Temporal microstructure of cortical networks (TMCN) underlying task-related differences

Abstract

Neuro-electromagnetic recording techniques (EEG, MEG, iEEG) provide high temporal resolution data to study the dynamics of neurocognitive networks: large scale neural assemblies involved in task-specific information processing. How does a neurocognitive network reorganize spatiotemporally on the order of a few milliseconds to process specific aspects of the task? At what times do networks segregate for task processing, and at what time scales does integration of information occur via changes in functional connectivity? Here, we propose a data analysis framework-Temporal microstructure of cortical networks (TMCN)-that answers these questions for EEG/MEG recordings in the signal space. Method validation is established on simulated MEG data from a delayed-match to-sample (DMS) task. We then provide an example application on MEG recordings during a paired associate task (modified from the simpler DMS paradigm) designed to study modality specific long term memory recall. Our analysis identified the times at which network segregation occurs for processing the memory recall of an auditory object paired to a visual stimulus (visual-auditory) in comparison to an analogous visual-visual pair. Across all subjects, onset times for first network divergence appeared within a range of 0.08-0.47 s after initial visual stimulus onset. This indicates that visual-visual and visual auditory memory recollection involves equivalent network components without any additional recruitment during an initial period of the sensory processing stage which is then followed by recruitment of additional network components for modality specific memory recollection. Therefore, we propose TMCN as a viable computational tool for extracting network timing in various cognitive tasks.