Default network and frontoparietal control network theta connectivity supports internal attention

Abstract:

Attending to our inner world is a fundamental cognitive phenomenon, yet its neural underpinnings remain largely unknown. Neuroimaging evidence implicates the default network (DN) and frontoparietal control network (FPCN); however, the electrophysiological basis for the interaction between these networks is unclear. Here we recorded intracranial electroencephalogram from DN and FPCN electrodes implanted in individuals undergoing presurgical monitoring for refractory epilepsy. Subjects performed an attention task during which they attended to tones (that is, externally directed attention) or ignored the tones and thought about whatever came to mind (that is, internally directed attention). Given the emerging role of theta band connectivity in attentional processes, we examined the theta power correlation between DN and two subsystems of the FPCN as a function of attention states. We found increased connectivity between DN and FPCNA during internally directed attention compared to externally directed attention, which positively correlated with attention ratings. There was no statistically significant difference between attention states in the connectivity between DN and FPCNB. Our results indicate that enhanced theta band connectivity between the DN and FPCNA is a core electrophysiological mechanism that underlies internally directed attention.

Authors:

• Julia WY Kam

• Jack J Lin

• Anne-Kristin Solbakk

• Tor Endestad

• Pål G Larsson

• Robert T Knight

Date: 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0717-0

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Opportunities and challenges for a maturing science of consciousness

Description:

Scientific research on consciousness is critical to multiple scientific, clinical, and ethical issues. The growth of the field could also be beneficial to several areas including neurology and mental health research. To achieve this goal, we need to set funding priorities carefully and address problems such as job creation and potential media misrepresentation.

Authors:

• Matthias Michel

• Diane Beck

• Ned Block

• Hal Blumenfeld

• Richard Brown

• David Carmel

• Marisa Carrasco

• Mazviita Chirimuuta

• Marvin Chun

• Axel Cleeremans

• Stanislas Dehaene

• Stephen M. Fleming

• Chris Frith

• Patrick Haggard

• Biyu J. He

• Cecilia Heyes

• Melvyn A. Goodale

• Liz Irvine

• Mitsuo Kawato

• Robert Kentridge

• Jean-Remi King

• Robert T. Knight

• Sid Kouider

• Victor Lamme

• Dominique Lamy

• Hakwan Lau

• Steven Laureys

• Joseph LeDoux

• Ying-Tung Lin

• Kayuet Liu

• Stephen L. Macknik

• Susana Martinez-Conde

• George A. Mashour

• Lucia Melloni

• Lisa Miracchi

• Myrto Mylopoulos

• Lionel Naccache

• Adrian M. Owen

• Richard E. Passingham

• Luiz Pessoa

• Megan A. K. Peters

• Dobromir Rahnev

• Tony Ro

• David Rosenthal

• Yuka Sasaki

• Claire Sergent

• Guillermo Solovey

• Nicholas D. Schiff

• Anil Seth

• Catherine Tallon-Baudry

• Marco Tamietto

• Frank Tong

• Simon van Gaal

• Alexandra Vlassova

• Takeo Watanabe

• Josh Weisberg

• Karen Yan

• Masatoshi Yoshida

Date: 2019

DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0531-8

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Persistent neuronal activity in human prefrontal cortex links perception and action

ABSTRACT

How do humans flexibly respond to changing environmental demands on a subsecond temporal scale? Extensive research has highlighted the key role of the prefrontal cortex in flexible decision-making and adaptive behaviour, yet the core mechanisms that translate sensory information into behaviour remain undefined. Using direct human cortical recordings, we investigated the temporal and spatial evolution of neuronal activity (indexed by the broadband gamma signal) in 16 participants while they performed a broad range of self-paced cognitive tasks. Here we describe a robust domain- and modality-independent pattern of persistent stimulus-to-response neural activation that encodes stimulus features and predicts motor output on a trial-by-trial basis with near-perfect accuracy. Observed across a distributed network of brain areas, this persistent neural activation is centred in the prefrontal cortex and is required for successful response implementation, providing a functional substrate for domain-general transformation of perception into action, critical for flexible behaviour.

AUTHORS

• Matar Haller

• John Case

• Nathan E. Crone

• Edward F. Chang

• David King-Stephens

• Kenneth D. Laxer

• Peter B. Weber

• Josef Parvizi

• Robert T. Knight

• Avgusta Y. Shestyuk

Date: 2017

DOI: 10.1038/s41562-017-0267-2

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