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Shared beta network states are recruited for distinct cognitive processes in sensory decision-making

Poster Session E - Monday, March 9, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Pinar Toptas^1,2,3, Ken C Lew^4,5, Audrey E Kaye¹, Jacob W Proctor-Bonbright¹, Zachary M Leveroni^1,2,3, Brian Garcia¹, Uma Mani¹, Jaquelin Gutierrez⁶, Glingna Wang⁷, Jai Y Yu^1,2,3; ¹Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, ²Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, ³Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, ⁴Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago, ⁵Data Science Institute, University of Chicago, ⁶Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, ⁷Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Beta oscillations (15-30 Hz) are hypothesized to support various cognitive processes by coordinating distributed neural computations. They have been observed in the hippocampal-cortical networks at distinct stages of cognitive tasks. First, coordinated beta oscillations have been reported during cue-sampling in olfactory decision-making, where it is hypothesized to coordinate distributed neural networks for making sensory-based decisions. Second, beta oscillations have been reported after reaching the goal in spatial navigation tasks, where they are hypothesized to support learning from outcomes. These distinct task stages are typically associated with distinct cognitive processes, which raises the question whether beta oscillations at these distinct task stages correspond to similar or different hippocampal-prefrontal network states that support separate cognitive demands. To answer this question, we examined neural activity from dorsal CA1 (dCA1) and medial prefrontal-cortex (mPFC) as rats performed two-alternative forced choice tasks with olfactory cues. This allowed us to directly compare hippocampal-cortical activity during both cue sampling period and goal attainment in the same task and animal. We found bursts of beta activity in both regions during cue sampling and goal attainment. The amplitude and duration of beta bursts were similar between the two task stages. However, we found a difference in timing of the bursts relative to task stages, indicating that the timing of bursts can be flexibly adapted based on the cognitive demands. Our findings suggest that beta oscillations may correspond to a shared network state that supports distinct cognitive processes.

Topic Area: THINKING: Decision making