Predicted sensory consequences of voluntary actions modulate amplitude and temporal dynamics of preceding readiness potentials

Self-generated, voluntary actions, are preceded by a slow negativity in the scalp electroencephalography (EEG) signal recorded from frontal regions (termed ‘readiness potential’; RP). This signal, and its lateralized subcomponent (LRP), is mainly regarded as preparatory motor activity associated with the forthcoming motor act. However, it is not clear whether this neural signature is associated with preparatory motor activity, expectation of its associated sensory consequences, or both. Here we recorded EEG data from 12 healthy subjects while they performed self-paced button presses with their right index and middle fingers. In one condition (motor+sound) these button-presses triggered a sound while in another (motor-only) they did not. Additionally, subjects passively listened to sounds delivered in expected timings (sound-only). We found that the RP amplitude (locked to time of button press) was significantly more negative in the motor+sound compared with motor-only conditions starting ~1.4 seconds prior to button press. Importantly, no signal negativity was observed prior to expected sound delivery in the sound-only condition. Thus, the differences in RP amplitude between motor+sound and motor-only conditions are beyond differences in mere expectation of a forthcoming auditory sound. No significant differences between the two conditions were obtained in the LRP component. Our results suggest that expected auditory consequences are encoded in the early phase of the RP preceding the voluntary actions that generate them.