Distinct beta burst motifs exhibit opposing error relationships during motor adaptation

Abstract

Beta-band activity (13-30 Hz) is a hallmark of human movement, yet a unifying account of its functional role remains unresolved. Although typically described as a sustained oscillation, beta activity is increasingly recognised to consist of transient bursts. More recently, beta bursts have been shown to exhibit heterogeneous waveforms. Here, we ask whether variability in burst shape corresponds to separable computational roles during motor adaptation. Using high-density MEG, we recorded neural activity while participants performed a visuomotor rotation task under either implicit (sensorimotor adaptation) or explicit (strategic re-aiming) learning conditions. Conventional metrics, beta power and burst rate, showed context-dependent modulation during preparation but provided limited insight into trial-by-trial behaviour. In contrast, sorting bursts according to their waveforms revealed a repertoire of burst types with dissociable temporal dynamics and context-dependent modulation. Crucially, during post-movement evaluation, distinct burst subtypes showed opposing and temporally specific relationships with behavioural error: one subtype decreased with increasing error, whereas others increased. Together, these findings indicate that beta activity comprises separable transient events with specific computational roles, and that accounting for waveform diversity is essential for understanding how cortical beta supports adaptive behaviour.