Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Reduces Non-Decision Time in Perceptual Decisions

Abstract

Perceptual decision-making enables humans to process sensory information and translate it into goal-directed actions. A critical component of this process is response time, which declines with age due to the slowing of both non-decision processes and evidence accumulation. While perceptual learning has been shown to counteract these declines, it remains unclear whether non-decision processes can be accelerated through direct neural stimulation, bypassing the need for long training sessions. Here, we propose that Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can enhance perceptual decision-making by specifically reducing non-decision time. To test this hypothesis, we tracked response times during a perceptual learning task while recording brain activity. Using the Drift Diffusion Model, we quantified the effects of TMS on mental speed and non-decision time. Our findings reveal that perceptual learning decreases response time by simultaneously increasing mental speed and reducing non-decision time. Crucially, TMS application to brain regions associated with perceptual learning further shortened non-decision time without altering mental speed. These results demonstrate that TMS can selectively accelerate non-decision processes, offering a promising intervention for mitigating age-related cognitive slowing and enhancing decision efficiency. Significance StatementPerceptual decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that slows with age due to declines in both non-decision processes and mental speed. While perceptual learning can mitigate these declines through practice, we propose that non-decision time can also be reduced by directly stimulating neural ensembles using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Our study demonstrates that TMS applied to task-relevant brain areas decreases non-decision time, thereby accelerating response speed without affecting mental speed. These findings reveal a novel mechanism for enhancing perceptual decision-making efficiency and highlight TMS as a potential tool for counteracting age-related cognitive slowing.