fMRI / MEG Publications

@article{Cruz2025,

title = {Oscillatory brain activity in the canonical alpha-band conceals distinct mechanisms in attention},

author = {Gabriela Cruz and María Melcón and Leonardo Sutandi and Matias M. Palva and Satu Palva and Gregor Thut},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0918-24.2024},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {45},

number = {1},

pages = {1–17},

abstract = {Brain oscillations in the alpha-band (8-14 Hz) have been linked to specific processes in attention and perception. In particular, decreases in posterior alpha-amplitude are thought to reflect activation of perceptually relevant brain areas for target engagement, while alpha-amplitude increases have been associated with inhibition for distractor suppression. Traditionally, these alpha-changes have been viewed as two facets of the same process. However, recent evidence calls for revisiting this interpretation. Here, we recorded MEG/EEG in 32 participants (19 females) during covert visuospatial attention shifts (spatial cues) and two control conditions (neutral cue, no-attention cue), while tracking fixational eye movements. In disagreement with a single, perceptually relevant alpha-process, we found the typical alpha-modulations contra- and ipsilateral to the attention focus to be triple dissociated in their timing, topography, and spectral features: Ipsilateral alpha-increases occurred early, over occipital sensors, at a high alpha-frequency (10–14 Hz) and were expressed during spatial attention (alpha spatial cue > neutral cue). In contrast, contralateral alpha-decreases occurred later, over parietal sensors, at a lower alpha-frequency (7–10 Hz) and were associated with attention deployment in general (alpha spatial and neutral cue < no-attention cue). Additionally, the lateralized early alpha-increases but not alpha-decreases during spatial attention coincided in time with directionally biased microsaccades. Overall, this suggests that the attention-related early alpha-increases and late alpha-decreases reflect distinct, likely reflexive versus endogenously controlled attention mechanisms. We conclude that there is more than one perceptually relevant posterior alpha-oscillation, which need to be dissociated for a detailed account of their roles in perception and attention.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Gong2025,

title = {Time course of orientation ensemble representation in the human brain},

author = {Xizi Gong and Tao He and Qian Wang and Junshi Lu and Fang Fang},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {45},

number = {7},

pages = {1–13},

abstract = {Natural scenes are filled with groups of similar items. Humans employ ensemble coding to extract the summary statistical information of the environment, thereby enhancing the efficiency of information processing, something particularly useful when observing natural scenes. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the representation ofensemble information in the brain remain elusive. In particular, whether ensemble representation results from the mere summation of individual item representations or it engages other specific processes remains unclear. In this study, we utilized a set of orientation ensembles wherein none ofthe individual item orientations were the same as the ensemble orientation. We recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals from human participants (both sexes) when they performed an ensemble orientation discrimination task. Time-resolved multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) and the inverted encoding model (IEM) were employed to unravel the neural mechanisms of the ensemble orientation representation and track its time course. First, we achieved successful decoding of the ensemble orientation, with a high correlation between the decoding and behavioral accuracies. Second, the IEM analysis demonstrated that the representation of the ensemble orientation differed from the sum of the representations of individual item orientations, suggesting that ensemble coding could fur- ther modulate orientation representation in the brain. Moreover, using source reconstruction, we showed that the representation of ensemble orientation manifested in early visual areas. Taken together, our findings reveal the emergence of the ensemble representation in the human visual cortex and advance the understanding of how the brain captures and represents ensemble information.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Sangoi2025,

title = {Efferent compared to afferent neural substrates of the vergence eye movement system evoked via fMRI},

author = {Ayushi Sangoi and Farzin Hajebrahimi and Suril Gohel and Mitchell Scheiman and Tara L. Alvarez},

doi = {10.3389/fnins.2024.1497326},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},

volume = {18},

pages = {1–13},

abstract = {Introduction: The vergence neural system was stimulated to dissect the afferent and efferent components of symmetrical vergence eye movement step responses. The hypothesis tested was whether the afferent regions of interest would differ from the efferent regions to serve as comparative data for future clinical patient population studies. Methods: Thirty binocularly normal participants participated in an oculomotor symmetrical vergence step block task within a functional MRI experiment compared to a similar sensory task where the participants did not elicit vergence eye movements. Results: For the oculomotor vergence task, functional activation was observed within the parietal eye field, supplemental eye field, frontal eye field, and cerebellar vermis, and activation in these regions was significantly diminished during the sensory task. Differences between the afferent sensory and efferent oculomotor experiments were also observed within the visual cortex. Discussion: Differences between the vergence oculomotor and sensory tasks provide a protocol to delineate the afferent and efferent portion of the vergence neural circuit. Implications with clinical populations and future therapeutic intervention studies are discussed.},

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@article{Schuster2025,

title = {Interactive and additive effects of word frequency and predictability: A fixation-related fMRI study},

author = {Sarah Schuster and Kim Lara Weiss and Florian Hutzler and Martin Kronbichler and Stefan Hawelka},

doi = {10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105508},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Brain and Language},

volume = {260},

pages = {1–7},

publisher = {Elsevier Inc.},

abstract = {The effects of word frequency and predictability are informative with respect to bottom-up and top-down mechanisms during reading. Word frequency is assumed to index bottom-up, whereas word predictability top-down information. Findings regarding potential interactive effects, however, are inconclusive. An interactive effect would suggest an early lexical impact of contextual top-down mechanisms where both variables are processed concurrently in early stages of word recognition. An additive effect, to the contrary, would suggest that contextual top-down processing only occurs post-lexically. We evaluated potential interactions between word frequency and predictability during silent reading by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging and simultaneous eye-tracking (i.e., fixation-related fMRI). Our data revealed exclusively additive effects. Specifically, we observed effects of word frequency and word predictability in left inferior frontal regions, whereas word frequency additionally exhibited an effect in the left occipito-temporal cortex. We interpret our findings in terms of contextual top-down processing facilitation.},

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@article{Shackman2025,

title = {Blunted ventral striatal reactivity to social reward is associated with more severe motivation and pleasure deficits in psychosis},

author = {Alexander J. Shackman and Jason F. Smith and Ryan D. Orth and Christina L. G Savage and Paige R. Didier and Julie M. Mccarthy and Melanie E. Bennett and Jack J. Blanchard},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Schizophrenia Bulletin},

pages = {1–36},

abstract = {Background and Hypothesis: Among individuals living with psychotic disorders, social impairment is common, debilitating, and challenging to treat. While the roots of this impairment are undoubtedly complex, converging lines of evidence suggest that social motivation and pleasure (MAP) deficits play a central role. Yet most neuroimaging studies have focused on monetary rewards, precluding deci- sive inferences. Study Design: Here we leveraged parallel social and monetary incentive delay functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigms to test whether blunted reactivity to social incentives in the ventral striatum—a key component of the distributed neural circuit mediating appetitive motivation and hedonic pleasure—is associated with more severe MAP symptoms in a transdiagnostic adult sample enriched for psychosis. To maximize ecological validity and translational relevance, we capitalized on naturalistic audiovisual clips of an established social partner expressing positive feedback. Study Results: Although both paradigms robustly engaged the ventral striatum, only reactivity to social incentives was associated with clinician-rated MAP deficits. This association remained significant when controlling for other symptoms, binary diagnostic status, or striatal reactivity to monetary incentives. Follow-up analyses suggested that this association predominantly reflects diminished activation during the presentation of social reward. Conclusions: These observations provide a neurobiologically grounded framework for conceptualizing the social-anhedonia symptoms and social impairments that characterize many individuals living with psychotic disorders and underscore the need to develop targeted intervention strategies.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kerkoerle2025,

title = {Brain mechanisms of reversible symbolic reference: A potential singularity of the human brain},

author = {Timo Kerkoerle and Louise Pape and Milad Ekramnia and Xiaoxia Feng and Jordy Tasserie and Morgan Dupont and Xiaolian Li and Bechir Jarraya and Wim Vanduffel and Stanislas Dehaene and Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {eLife},

