Fine-scale dynamics of functional connectivity in the face processing network during movie watching

Abstract

Face are naturally dynamic, multimodal and embedded in rich social context. However, mapping the face processing network in the human brain and its relation to behavior is typically done during rest or using isolated, static face images. The use of such contrived stimuli might result in overlooking widespread cortical interactions obtained in response to naturalistic context and the temporal dynamics of these interactions. Here we examined large-scale cortical connectivity patterns measured in response to a dynamic movie in a sample of typical adults (n=517), to determine how inter-subject functional connectivity (ISFC) relates to face recognition scores. We found a positive correlation with recognition scores in edges connecting the occipital visual and anterior temporal regions and a negative correlation in edges connecting attentional dorsal, frontal default, and occipital visual regions. These ISFC patterns resembled previous findings comparing individuals with congenital prosopagnosia to normal controls and the viewing of inverted compared to upright faces. To further examine these connectivity patterns, we developed a novel method that allows analysis of inter-subject stimulus-evoked node/edge responses at a single TR resolution. Using this method, we demonstrated that co-fluctuations in face-selective edges observed here and in previous work are related to local activity in core face-selective regions. Finally, correlating this temporal decomposition of the observed ISFC patterns to the movie content revealed that they peak during boundaries between movie segments rather than during the presence of faces in the movie. Our novel approach demonstrates how visual processing of faces is linked to fine-scale dynamics in attentional, memory, and perceptual neural circuitry.

Synchronous high-amplitude co-fluctuations of functional brain networks during movie-watching

“…We find evidence that, while events occur at all times during movies, they reliably and synchronously occur at the end of movie scenes. This observation is consistent with several recent studies, which link activations and intersubject synchronization at the boundaries of movies to memory [41,42], attention processes [43], and general cognition [44].…”

Virtual external stimulation promotes the transformation of the brain state from early mild cognitive impairment to health

“…The brain is a complex system characterized by dynamic functional brain connections, [24] with functional interactions between different brain regions and networks changing over time. In recent years, the sliding window has been commonly used to measure the dynamic interactive functional connection between two areas, [45,46] but there have been apparent limitations in the selection of the window width and shape [25] . There is accumulating evidence that at rest, brain activity slowly wanders between states [23,24] .…”

“…Abnormal topological changes are noted in the brain networks of patients with MCI compared with healthy people, [21] along with a decrease in the strength of functional connectivity in regions within the default mode network [22] . In addition, the pattern of functional brain connectivity fluctuates over time and space [23–25] . Such dynamic functional connectivity studies have been shown to be useful in evaluating a variety of neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, [26] major depressive disorder, [27] and Parkinson's disease [28] .…”

Living on the edge: network neuroscience beyond nodes

“…One such study found that RMS time-series exhibited strong inter-subject correlations during movie-watching [ 52 ], whereas another showed that scene changes consistently elicited events [ 67 ]. These studies suggest that event timing may be modulated by sensory input [ 68 , 69 ].…”