Dynamic reconfiguration of visuomotor-related functional connectivity networks
Résumé
Cognitive functions arise from the coordination of large-scale brain networks. Yet, the principles governing interareal functional connectivity dynamics (FCD) remain elusive. Here, we test the hypothesis that human executive functions arise from the dynamic interplay of multiple networks. To do so, we investigated FCD mediating a key executing function, known as arbitrary visuomotor mapping, using brain connectivity analyses of high-gamma activity recorded using magnetoencephalography and intracranial electroencephalography. Visuomotor mapping was found to arise from the dynamic interplay of three partly-overlapping cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical FC networks. First, visual and parietal regions coordinated with sensorimotor and premotor areas. Second, the dorsal fronto-parietal circuit together with the sensorimotor and associative fronto-striatal networks took the lead. Finally, cortico-cortical interhemispheric coordination among bilateral sensorimotor regions coupled with the left fronto-parietal network and visual areas. We suggest that these networks reflect the processing of visual information, the emergence of visuomotor plans and the processing of somatosensory reafference or action's outcomes, respectively. We thus demonstrated that visuomotor integration resides in the dynamic reconfiguration of multiple cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical FC networks. More generally, we showed that visuomotor-related FC is non-stationary, and displays switching dynamics and areal flexibility over time scales relevant for task performance. In addition, visuomotor-related FC is characterized by sparse connectivity with density less than 10%. To conclude, our results elucidate the relation between dynamic network reconfiguration and executive functions over short time scales, and provide a candidate entry point towards a better understanding of cognitive architectures.
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