title: Attentional load modulates large-scale functional brain connectivity beyond the core attention networks.
abstract: In line with the notion of a continuously active and dynamic brain, functional networks identified during rest correspond with those revealed by task-fMRI. Characterizing the dynamic cross-talk between these network nodes is key to understanding the successful implementation of effortful cognitive processing in healthy individuals and its breakdown in a variety of conditions involving aberrant brain biology and cognitive dysfunction. We employed advanced network modeling on fMRI data collected during a task involving sustained attentive tracking of objects at two load levels and during rest. Using multivariate techniques, we demonstrate that attentional load levels can be significantly discriminated, and from a resting-state condition, the accuracy approaches 100%, by means of estimates of between-node functional connectivity. Several network edges were modulated during task engagement: The dorsal attention network increased connectivity with a visual node, while decreasing connectivity with motor and sensory nodes. Also, we observed a decoupling between left and right hemisphere dorsal visual streams. These results support the notion of dynamic network reconfigurations based on attentional effort. No simple correspondence between node signal amplitude change and node connectivity modulations was found, thus network modeling provides novel information beyond what is revealed by conventional task-fMRI analysis. The current decoding of attentional states confirms that edge connectivity contains highly predictive information about the mental state of the individual, and the approach shows promise for the utilization in clinical contexts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alnæs
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Eugene P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Duff
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Markus H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sneve
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Tor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endestad
authors.affiliation: Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital HT, Nesodden, Norway.
authors.forename: Jan Egil
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Nordvik
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Ole A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Andreassen
authors.affiliation: FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Norway. Electronic address: l.t.westlye@psykologi.uio.no.
authors.forename: Lars T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Westlye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attentional effort; Brain network connectivity; Decoding; Network modeling; Visual attention; fMRI