Large-scale Brain Network Dynamics Research Articles

Resting-state EEG microstates predict mentalizing ability as assessed by the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test

Microstates analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) has gained increasing attention among researchers and clinicians as a valid tool for investigating temporal dynamics of large-scale brain networks with a millisecond time resolution. Although microstates analysis has been widely applied to elucidate the neurophysiological basis of various cognitive functions in both clinical and non-clinical samples, its application in relation to socio-affective processing has been relatively under-researched. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between EEG microstates and mentalizing (i.e., the ability to understand the mental states of others). Eighty-two participants (thirty-six men; mean age: 24.28 ± 7.35 years; mean years of education: 15.66 ± 1.80) underwent resting-state EEG recording and performed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). The parameters of the microstates were then calculated using Cartool v. 4.09 software. Our results showed that the occurrence of microstate map C was independently and positively associated with the RMET score and contributed to the prediction of mentalizing performance, even when controlling for potential confounding variables (i.e., age, sex, education level, tobacco and alcohol use). Since microstate C is involved in self-related processes, our findings may reflect the link between self-awareness of one's own thoughts/feelings and the enhanced ability to recognize the mental states of others at the neurophysiological level. This finding extends the functions traditionally attributed to microstate C, i.e. mind-wandering, self-related thoughts, prosociality, and emotional and interoceptive processing, to include mentalizing ability.

Salience network resting state functional connectivity during airway inflammation in asthma: A feature of mental health resilience?

BackgroundInflammation is an established contributor to the pathophysiology of depression and the prevalence of depression in those with chronic inflammatory disease is two- to four-fold higher than the general population. Yet little is known about the neurobiological changes that confer depression or resilience to depression, that occur when episodes of heightened inflammation are frequent or span many years. MethodsWe used an innovative combination of longitudinal resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging coupled to segmental bronchial provocation with allergen (SBP-Ag) to assess changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the salience network (SN) caused by an acute inflammatory exacerbation in twenty-six adults (15 female) with asthma and varying levels of depressive symptoms. Eosinophils measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and blood provided an index of allergic inflammation and the Beck Depression Inventory provided an index of depressive symptoms. ResultsWe found that in those with the highest symptoms of depression at baseline, SN rsFC declined most from pre- to post-SBP-Ag in the context of a robust eosinophilic response to challenge, but in those with low depressive symptoms SN rsFC was maintained or increased, even in those with the most pronounced SBP-Ag response. ConclusionsThus, the maintenance of SN rsFC during inflammation may be a biomarker of resilience to depression, perhaps via more effective orchestration of large-scale brain network dynamics by the SN. These findings advance our understanding of the functional role of the SN during inflammation and inform treatment recommendations for those with comorbid inflammatory disease and depression.

Dynamic properties in functional connectivity changes and striatal dopamine deficiency in Parkinson's disease.

Recent studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients reported disruptions in dynamic functional connectivity (dFC, i.e., a characterization of spontaneous fluctuations in functional connectivity over time). Here, we assessed whether the integrity of striatal dopamine terminals directly modulates dFC metrics in two separate PD cohorts, indexing dopamine-related changes in large-scale brain network dynamics and its implications in clinical features. We pooled data from two disease-control cohorts reflecting early PD. From the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) cohort, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) and dopamine transporter (DaT) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were available for 63 PD patients and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. From the clinical research group 219 (KFO) cohort, rsfMRI imaging was available for 52 PD patients and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. A subset of 41 PD patients and 13 healthy control subjects additionally underwent 18F-DOPA-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The striatal synthesis capacity of 18F-DOPA PET and dopamine terminal quantity of DaT SPECT images were extracted for the putamen and the caudate. After rsfMRI pre-processing, an independent component analysis was performed on both cohorts simultaneously. Based on the derived components, an individual sliding window approach (44 s window) and a subsequent k-means clustering were conducted separately for each cohort to derive dFC states (reemerging intra- and interindividual connectivity patterns). From these states, we derived temporal metrics, such as average dwell time per state, state attendance, and number of transitions and compared them between groups and cohorts. Further, we correlated these with the respective measures for local dopaminergic impairment and clinical severity. The cohorts did not differ regarding age and sex. Between cohorts, PD groups differed regarding disease duration, education, cognitive scores and L-dopa equivalent daily dose. In both cohorts, the dFC analysis resulted in three distinct states, varying in connectivity patterns and strength. In the PPMI cohort, PD patients showed a lower state attendance for the globally integrated (GI) state and a lower number of transitions than controls. Significantly, worse motor scores (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III) and dopaminergic impairment in the putamen and the caudate were associated with low average dwell time in the GI state and a low total number of transitions. These results were not observed in the KFO cohort: No group differences in dFC measures or associations between dFC variables and dopamine synthesis capacity were observed. Notably, worse motor performance was associated with a low number of bidirectional transitions between the GI and the lesser connected (LC) state across the PD groups of both cohorts. Hence, in early PD, relative preservation of motor performance may be linked to a more dynamic engagement of an interconnected brain state. Specifically, those large-scale network dynamics seem to relate to striatal dopamine availability. Notably, most of these results were obtained only for one cohort, suggesting that dFC is impacted by certain cohort features like educational level, or disease severity. As we could not pinpoint these features with the data at hand, we suspect that other, in our case untracked, demographical features drive connectivity dynamics in PD. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Exploring dopamine's role in brain network dynamics in two Parkinson's disease (PD) cohorts, we unraveled PD-specific changes in dynamic functional connectivity. Results in the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) and the KFO cohort suggest motor performance may be linked to a more dynamic engagement and disengagement of an interconnected brain state. Results only in the PPMI cohort suggest striatal dopamine availability influences large-scale network dynamics that are relevant in motor control.

Flexible adaptation of task-positive brain networks predicts efficiency of evidence accumulation

Efficiency of evidence accumulation (EEA), an individual’s ability to selectively gather goal-relevant information to make adaptive choices, is thought to be a key neurocomputational mechanism associated with cognitive functioning and transdiagnostic risk for psychopathology. However, the neural basis of individual differences in EEA is poorly understood, especially regarding the role of largescale brain network dynamics. We leverage data from 5198 participants from the Human Connectome Project and Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to demonstrate a strong association between EEA and flexible adaptation to cognitive demand in the “task-positive” frontoparietal and dorsal attention networks. Notably, individuals with higher EEA displayed divergent task-positive network activation across n-back task conditions: higher activation under high cognitive demand (2-back) and lower activation under low demand (0-back). These findings suggest that brain networks’ flexible adaptation to cognitive demands is a key neural underpinning of EEA.

Impact of a mindfulness-based intervention on neurobehavioral functioning and its association with large-scale brain networks in preterm young adolescents.

Adolescents born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks of gestation) face an elevated risk of executive, behavioral, and socioemotional difficulties. Evidence suggests beneficial effects of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on these abilities. This study seeks to investigate the association between the effects of MBI on executive, behavioral, and socioemotional functioning and reliable changes in large-scale brain networks dynamics during rest in VPT young adolescents who completed an 8-week MBI program. Neurobehavioral assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed before and after MBI in 32 VPT young adolescents. Neurobehavioral abilities in VPT participants were compared with full-term controls. In the VPT group, dynamic functional connectivity was extracted by using the innovation-driven coactivation patterns framework. The reliable change index was used to quantify change after MBI. A multivariate data-driven approach was used to explore associations between MBI-related changes on neurobehavioral measures and temporal brain dynamics. Compared with term-born controls, VPT adolescents showed reduced executive and socioemotional functioning before MBI. After MBI, a significant improvement was observed for all measures that were previously reduced in the VPT group. The increase in executive functioning, only, was associated with reliable changes in the duration of activation of large-scale brain networks, including frontolimbic, amygdala-hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal, and visual networks. The improvement in executive functioning after an MBI was associated with reliable changes in large-scale brain network dynamics during rest. These changes encompassed frontolimbic, amygdala-hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal, and visual networks that are related to different executive processes including self-regulation, attentional control, and attentional awareness of relevant sensory stimuli.

