title: Frontoparietal traffic signals: a fast optical imaging study of preparatory dynamics in response mode switching.
abstract: Coordination between networks of brain regions is important for optimal cognitive performance, especially in attention demanding tasks. With the event-related optical signal (a measure of changes in optical scattering because of neuronal activity) we can characterize rapidly evolving network processes by examining the millisecond-scale temporal correlation of activity in distinct regions during the preparatory period of a response mode switching task. Participants received a precue indicating whether to respond vocally or manually. They then saw or heard the letter "L" or "R," indicating a "left" or "right" response to be implemented with the appropriate response modality. We employed lagged cross-correlations to characterize the dynamic connectivity of preparatory processes. Our results confirmed coupling of frontal and parietal cortices and the trial-dependent relationship of the right frontal cortex with response preparation areas. The frontal-to-modality-specific cortex cross-correlations revealed a pattern in which first irrelevant regions were deactivated, and then relevant regions were activated. These results provide a window into the subsecond scale network interactions that flexibly tune to task demands.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Pauline L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Baniqued
authors.forename: Kathy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabiani
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gratton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult