Spatio–temporal patterns of cognitive control revealed with simultaneous electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Optimal performance depends in part on the ability to inhibit the automatic processing of irrelevant information and also on the adjusting the level of control from one trial to the next. In this study, we investigated the spatio–temporal neural correlates of cognitive control using simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography, while 22 participants (10 women) performed a numerical Stroop task. We investigated the spatial and temporal dynamic of the conflict adaptation effects (i.e., reduced interference on items that follow an incongruent stimulus compared to after a congruent stimulus). Joint independent component analysis linked the N200 component to activation of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the conflict slow potential to widespread activations within the fronto–parietal executive control network. Connectivity analyses with psychophysiological interactions and dynamic causal modeling demonstrated coordinated engagement of the cognitive control network after the processing of an incongruent item, and this was correlated with better behavioral performance. Our results combined high spatial and temporal resolution to propose the following network of conflict adaptation effect and specify the time course of activation within this model: first, the anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus are activated when incongruence is detected. These regions then signal the need for higher control to the ACC, which in turn activates the fronto–parietal executive control network to improve the performance on the next trial.

Effective connectivity underlying reward‐based executive control

“…While both switch and repeat trials modulated the connection from IFJ to ACC positively, the modulation was significantly stronger for switch trials. This supports previous studies associating signaling from IFJ to ACC with increased cognitive effort (Harding et al, 2015; Hinault et al, 2019). Importantly, this difference in cognitive modulation was exclusively found in the reward condition suggesting that distinct motivational settings differentially affect neural interactions between IFJ and ACC.…”

“…Third, the model space comprised all possible permutations of modulatory connections between the VOIs, except for the connection from IFJ to ACC. Since previous work on effective connectivity during cognitive tasks showed that the IFJ directs activity in the ACC (Harding et al, 2015; Hinault et al, 2019), the connection was operative in all models. This amounted to 32 models per family (see Supplementary Figure) and 96 models in total.…”

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated IFJ activation during reward‐based executive control (see Parro et al, 2017 for a meta‐analysis). Modulations in effective connectivity from IFJ to ACC have been associated with changes in cognitive demand (Harding, Yücel, Harrison, Pantelis, & Breakspear, 2015; Hinault, Larcher, Zazubovits, Gotman, & Dagher, 2019). Evidence further suggests that the IFJ is closely linked to the dopaminergic system (Stelzel, Basten, Montag, Reuter, & Fiebach, 2010; Stelzel, Fiebach, Cools, Tafazoli, & D'Esposito, 2013) and serves task demands by selectively engaging brain regions related to control (Asplund, Todd, Snyder, & Marois, 2010; Baldauf & Desimone, 2014; Kim, 2014) and motivation (Paschke et al, 2015).…”

Disrupted Neural Synchrony Mediates the Relationship between White Matter Integrity and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults

“…This mediation was observed during both WM cue and problem verification phases, and involved synchronization between the IFG and occipital lobe regions. IFG activity has been reported when rule updating and maintenance is required 67,68,69,70 , and its coupling with the occipital lobe was previously observed with the same task in fMRI 16 , suggesting a major role for the interplay between rule updating and sensory processing. The present study shows that, in contrast with a disconnection account, there is no absolute interruption of network structure or communication, but rather reduced integrity leads to reduced synchrony between brain regions, and slower transitions for task-related modulations of that synchrony.…”

When the time is right: Temporal dynamics of brain activity in healthy aging and dementia

“…Investigations in young adults revealed distinct associations of alpha and gamma oscillatory variability with BOLD signal variability (e.g., Hinault et al, 2019b;Scheeringa & Fries, 2019) that could further our understanding of brain changes with age and pathology. Balster et al (2013) reported that simultaneous resting-state EEG and fMRI recording could be more sensitive to age-related changes than fMRI alone.…”