# Reinstating motivational states: Electrical signatures of craving and neural mind reading

## TL;DR

This study uses EEG to identify brain activity patterns linked to different motivational and physiological states like craving and emotions.

## Contribution

The study introduces distinct electrical neuro-markers for 12 motivational and physiological states using ERP components.

## Key findings

- N400 responses showed larger amplitudes for affective and somatosensory states.
- P400 amplitudes were greater for secondary and visceral states.
- Specific brain regions were activated for different mental states, such as visceral needs linking to medial and inferior frontal gyri.

## Abstract

The aim of this electroencephalogram (EEG) study was to identify electrical neuro-markers of 12 different motivational and physiological states such as visceral craves, affective and somatosensory states, and secondary needs. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 30 right-handed participants while recalling a specific state upon the presentation of an auditory verbal command incorporating an evocative sound background consistent with that state (e.g., the chirping of cicadas associated with the verbal complaint about feeling hot). ERP data showed larger amplitude N400 responses in the affective and somatosensory states, while the P400 component displayed greater amplitudes for the secondary and visceral states. Furthermore, the two components were also discernibly responsive to the 12 micro-categories (e.g., joy vs. pain or hunger), by providing a distinctive electric pattern for mostly all microstates. The reconstruction of the intracranial generators of surface signals revealed common imagery-related activations, including the middle and superior frontal gyri, the fusiform and lingual gyri, supramarginal, and middle occipital regions, as well as the middle temporal region. Additionally, specific regions were identified that were active for distinct mentally represented content, such as that visceral needs were associated with activations in the medial and inferior frontal gyri, uncus, precuneus, and cingulate gyrus. Affective states were associated with activations in the medial frontal, superior temporal, and middle temporal gyri. Somatosensory states (e.g., pain or cold) activated regions in the parietal cortex and the crave for music was linked to activations in the auditory and motor regions. These findings support the use of ERP markers for BCI applications.