title: Directed Communication between Nucleus Accumbens and Neocortex in Humans Is Differentially Supported by Synchronization in the Theta and Alpha Band.
abstract: Here, we report evidence for oscillatory bi-directional interactions between the nucleus accumbens and the neocortex in humans. Six patients performed a demanding covert visual attention task while we simultaneously recorded brain activity from deep-brain electrodes implanted in the nucleus accumbens and the surface electroencephalogram (EEG). Both theta and alpha oscillations were strongly coherent with the frontal and parietal EEG during the task. Theta-band coherence increased during processing of the visual stimuli. Granger causality analysis revealed that the nucleus accumbens was communicating with the neocortex primarily in the theta-band, while the cortex was communicating the nucleus accumbens in the alpha-band. These data are consistent with a model, in which theta- and alpha-band oscillations serve dissociable roles: Prior to stimulus processing, the cortex might suppress ongoing processing in the nucleus accumbens by modulating alpha-band activity. Subsequently, upon stimulus presentation, theta oscillations might facilitate the active exchange of stimulus information from the nucleus accumbens to the cortex.
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jörn M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Horschig
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ruud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smolders
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonnefond
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Max-Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan-Mathijs
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schoffelen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pepijn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van den Munckhof
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P Richard
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Schuurman
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roshan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cools
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Damiaan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Denys
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000502:physiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008959:Models, Neurological; D019579:Neocortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult