A Multiplexed Neural Code Governs Dynamic Perception–Action Reconfiguration during Response Inhibition

Abstract The inhibition of actions is central for adaptive behavior, and recent concepts on the electrophysiological underpinning of perception–action integration suggest that an interplay of different frequency bands is likely central for the management of perceptual–motor codes during response inhibition. Yet, the question of how this interplay is organized is contentious. Here, we demonstrate that reconfiguration of perceptual–motor codes during response inhibition relies crucially on the temporal coordination between frequency bands via phase–amplitude coupling (PAC). Specifically, alpha–beta and beta–gamma PAC were modulated, suggesting that PAC plays a central role in orchestrating access and updating stored perceptual–motor associations. This embeds perception–action integration into a temporally structured, multiplexed neural framework, where the phase of slower rhythms (e.g., alpha) gates access to, and updating of, representations encoded in faster rhythms (e.g., beta and gamma). The results suggest hierarchical coordination of neural activity by distinct cross-frequency mechanisms governing the dynamic handling of perceptual–motor associations.