volume = {12},

pages = {1–28},

abstract = {The emergence of symbolic thinking has been proposed as a dominant cognitive criterion to distinguish humans from other primates during hominization. Although the proper definition of a symbol has been the subject of much debate, one of its simplest features is bidirectional attachment: the content is accessible from the symbol, and vice versa. Behavioral observations scattered over the past four decades suggest that this criterion might not be met in non-human primates, as they fail to generalize an association learned in one temporal order (A to B) to the reverse order (B to A). Here, we designed an implicit fMRI test to investigate the neural mechanisms of arbitrary audio-visual and visual-visual pairing in monkeys and humans and probe their spontaneous reversibility. After learning a unidirectional association, humans showed surprise signals when this learned association was violated. Crucially, this effect occurred spontaneously in both learned and reversed directions, within an extended network of high-level brain areas, including, but also going beyond the language network. In monkeys, by contrast, violations of association effects occurred solely in the learned direction and were largely confined to sensory areas. We propose that a human-specific brain network may have evolved the capacity for reversible symbolic reference. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Lehet2025,

title = {Altered effective connectivity within a thalamocortical corollary discharge network in individuals with schizophrenia},

author = {Matthew Lehet and Beier Yao and Ivy F. Tso and Vaibhav A. Diwadkar and Jessica Fattal and Jacqueline Bao and Katharine N. Thakkar},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Schizophrenia Bulletin},

pages = {1–14},

abstract = {Background and Hypothesis: Sequential saccade planning requires corollary discharge (CD) signals that provide information about the planned landing location of an eye movement. These CD signals may be altered among individuals with schizophrenia (SZ), providing a potential mechanism to explain passivity and anomalous self-experiences broadly. In healthy controls (HC), a key oculomotor CD network transmits CD signals from the thalamus to the frontal eye fields (FEF) and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and also remaps signals from FEF to IPS. Study Design: Here, we modeled fMRI data using dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to examine patient-control differences in effective connectivity evoked by a double-step (DS) task (30 SZ, 29 HC). The interrogated network was formed from a combination of (1) functionally identified FEF and IPS regions that robustly responded on DS trials and (2) anatomically identified thalamic regions involved in CD transmission. We also examined the relationship between clinical symptoms and effective connectivity parameters associated with task modulation of network pathways. Study Results: Network connectivity was indeed modulated by the DS task, which involves CD transmission. More importantly, we found reduced effective connectivity from thalamus to IPS in SZ, which was further correlated with passivity symptom severity. Conclusions: These results reaffirm the importance of IPS and thalamocortical connections in oculomotor CD signaling and provide mechanistic insights into CD alterations and consequently agency disturbances in schizophrenia.},

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pubstate = {published},

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@article{NarhiMartinez2025,

title = {Allocation of spatial attention in human visual cortex as a function of endogenous cue validity},

author = {William Narhi-Martinez and Yong Min Choi and Blaire Dube and Julie D. Golomb},

doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2025.01.002},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Cortex},

volume = {185},

pages = {4–19},

publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},

abstract = {Several areas of visual cortex contain retinotopic maps of the visual field, and neuroimaging studies have shown that covert attentional guidance will result in increases of activity within the regions representing attended locations. However, little research has been done to directly compare neural activity for different types of attentional cues. Here, we used fMRI to investigate how retinotopically-specific cortical activity would be modulated depending on whether we provided deterministic or probabilistic spatial information. On each trial, a four-item memory array was presented and participants' memory for one of the items would later be probed. Critically, trials began with a foveally-presented endogenous cue that was either 100% valid (deterministic runs), 70% valid (probabilistic runs), or neutral. By dividing visual cortex into quadrant-specific regions of interest (qROIs), we could examine how attention was spatially distributed across the visual field within each trial, depending on cue type and delay. During the anticipatory period prior to the memory array, we found increased activation at the cued location compared to noncued locations, with surprisingly comparable levels of facilitation for both deterministic and probabilistic cues. However, we found significantly greater facilitation on deterministic relative to probabilistic trials following the onset of the memory array, with only deterministic cue-related facilitation persisting through the presentation of the probe. These findings reveal how cue validity can drive differential allocations of neural resources over time across cued and noncued locations, and that the allocation of attention should not be assumed to invariably scale alongside the validity of a cue.},

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@article{Plikata2025,

title = {Hierarchical surprise signals in naturalistic violation of expectations},

author = {Vincent Plikata and Pablo R. Grassia and Julius Frackd and Andreas Bartels},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {3},

pages = {1–23},

abstract = {Surprise responses signal both high-level cognitive alerts that information is missing, and increasingly specific back-propagating error signals that allow updates in processing nodes. Studying surprise is, hence, central for cognitive neuroscience to understand internal world representations and learning. Yet, only few prior studies used naturalistic stimuli targeting our high-level understanding of the world. Here, we use magic tricks in an fMRI experiment to investigate neural responses to violations of core assumptions held by humans about the world. We showed participants naturalistic videos of three types of magic tricks, involving objects appearing, changing color, or disappearing, along with control videos without any violation of expectation. Importantly, the same videos were presented with and without prior knowledge about the tricks' explanation. Results revealed generic responses in frontal and parietal areas, together with responses specific to each of the three trick types in posterior sensory areas. A subset of these regions, the midline areas of the default mode network (DMN), showed surprise activity that depended on prior knowledge. Equally, sensory regions showed sensitivity to prior knowledge, reflected in differing decoding accuracies. These results suggest a hierarchy of surprise signals involving generic processing of violation of expectations in frontal and parietal areas with concurrent surprise signals in sensory regions that are specific to the processed features.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Qian2025,

title = {Multiple loci for foveolar vision in macaque monkey visual cortex},

author = {Meizhen Qian and Jianbao Wang and Yang Gao and Ming Chen and Yin Liu and Dengfeng Zhou and Haidong D Lu and Xiaotong Zhang and Jia Ming Hu and Anna Wang Roe},

doi = {10.1038/s41593-024-01810-4},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Nature Neuroscience},

volume = {28},

number = {1},

pages = {137–149},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {In humans and nonhuman primates, the central 1° of vision is processed by the foveola, a retinal structure that comprises a high density of photoreceptors and is crucial for primate-specific high-acuity vision, color vision and gaze-directed visual attention. Here, we developed high-spatial-resolution ultrahigh-field 7T functional magnetic resonance imaging methods for functional mapping of the foveolar visual cortex in awake monkeys. In the ventral pathway (visual areas V1–V4 and the posterior inferior temporal cortex), viewing of a small foveolar spot elicits a ring of multiple (eight) foveolar representations per hemisphere. This ring surrounds an area called the ‘foveolar core', which is populated by millimeter-scale functional domains sensitive to fine stimuli and high spatial frequencies, consistent with foveolar visual acuity, color and achromatic information and motion. Thus, this elaborate rerepresentation of central vision coupled with a previously unknown foveolar core area signifies a cortical specialization for primate foveation behaviors.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

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@article{Hur2025,

title = {Adolescent social anxiety is associated with diminished discrimination of anticipated threat and safety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis},

author = {Juyoen Hur and Rachael M. Tillman and Hyung Cho Kim3 and Paige Didier and Allegra S. Anderson and Samiha Islam and Melissa D. Stockbridge and Andres De Los Reyes and Kathryn A. DeYoung and Jason F. Smith and Alexander J. Shackman},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science},

volume = {134},

number = {1},

pages = {41–56},

abstract = {Social anxiety-which typically emerges in adolescence-lies on a continuum and, when extreme, can be devastating. Socially anxious individuals are prone to heightened fear, anxiety, and the avoidance of contexts associated with potential social scrutiny. Yet most neuroimaging research has focused on acute social threat. Much less attention has been devoted to understanding the neural systems recruited during the uncertain anticipation of potential encounters with social threat. Here we used a novel fMRI paradigm to probe the neural circuitry engaged during the anticipation and acute presentation of threatening faces and voices in a racially diverse sample of 66 adolescents selectively recruited to encompass a range of social anxiety and enriched for clinically significant levels of distress and impairment. Results demonstrated that adolescents with more severe social anxiety symptoms experience heightened distress when anticipating encounters with social threat, and reduced discrimination of uncertain social threat and safety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), a key division of the central extended amygdala (EAc). Although the EAc-including the BST and central nucleus of the amygdala-was robustly engaged by the acute presentation of threatening faces and voices, the degree of EAc engagement was unrelated to the severity of social anxiety. Together, these observations provide a neurobiologically grounded framework for conceptualizing adolescent social anxiety and set the stage for the kinds of prospective-longitudinal and mechanistic research that will be necessary to determine causation and, ultimately, to develop improved interventions for this often-debilitating illness.},

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pubstate = {published},

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@article{Klimova2025,

title = {How does orientation-tuned normalization spread across the visual field?},

author = {Michaela Klímová and Ilona M. Bloem and Sam Ling},

doi = {10.1152/jn.00224.2024},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Neurophysiology},

volume = {133},

number = {2},

pages = {539–546},

abstract = {Visuocortical responses are regulated by gain control mechanisms, giving rise to fundamental neural and perceptual phenomena such as surround suppression. Suppression strength, determined by the composition and relative properties of stimuli, controls the strength of neural responses in early visual cortex, and in turn, the subjective salience of the visual stimulus. Notably, suppression strength is modulated by feature similarity; for instance, responses to a center-surround stimulus in which the components are collinear to each other are weaker than when they are orthogonal. However, this feature-tuned aspect of normalization, and how it may affect the gain of responses, has been understudied. Here, we examine the contribution of the tuned component of suppression to contrast response modulations across the visual field. To do so, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure contrast response functions (CRFs) in early visual cortex (areas V1–V3) in 10 observers while they viewed full-field center-surround gratings. The center stimulus varied in contrast between 2.67% and 96% and was surrounded by a collinear or orthogonal surround at full contrast. We found substantially stronger suppression of responses when the surround was parallel to the center, manifesting as shifts in the population CRF. The magnitude of the CRF shift was strongly dependent on voxel spatial preference and seen primarily in voxels whose receptive field spatial preference corresponds to the area straddling the center-surround boundary in our display, with little-to-no modulation elsewhere.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Fietz2024,

title = {Data-driven pupil response profiles as transdiagnostic readouts for the detection of neurocognitive functioning in affective and anxiety disorders},

author = {Julia Fietz and Dorothee Pöhlchen and BeCOME Working Group and Tanja M. Brückl and Anna-Katharine Brem and Frank Padberg and Michael Czisch and Philipp G. Sämann and Victor I. Spoormaker},

doi = {10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.06.005},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging},

volume = {9},

number = {6},

pages = {580–587},

abstract = {Background: Neurocognitive functioning is a relevant transdiagnostic dimension in psychiatry. As pupil size dynamics track cognitive load during a working memory task, we aimed to explore if this parameter allows identification of psychophysiological subtypes in healthy participants and patients with affective and anxiety disorders. Methods: Our sample consisted of 226 participants who completed the n-back task during simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and pupillometry measurements. We used latent class growth modeling to identify clusters based on pupil size in response to cognitive load. In a second step, these clusters were compared on affective and anxiety symptom levels, performance in neurocognitive tests, and functional magnetic resonance imaging activity. Results: The clustering analysis resulted in two distinct pupil response profiles: one with a stepwise increasing pupil size with increasing cognitive load (reactive group) and one with a constant pupil size across conditions (nonreactive group). A larger increase in pupil size was significantly associated with better performance in neurocognitive tests in executive functioning and sustained attention. Statistical maps of parametric modulation of pupil size during the n-back task showed the frontoparietal network in the positive contrast and the default mode network in the negative contrast. The pupil response profile of the reactive group was associated with more thalamic activity, likely reflecting better arousal upregulation and less deactivation of the limbic system. Conclusions: Pupil measurements have the potential to serve as a highly sensitive psychophysiological readout for detection of neurocognitive deficits in the core domain of executive functioning, adding to the development of valid transdiagnostic constructs in psychiatry.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Froesel2024,

title = {Macaque claustrum, pulvinar and putative dorsolateral amygdala support the cross-modal association of social audio-visual stimuli based on meaning},

author = {Mathilda Froesel and Maëva Gacoin and Simon Clavagnier and Marc Hauser and Quentin Goudard and Suliann Ben Hamed},

doi = {10.1111/ejn.16328},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {European Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {59},

