IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nathum/v3y2019i12d10.1038_s41562-019-0717-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Default network and frontoparietal control network theta connectivity supports internal attention

Author

Listed:
  • Julia W. Y. Kam

    (Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California – Berkeley)

  • Jack J. Lin

    (University of California – Irvine
    Henry Samueli School of Engineering)

  • Anne-Kristin Solbakk

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo
    Helgeland Hospital
    Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital)

  • Tor Endestad

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo)

  • Pål G. Larsson

    (Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital
    Division of Surgery, Oslo University Hospital)

  • Robert T. Knight

    (Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California – Berkeley
    University of California – Berkeley)

Abstract

Attending to our inner world is a fundamental cognitive phenomenon1–3, yet its neural underpinnings remain largely unknown. Neuroimaging evidence implicates the default network (DN) and frontoparietal control network (FPCN)4; however, the electrophysiological basis for the interaction between these networks is unclear. Here we recorded intracranial electroencephalogram from DN and FPCN electrodes implanted in individuals undergoing presurgical monitoring for refractory epilepsy. Subjects performed an attention task during which they attended to tones (that is, externally directed attention) or ignored the tones and thought about whatever came to mind (that is, internally directed attention). Given the emerging role of theta band connectivity in attentional processes5,6, we examined the theta power correlation between DN and two subsystems of the FPCN as a function of attention states. We found increased connectivity between DN and FPCNA during internally directed attention compared to externally directed attention, which positively correlated with attention ratings. There was no statistically significant difference between attention states in the connectivity between DN and FPCNB. Our results indicate that enhanced theta band connectivity between the DN and FPCNA is a core electrophysiological mechanism that underlies internally directed attention.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia W. Y. Kam & Jack J. Lin & Anne-Kristin Solbakk & Tor Endestad & Pål G. Larsson & Robert T. Knight, 2019. "Default network and frontoparietal control network theta connectivity supports internal attention," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(12), pages 1263-1270, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:3:y:2019:i:12:d:10.1038_s41562-019-0717-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0717-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0717-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41562-019-0717-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:3:y:2019:i:12:d:10.1038_s41562-019-0717-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.