Abstract
Between-subject variability in cognitive performance has been related to inter-individual differences in functional brain networks. Targeting the dorsal attention network (DAN) we questioned (i) whether resting-state functional connectivity (FC) within the DAN can predict individual performance in spatial attention tasks and (ii) whether there is short-term adaptation of DAN-FC in response to task engagement. Twenty-seven participants first underwent resting-state fMRI (PRE run), they subsequently performed different tasks of spatial attention [including visual search (VS)] and immediately afterwards received another rs-fMRI (POST run). Intra- and inter-hemispheric FC between core hubs of the DAN, bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and frontal eye field (FEF), was analyzed and compared between PRE and POST. Furthermore, we investigated rs-fMRI-behavior correlations between the DAN-FC in PRE/POST and task performance parameters. The absolute DAN-FC did not change from PRE to POST. However, different significant rs-fMRI-behavior correlations were revealed for intra-/inter-hemispheric connections in the PRE and POST run. The stronger the FC between left FEF and IPS before task engagement, the better was the learning effect (improvement of reaction times) in VS (r = 0.521, p = 0.024). And the faster the VS (mean RT), the stronger was the FC between right FEF and IPS after task engagement (r = −0.502, p = 0.032). To conclude, DAN-FC relates to the individual performance in spatial attention tasks supporting the view of functional brain networks as priors for cognitive ability. Despite a high inter- and intra-individual stability of DAN-FC, the change of FC-behavior correlations after task performance possibly indicates task-related adaptation of the DAN, underlining that behavioral experiences may shape intrinsic brain activity. However, spontaneous state fluctuations of the DAN-FC over time cannot be fully ruled out as an alternative explanation.
Highlights
Inter-individual differences in cognitive abilities have been related to inter-individual differences in functional brain networks (Baldassarre et al, 2012; Harmelech and Malach, 2013; Finn et al, 2015)
The current study focused on the dorsal attention network (DAN) as one of the resting-state network (RSN) (Fox et al, 2006; Hacker et al, 2013)
Pursuing the hypothesis that RSNs represent individual traits/priors of cognitive ability (Harmelech and Malach, 2013; Sadaghiani and Kleinschmidt, 2013; Spadone et al, 2015), the current study investigated whether pre-task resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in the DAN can predict individual behavioral performance in spatial attention tasks
Summary
Inter-individual differences in cognitive abilities have been related to inter-individual differences in functional brain networks (Baldassarre et al, 2012; Harmelech and Malach, 2013; Finn et al, 2015) These functional networks are considered to be shaped by lifelong learning experiences providing an indispensable memory system for upcoming cognitive challenges (Harmelech and Malach, 2013; Sadaghiani and Kleinschmidt, 2013). Pursuing the hypothesis that RSNs represent individual traits/priors of cognitive ability (Harmelech and Malach, 2013; Sadaghiani and Kleinschmidt, 2013; Spadone et al, 2015), the current study investigated whether pre-task resting-state FC in the DAN can predict individual behavioral performance in spatial attention tasks. As RSN’s are assumed to be malleable over short (to long) temporal scales in order to allow lifelong learning (Sadaghiani and Kleinschmidt, 2013), we questioned whether the DAN’s FC or FC-behavior relationship can already be changed by one training session of spatial attention tasks
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