The dynamics of functional brain network segregation in feedback-driven learning

Prior evidence suggests that increasingly efficient task performance in human learning is associated with large scale brain network dynamics. However, the specific nature of this general relationship has remained unclear. Here, we characterize performance improvement during feedback-driven stimulus-response (S-R) learning by learning rate as well as S-R habit strength and test whether and how these two behavioral measures are associated with a functional brain state transition from a more integrated to a more segregated brain state across learning. Capitalizing on two separate fMRI studies using similar but not identical experimental designs, we demonstrate for both studies that a higher learning rate is associated with a more rapid brain network segregation. By contrast, S-R habit strength is not reliably related to changes in brain network segregation. Overall, our current study results highlight the utility of dynamic functional brain state analysis. From a broader perspective taking into account previous study results, our findings align with a framework that conceptualizes brain network segregation as a general feature of processing efficiency not only in feedback-driven learning as in the present study but also in other types of learning and in other task domains.

Gait-related beta-gamma phase amplitude coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of parkinsonian patients

Analysis of coupling between the phases and amplitudes of neural oscillations has gained increasing attention as an important mechanism for large-scale brain network dynamics. In Parkinson’s disease (PD), preliminary evidence indicates abnormal beta-phase coupling to gamma-amplitude in different brain areas, including the subthalamic nucleus (STN). We analyzed bilateral STN local field potentials (LFPs) in eight subjects with PD chronically implanted with deep brain stimulation electrodes during upright quiet standing and unperturbed walking. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) was computed using the Kullback-Liebler method, based on the modulation index. Neurophysiological recordings were correlated with clinical and kinematic measurements and individual molecular brain imaging studies ([123I]FP-CIT and single-photon emission computed tomography). We showed a dopamine-related increase in subthalamic beta-gamma PAC from standing to walking. Patients with poor PAC modulation and low PAC during walking spent significantly more time in the stance and double support phase of the gait cycle. Our results provide new insights into the subthalamic contribution to human gait and suggest cross-frequency coupling as a gateway mechanism to convey patient-specific information of motor control for human locomotion.

Electroencephalography microstates highlight specific mindfulness traits.

The present study aimed to investigate the spontaneous dynamics of large-scale brain networks underlying mindfulness as a dispositional trait, through resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) microstates analysis. Eighteen participants had attended a standardized mindfulness-based stress reduction training (MBSR), and 18 matched waitlist individuals (CTRL) were recorded at rest while they were passively exposed to auditory stimuli. Participants' mindfulness traits were assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). To further explore the relationship between microstate dynamics at rest and mindfulness traits, participants were also asked to rate their experience according to five phenomenal dimensions. After training, MBSR participants showed a highly significant increase in FFMQ score, as well as higher observing and non-reactivity FFMQ sub-scores than CTRL participants. Microstate analysis revealed four classes of microstates (A-D) in global clustering across all subjects. The MBSR group showed lower duration, occurrence and coverage of microstate C than the control group. Moreover, these microstate C parameters were negatively correlated to non-reactivity sub-scores of FFMQ across participants, whereas the microstate A occurrence was negatively correlated to FFMQ total score. Further analysis of participants' self-reports suggested that MBSR participants showed a better sensory-affective integration of auditory interferences. In line with previous studies, our results suggest that temporal dynamics of microstate C underlie specifically the non-reactivity trait of mindfulness. These findings encourage further research into microstates in the evaluation and monitoring of the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the mental health and well-being of individuals.

Transient resting-state salience-limbic co-activation patterns in functional neurological disorders

BackgroundFunctional neurological disorders were historically regarded as the manifestation of a dynamic brain lesion which might be linked to trauma or stress, although this association has not yet been directly tested yet. Analysing large-scale brain network dynamics at rest in relation to stress biomarkers assessed by salivary cortisol and amylase could provide new insights into the pathophysiology of functional neurological symptoms. MethodsCase-control resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of 79 patients with mixed functional neurological disorders (i.e., functional movement disorders, functional seizures, persistent perceptual-postural dizziness) and 74 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Using a two-step hierarchical data-driven neuroimaging approach, static functional connectivity was first computed between 17 resting-state networks. Second, dynamic alterations in these networks were examined using co-activation pattern analysis. Using a partial least squares correlation analysis, the multivariate pattern of correlation between altered temporal characteristics and stress biomarkers as well as clinical scores were evaluated. ResultsCompared to healthy controls, patients presented with functional aberrancies of the salience-limbic network connectivity. Thus, the insula and amygdala were selected as seed-regions for the subsequent analyses. Insular co-(de)activation patterns related to the salience network, the somatomotor network and the default mode network were detected, which patients entered more frequently than controls. Moreover, an insular co-(de)activation pattern with subcortical regions together with a wide-spread co-(de)activation with diverse cortical networks was detected, which patients entered less frequently than controls. In patients, dynamic alterations conjointly correlated with amylase measures and duration of symptoms. ConclusionThe relationship between alterations in insular co-activation patterns, stress biomarkers and clinical data proposes inter-related mechanisms involved in stress regulation and functional (network) integration. In summary, altered functional brain network dynamics were identified in patients with functional neurological disorder supporting previously raised concepts of impaired attentional and interoceptive processing.

