Neurocognitive characterization of behaviour and mental illness through time-varying brain network analysis
Abstract
Abstract Human cognitive processing involves dynamic interactions across brain regions, evolving over time. Traditional neuroimaging analysis often overlooks this temporal aspect, limiting insights into how functional network connectivity (FNC) supports ongoing cognition and behaviour. Using sliding window analysis, we captured FNC changes during tasks, reflecting network reconfiguration in cognitive processes. We further determined behavioural relevance of time-varying FNC by relating network measurements with task performances and psychopathology. We found that several whole-brain FNC patterns, or states, persist across resting and task-based fMRI, with state occurrences fluctuating with the most prominent task stimuli. Regional FNC distinguishes specific task conditions, and time-varying FNC explains more variance in psychopathology symptoms compared to static connectivity. These findings highlight that cognitive tasks reshape regional and whole-brain connectivity. By considering the different FNC states, time-varying connectivity provides a more comprehensive representation of brain interactions and thus may represent a better neural proxy for cognition and behaviour.
Article Details
Authors (34)
Xiao Chang
Beijing National Center for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics
Tianye Jia
Zening Fu
Shitong Xiang
Yunman Xia
Chao Xie
Jiyan Zou
Miao Cao
Jie Zhang
Tobias Banaschewski
Arun L. W. Bokde
Sylvane Desrivieres
Herta Flor
Antoine Grigis
Hugh Garavan
Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont
Penny Gowland
Andreas Heinz
Rüdiger Brühl
Jean-Luc Martinot
Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
Eric Artiges
Frauke Nees
Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos
Vincent Frouin
Sarah Hohmann
Christian Baeuchl
Vince D. Calhoun
Luise Poustka
Michael N. Smolka
Nilakshi Vaidya
Henrik Walter
Robert Whelan
Jianfeng Feng
Gunter Schumann