The Many Roles of Precision in Action.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Computational Psychiatry

Background:

• Active inference posits behavior arises from minimizing sensory surprise using generative models.
• Precision, the confidence in neuronal signals, is crucial for perception.
• Its role in action, however, remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the multifaceted roles of precision in action.
• To explore how hierarchical generative models explain precision's function in action planning and execution.
• To discuss implications for understanding action-related pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of active inference principles.
• Focus on hierarchical, mixed generative models integrating discrete and continuous inference.
• Discussion of neuromodulatory systems in mediating precision.

Main Results:

• Precision is critical for diverse motor processes, including decision-making, action planning, and movement control.
• Hierarchical models provide a unified framework for understanding precision's role across action levels.
• Dysfunctional precision estimation is linked to action pathologies.

Conclusions:

• Precision plays a fundamental role in the planning and execution of action within the active inference framework.
• Hierarchical generative models offer a powerful lens for studying action and its neural implementation.
• Neuromodulation is implicated in the biological mechanisms of precision estimation.