Aberrant brain dynamics in individuals with clinical high risk of psychosis.

Resting-state network (RSN) functional connectivity analyses have profoundly influenced our understanding of the pathophysiology of psychoses and their clinical high risk (CHR) states. However, conventional RSN analyses address the static nature of large-scale brain networks. In contrast, novel methodological approaches aim to assess the momentum state and temporal dynamics of brain network interactions. Fifty CHR individuals and 33 healthy controls (HC) completed a resting-state functional MRI scan. We performed an Energy Landscape analysis, a data-driven method using the pairwise maximum entropy model, to describe large-scale brain network dynamics such as duration and frequency of, and transition between, different brain states. We compared those measures between CHR and HC, and examined the association between neuropsychological measures and neural dynamics in CHR. Our main finding is a significantly increased duration, frequency, and higher transition rates to an infrequent brain state with coactivation of the salience, limbic, default mode and somatomotor RSNs in CHR as compared to HC. Transition of brain dynamics from this brain state was significantly correlated with processing speed in CHR. In CHR, temporal brain dynamics are attracted to an infrequent brain state, reflecting more frequent and longer occurrence of aberrant interactions of default mode, salience, and limbic networks. Concurrently, more frequent and longer occurrence of the brain state is associated with core cognitive dysfunctions, predictors of future onset of full-blown psychosis.

EEG microstate analysis reveals large-scale brain network alterations in depressed adolescents with suicidal ideation

BackgroundAccumulating evidence showed abnormalities in brain network connectivity in depressive individuals with suicidal ideation (SI). We aimed to investigate the large-scale brain network dynamics in adolescents with SI and major depressive disorder (MDD). MethodsWe recruited 47 first-episode drug-naïve adolescents with MDD and SI, 26 depressed adolescents without SI (noSI), and 26 age-matched healthy controls (HC). The Columbia Suicidal Ideation Severity Scale (C-SSRS) was utilized to assess suicide ideation. We acquired 64-channel resting-state EEG recordings from all subjects and used microstate analysis to investigate the large-scale brain network dynamics. ResultsWe observed a significant reduction in the occurrence and coverage of microstate B within the SI group when contrasted with the noSI group. Conversely, there was a significant increase in the occurrence and coverage of microstate A in the SI group as compared to the HC group. Additionally, we observed heightened transition probabilities from microstates D and C to microstate A in the SI group; meanwhile, transitions from microstate D to B were more prevalent in the noSI group. Furthermore, the noSI group exhibited a significant decline in the transition probabilities from microstate D to microstate C. LimitationsThe cross-sectional nature limits the capacity to determine whether microstate dynamics have prognostic significance for SI. ConclusionWe provided evidence that depressed adolescents with SI have a distinct pattern in microstate dynamics compared to those without SI. These findings suggest that microstate dynamics might serve as a potential neurobiomarker for identifying SI in depressed adolescents.

