Global connectivity fingerprints predict the domain generality of multiple-demand regions.

Abstract

A set of distributed cognitive control networks are known to contribute to diverse cognitive demands, yet it is unclear how these networks gain this domain-general capacity. We hypothesized that this capacity is largely due to the particular organization of the human brain's intrinsic network architecture. Specifically, we tested the possibility that each brain region's domain generality is reflected in its level of global (hub-like) intrinsic connectivity as well as its particular global connectivity pattern ("connectivity fingerprint"). Consistent with prior work, we found that cognitive control networks exhibited domain generality as they represented diverse task context information covering sensory, motor response, and logic rule domains. Supporting our hypothesis, we found that the level of global intrinsic connectivity (estimated with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI]) was correlated with domain generality during tasks. Further, using a novel information fingerprint mapping approach, we found that each cognitive control region's unique rule response profile("information fingerprint") could be predicted based on its unique intrinsic connectivity fingerprint and the information content in regions outside cognitive control networks. Together, these results suggest that the human brain's intrinsic network architecture supports its ability to represent diverse cognitive task information largely via the location of multiple-demand regions within the brain's global network organization.