title: Optimal trajectories of brain state transitions.
abstract: The complexity of neural dynamics stems in part from the complexity of the underlying anatomy. Yet how white matter structure constrains how the brain transitions from one cognitive state to another remains unknown. Here we address this question by drawing on recent advances in network control theory to model the underlying mechanisms of brain state transitions as elicited by the collective control of region sets. We find that previously identified attention and executive control systems are poised to affect a broad array of state transitions that cannot easily be classified by traditional engineering-based notions of control. This theoretical versatility comes with a vulnerability to injury. In patients with mild traumatic brain injury, we observe a loss of specificity in putative control processes, suggesting greater susceptibility to neurophysiological noise. These results offer fundamental insights into the mechanisms driving brain state transitions in healthy cognition and their alteration following injury.
authors.affiliation: Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Betzel
authors.affiliation: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
authors.forename: Marcelo G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mattar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cieslak
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; Neurology Associates of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA.
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Delio
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
authors.forename: Scott T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Grafton
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasqualetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: dsb@seas.upenn.com.
authors.forename: Danielle S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bassett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology / Q000523:psychology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D066127:White Matter / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognitive control; Control theory; Diffusion imaging; Network neuroscience; Traumatic brain injury