EEG microstates in early-to-middle childhood show associations with age, biological sex, and alpha power.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) microstates can provide a unique window into the temporal dynamics of large-scale brain networks across brief (millisecond) timescales. Here, we analysed fundamental temporal features of microstates extracted from the broadband EEG signal in a large (N = 139) cohort of children spanning early-to-middle childhood (4-12 years of age). Linear regression models were used to examine if participants' age and biological sex could predict the temporal parameters GEV, duration, coverage, and occurrence, for five microstate classes (A-E) across both eyes-closed and eyes-open resting-state recordings. We further explored associations between these microstate parameters and posterior alpha power after removal of the 1/f-like aperiodic signal. The microstates obtained from our neurodevelopmental EEG recordings broadly replicated the four canonical microstate classes (A to D) frequently reported in adults, with the addition of the more recently established microstate class E. Biological sex served as a significant predictor in the regression models for four of the five microstate classes (A, C, D, and E). In addition, duration and occurrence for microstate E were both found to be positively associated with age for the eyes-open recordings, while the temporal parameters of microstates C and E both exhibited associations with alpha band spectral power. Together, these findings highlight the influence of age and sex on large-scale functional brain networks during early-to-middle childhood, extending understanding of neural dynamics across this important period for brain development.

Large-scale network dynamics underlying the first few hundred milliseconds after stimulus presentation: An investigation of visual recognition memory using iEEG.

Recognition memory is the ability to recognize previously encountered objects. Even this relatively simple, yet extremely fast, ability requires the coordinated activity of large-scale brain networks. However, little is known about the sub-second dynamics of these networks. The majority of current studies into large-scale network dynamics is primarily based on imaging techniques suffering from either poor temporal or spatial resolution. We investigated the dynamics of large-scale functional brain networks underlying recognition memory at the millisecond scale. Specifically, we analyzed dynamic effective connectivity from intracranial electroencephalography while epileptic subjects (n = 18) performed a fast visual recognition memory task. Our data-driven investigation using Granger causality and the analysis of communities with the Louvain algorithm spotlighted a dynamic interplay of two large-scale networks associated with successful recognition. The first network involved the right visual ventral stream and bilateral frontal regions. It was characterized by early, predominantly bottom-up information flow peaking at 115 ms. It was followed by the involvement of another network with predominantly top-down connectivity peaking at 220 ms, mainly in the left anterior hemisphere. The transition between these two networks was associated with changes in network topology, evolving from a more segregated to a more integrated state. These results highlight that distinct large-scale brain networks involved in visual recognition memory unfold early and quickly, within the first 300 ms after stimulus onset. Our study extends the current understanding of the rapid network changes during rapid cognitive processes.

The effect of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease reflected in EEG microstates

Mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on cortical networks were explored mainly by fMRI. Advanced analysis of high-density EEG is a source of additional information and may provide clinically useful biomarkers. The presented study evaluates EEG microstates in Parkinson’s disease and the effect of DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). The association between revealed spatiotemporal dynamics of brain networks and changes in oscillatory activity and clinical examination were assessed. Thirty-seven patients with Parkinson’s disease treated by STN-DBS underwent two sessions (OFF and ON stimulation conditions) of resting-state EEG. EEG microstates were analyzed in patient recordings and in a matched healthy control dataset. Microstate parameters were then compared across groups and were correlated with clinical and neuropsychological scores. Of the five revealed microstates, two differed between Parkinson’s disease patients and healthy controls. Another microstate differed between ON and OFF stimulation conditions in the patient group and restored parameters in the ON stimulation state toward to healthy values. The mean beta power of that microstate was the highest in patients during the OFF stimulation condition and the lowest in healthy controls; sources were localized mainly in the supplementary motor area. Changes in microstate parameters correlated with UPDRS and neuropsychological scores. Disease specific alterations in the spatiotemporal dynamics of large-scale brain networks can be described by EEG microstates. The approach can reveal changes reflecting the effect of DBS on PD motor symptoms as well as changes probably related to non-motor symptoms not influenced by DBS.

Resting-State EEG Reveals Abnormal Microstate Characteristics of Depression with Insomnia.

Previous research revealed various aspects of resting-state EEG for depression and insomnia. However, the EEG characteristics of depressed subjects with insomnia are rarely studied, especially EEG microstates that capture the dynamic activities of the large-scale brain network. To fill these research gaps, the present study collected resting-state EEG data from 32 subclinical depression subjects with insomnia (SDI), 31 subclinical depression subjects without insomnia (SD), and 32 healthy controls (HCs). Four topographic maps were generated from clean EEG data after clustering and rearrangement. Temporal characteristics were obtained for statistical analysis, including cross-group variance analysis (ANOVA) and intra-group correlation analysis. In our study,the global clustering of all individuals in the EEG microstate analysis revealed the four previously discovered categories of microstates (A, B, C, and D). The occurrence of microstate B was lower in SDI than in SD and HC subjects. The correlation analysis showed that the total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score negatively correlated with the occurrence of microstate C in SDI (r=- 0.415, p < 0.05). Conversely, there was a positive correlation between Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores and the duration of microstate C in SD (r = 0.359, p < 0.05). These results indicate that microstates reflect altered large-scale brain network dynamics in subclinical populations. Abnormalities in the visual network corresponding to microstate B are an electrophysiological characteristic of subclinical individuals with symptoms of depressive insomnia. Further investigation is needed for microstate changes related to high arousal and emotional problems in people suffering from depression and insomnia.

Altered spreading of neuronal avalanches in temporal lobe epilepsy relates to cognitive performance: A resting-state hdEEG study.

Large aperiodic bursts of activations named neuronal avalanches have been used to characterize whole-brain activity, as their presence typically relates to optimal dynamics. Epilepsy is characterized by alterations in large-scale brain network dynamics. Here we exploited neuronal avalanches to characterize differences in electroencephalography (EEG) basal activity, free from seizures and/or interictal spikes, between patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and matched controls. We defined neuronal avalanches as starting when the z-scored source-reconstructed EEG signals crossed a specific threshold in any region and ending when all regions returned to baseline. This technique avoids data manipulation or assumptions of signal stationarity, focusing on the aperiodic, scale-free components of the signals. We computed individual avalanche transition matrices to track the probability of avalanche spreading across any two regions, compared them between patients and controls, and related them to memory performance in patients. We observed a robust topography of significant edges clustering in regions functionally and structurally relevant for the TLE, such as the entorhinal cortex, the inferior parietal and fusiform area, the inferior temporal gyrus, and the anterior cingulate cortex. We detected a significant correlation between the centrality of the entorhinal cortex in the transition matrix and the long-term memory performance (delay recall Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test). Our results show that the propagation patterns of large-scale neuronal avalanches are altered in TLE during the resting state, suggesting a potential diagnostic application in epilepsy. Furthermore, the relationship between specific patterns of propagation and memory performance support the neurophysiological relevance of neuronal avalanches.

Effects of acute exercise fatigue on the spatiotemporal dynamics of resting-state large-scale brain networks.

Various approaches have been used to explore different aspects of the regulation of brain activity by acute exercise, but few studies have been conducted on the effects of acute exercise fatigue on large-scale brain functional networks. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the effects of acute exercise fatigue on resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) microstates and large-scale brain network rhythm energy. The Bruce protocol was used as the experimental exercise model with a self-controlled experimental design. Thirty males performed incremental load exercise tests on treadmill until exhaustion. EEG signal acquisition was completed before and after exercise. EEG microstates and resting-state cortical rhythm techniques were used to analyze the EEG signal. The microstate results showed that the duration, occurrence, and contribution of Microstate C were significantly higher after exhaustive exercise (p's < 0.01). There was a significantly lower contribution of Microstate D (p < 0.05), a significant increase in transition probabilities between Microstate A and C (p < 0.05), and a significant decrease in transition probabilities between Microstate B and D (p < 0.05). The results of EEG rhythm energy on the large-scale brain network showed that the energy in the high-frequency β band was significantly higher in the visual network (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that frequently Microstate C associated with the convexity network are important for the organism to respond to internal and external information stimuli and thus regulate motor behavior in time to protect organism integrity. The decreases in Microstate D parameters, associated with the attentional network, are an important neural mechanism explaining the decrease in attention-related cognitive or behavioral performance due to acute exercise fatigue. The high energy in the high-frequency β band on the visual network can be explained in the sense of the neural efficiency hypothesis, which indicates a decrease in neural efficiency.

