivity (RewP) is an electroencephalogram (EEG) feature that emerges following performance feedback and is commonly understood to index both positive and negative reward-prediction error (RPE+ and RPE−, respectively) signals. In contrast to this dominant perspective, we argue that the RewP is an independent EEG feature that selectively responds to positive RPE and is superimposed on a common background signal. We further propose that the RewP signals a goal prediction error: it is elicited by abstract signals instead of by hedonic 'rewards'. This goal prediction error appears to be produced by a critic-like architecture that is associated with the actor–critic framework in reinforcement learning. This perspective emphasizes the role of the RewP in goal attainment and cognitive control as opposed to being a simple indicator of reward receipt.

Online Now: The Reward Positivity signals a goal prediction error

Antidepressant treatment shouldn't be a guessing game. RELMED is working towards using advanced research to predict which medication is most likely to help each person along their individual path to recovery.

Postdoctoral research position in #ComputationalPsychiatry and #EEG as part of relmed.ac.uk trial testing reinforcement learning as biomarker for antidepressant treatment response. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/... @uclbrainscience.bsky.social @mikebrowning.bsky.social @relmed.bsky.social

Linear predictive coding electroencephalography algorithms predict mortality in Parkinson’s disease Mortality is increased in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is difficult to predict because of its heterogeneity and the availability of few reliable progn…

Our latest paper showing that a few minutes of EEG can predict mortality in PD is now up: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🚨 “Psychophys Is” 2025 video contest: winners announced! 🚨
Check out the three winning videos, plus all the brilliant submissions: sprweb.org/spr-video-co...

Congratulations - this will be very helpful in guiding my lab's work on this topic.

I spent some time looking into this question myself using the AX-CPT / DPX tasks: e.g. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31368085/

The expected proactive theta patterns were certainly present, but about 1/3 as big as reactive control.

Looking forward to reading it in more depth. Any chance to look at dmPFC-dlPFC theta band phase sychnrony?

✨🎬 “Psychophys Is” 2025 videos are lighting up the contest! This video was submitted by Olivia Quintana, Mark Lavelle, Kumar Narayana & James F. Cavanagh.

Submit your video before October 1, 2025: sprweb.org/spr-video-co...

I'd put frontal theta phase synchrony as a mechanism for implementing control at the top of the successes. Theoretically motivated, specific to control evocation, specific to theta, and *highly* replicated (see Fig 9.2: awspntest.apa.org/record/2023-...) 2/2

I've always thought of the problem as a more theoretical vs. atheoretical issue. Everyone can run methods and show connectivity. But *why* are these effects there? When are they *not there*? What is the connectivity *doing*? Few studies even bother to ask. 1/2

Really looking forward to reading this. Your work was very influential for a recent review article I wrote - and now this preprint seems even more relevant: osf.io/preprints/ps...

Seems as good a time as any to re-share the "OpenLists" collection - an openly accessible set of lists of available resources in / for Cognitive Neuroscience!

Includes open M/EEG & iEEG datasets & open software / analysis tools, and resources for DSP, Python, git, etc:

openlists.github.io

Where Does EEG Come From and What Does It Mean?

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28314445/

ORDER NOW and get a super-neato commentary.

www.biologicalpsychiatrycnni.org/article/S245...

is it a pony?

You got a template?

Theta-frequency subthalamic nucleus stimulation increases decision threshold Executive functions are often impaired in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and these deficits can be predicted by decreased frontal cortical 4-…

Excited to share our new paper: whether STN stimulation increases impulsivity depends on theta frequency. 🧠🤓 Grateful to have contributed alongside such a fantastic team! Rachel, Kumar,
@jimfcav.bsky.social @janw.bsky.social and more! Link 👇: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Neat thought about sign-tracking. But I don't see any evidence that RewP is involved in any RL or salience-related enhanced neural response to an imperative cue. It's feedback only (as far as we know). Response, volition, attention, meaning: all these enhance ERPs; RewP isn't any different.

In these cases we cite, the interspersed proxy cues are highly predictive of the desired outcome, so I think they end up being the same thing. (e.g. when you see ♦️, press 👈 to get a 😀. But before the 😀 you get a 🍇. This 🍇==😀 for the purposes of the RewP)

I remember when you did eeg!

1) We review its elicitation, quantification, generation & theoretical interpretation.
2) We challenge the assumption of a single bipolar signal (+RPE to -RPE) in the difference wave.
3) We propose a refined theoretical account: from reward receipt to a more nuanced signal of goal attainment.

Big news. After 48 drafts, Clay Holroyd and I are excited to present a narrative review and new theoretical summary on our favorite sensitive & specific EEG marker of reward receipt - the Reward Positivity: tinyurl.com/yzy98rur

Congratulations

Excited to share my first 1st & corresponding author preprint!

Here, I examine an EEG component, the Reward Positivity (RewP), during inference-based decision-making w/Holly Crowder, Peter Kakalec, Lam Duong, Craig McDonald, & Jim Thompson.

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