Large-scale brain network dynamics in very preterm children and relationship with socio-emotional outcomes: an exploratory study

BackgroundChildren born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks’ gestation) are at high risk of neurodevelopmental and behavioural difficulties associated with atypical brain maturation, including socio-emotional difficulties. The analysis of large-scale brain network dynamics during rest allows us to investigate brain functional connectivity and its association with behavioural outcomes.MethodsDynamic functional connectivity was extracted by using the innovation-driven co-activation patterns framework in VPT and full-term children aged 6–9 to explore changes in spatial organisation, laterality and temporal dynamics of spontaneous large-scale brain activity (VPT, n = 28; full-term, n = 12). Multivariate analysis was used to explore potential biomarkers for socio-emotional difficulties in VPT children.ResultsThe spatial organisation of the 13 retrieved functional networks was comparable across groups. Dynamic features and lateralisation of network brain activity were also comparable for all brain networks. Multivariate analysis unveiled group differences in associations between dynamical functional connectivity parameters with socio-emotional abilities.ConclusionIn this exploratory study, the group differences observed might reflect reduced degrees of maturation of functional architecture in the VPT group in regard to socio-emotional abilities. Dynamic features of functional connectivity could represent relevant neuroimaging markers and inform on potential mechanisms through which preterm birth leads to neurodevelopmental and behavioural disorders.ImpactSpatial organisation of the retrieved resting-state networks was comparable between school-aged very preterm and full-term children.Dynamic features and lateralisation of network brain activity were also comparable across groups.Multivariate pattern analysis revealed different patterns of association between dynamical functional connectivity parameters and socio-emotional abilities in the very preterm and full-term groups.Findings suggest a reduced degree of maturation of the functional architecture in the very preterm group in association with socio-emotional abilities.

Long-term Meditation Training Is Associated with Enhanced Subjective Attention and Stronger Posterior Cingulate-Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Resting Connectivity.

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which is thought to reflect improvements in shifting attention to the present moment. However, prior research in long-term meditation practitioners lacked quantitative measures of attention that would provide a more direct behavioral correlate and interpretational anchor for PCC-DLPFC connectivity and was inherently limited by small sample sizes. Moreover, whether mindfulness meditation primarily impacts brain function locally, or impacts the dynamics of large-scale brain networks, remained unclear. Here, we sought to replicate and extend prior findings of increased PCC-DLPFC rsFC in a sample of 40 long-term meditators (average practice = 3759 hr) who also completed a behavioral assay of attention. In addition, we tested a network-based framework of changes in interregional connectivity by examining network-level connectivity. We found that meditators had stronger PCC-rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) rsFC, lower connector hub strength across the default mode network, and better subjective attention, compared with 124 meditation-naive controls. Orienting attention positively correlated with PCC-RLPFC connectivity and negatively correlated with default mode network connector hub strength. These findings provide novel evidence that PCC-RLPFC rsFC may support attention orienting, consistent with a role for RLPFC in the attention shifting component of metacognitive awareness that is a core component of mindfulness meditation training. Our results further demonstrate that long-term mindfulness meditation may improve attention and strengthen the underlying brain networks.

Effective psychological therapy for PTSD changes the dynamics of specific large-scale brain networks.

In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), re‐experiencing of the trauma is a hallmark symptom proposed to emerge from a de‐contextualised trauma memory. Cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT‐PTSD) addresses this de‐contextualisation through different strategies. At the brain level, recent research suggests that the dynamics of specific large‐scale brain networks play an essential role in both the healthy response to a threatening situation and the development of PTSD. However, very little is known about how these dynamics are altered in the disorder and rebalanced after treatment and successful recovery. Using a data‐driven approach and fMRI, we detected recurring large‐scale brain functional states with high temporal precision in a population of healthy trauma‐exposed and PTSD participants before and after successful CT‐PTSD. We estimated the total amount of time that each participant spent on each of the states while being exposed to trauma‐related and neutral pictures. We found that PTSD participants spent less time on two default mode subnetworks involved in different forms of self‐referential processing in contrast to PTSD participants after CT‐PTSD (mtDMN+ and dmDMN+) and healthy trauma‐exposed controls (only mtDMN+). Furthermore, re‐experiencing severity was related to decreased time spent on the default mode subnetwork involved in contextualised retrieval of autobiographical memories, and increased time spent on the salience and visual networks. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that PTSD involves an imbalance in the dynamics of specific large‐scale brain network states involved in self‐referential processes and threat detection, and suggest that successful CT‐PTSD might rebalance this dynamic aspect of brain function.