number = {12},

pages = {3203–3223},

abstract = {Social communication draws on several cognitive functions such as perception, emotion recognition and attention. The association of audio-visual information is essential to the processing of species-specific communication signals. In this study, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging in order to identify the subcortical areas involved in the cross-modal association of visual and auditory information based on their common social meaning. We identified three subcortical regions involved in audio-visual processing of species-specific communicative signals: the dorsolateral amygdala, the claustrum and the pulvinar. These regions responded to visual, auditory congruent and audio-visual stimulations. However, none of them was significantly activated when the auditory stimuli were semantically incongruent with the visual context, thus showing an influence of visual context on auditory processing. For example, positive vocalization (coos) activated the three subcortical regions when presented in the context of positive facial expression (lipsmacks) but not when presented in the context of negative facial expression (aggressive faces). In addition, the medial pulvinar and the amygdala presented multisensory integration such that audiovisual stimuli resulted in activations that were significantly higher than those observed for the highest unimodal response. Last, the pulvinar responded in a task-dependent manner, along a specific spatial sensory gradient. We propose that the dorsolateral amygdala, the claustrum and the pulvinar belong to a multisensory network that modulates the perception of visual socioemotional information and vocalizations as a function of the relevance of the stimuli in the social context. Significance statement: Understanding and correctly associating socioemotional information across sensory modalities, such that happy faces predict laughter and escape scenes predict screams, is essential when living in complex social groups. With the use of functional magnetic imaging in the awake macaque, we identify three subcortical structures—dorsolateral amygdala, claustrum and pulvinar—that only respond to auditory information that matches the ongoing visual socioemotional context, such as hearing positively valenced coo calls and seeing positively valenced mutual grooming monkeys. We additionally describe task-dependent activations in the pulvinar, organizing along a specific spatial sensory gradient, supporting its role as a network regulator.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Geurts2024,

title = {Pupil-linked arousal modulates precision of stimulus representation in cortex},

author = {Laura S. Geurts and Sam Ling and Janneke F. M. Jehee},

doi = {10.1523/jneurosci.1522-23.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {42},

pages = {1–11},

abstract = {Neural responses are naturally variable from one moment to the next, even when the stimulus is held constant. What factors might underlie this variability in neural population activity? We hypothesized that spontaneous fluctuations in cortical stimulus representations are created by changes in arousal state. We tested the hypothesis using a combination of fMRI, probabilistic decoding methods, and pupillometry. Human participants (20 female, 12 male) were presented with gratings of random orientation. Shortly after viewing the grating, participants reported its orientation and gave their level of confidence in this judgment. Using a probabilistic fMRI decoding technique, we quantified the precision of the stimulus representation in the visual cortex on a trial-by-trial basis. Pupil size was recorded and analyzed to index the observer's arousal state. We found that the precision of the cortical stimulus representation, reported confidence, and variability in the behavioral orientation judgments varied from trial to trial. Interestingly, these trial-by-trial changes in cortical and behavioral precision and confidence were linked to pupil size and its temporal rate of change. Specifically, when the cortical stimulus representation was more precise, the pupil dilated more strongly prior to stimulus onset and remained larger during stimulus presentation. Similarly, stronger pupil dilation during stimulus presentation was associated with higher levels of subjective confidence, a secondary measure of sensory precision, as well as improved behavioral performance. Taken together, our findings support the hypothesis that spontaneous fluctuations in arousal state modulate the fidelity of the stimulus representation in the human visual cortex, with clear consequences for behavior.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Giacometti2024,

title = {Differential functional organization of amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex networks in macaque and human},

author = {Camille Giacometti and Delphine Autran-Clavagnier and Audrey Dureux and Laura Viñales and Franck Lamberton and Emmanuel Procyk and Charles R. E. Wilson and Céline Amiez and Fadila Hadj-Bouziane},

doi = {10.1038/s42003-024-05918-y},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Communications Biology},

volume = {7},

pages = {1–10},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Over the course of evolution, the amygdala (AMG) and medial frontal cortex (mPFC) network, involved in behavioral adaptation, underwent structural changes in the old-world monkey and human lineages. Yet, whether and how the functional organization of this network differs remains poorly understood. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imagery, we show that the functional connectivity (FC) between AMG nuclei and mPFC regions differs between humans and awake macaques. In humans, the AMG-mPFC FC displays U-shaped pattern along the corpus callosum: a positive FC with the ventromedial prefrontal (vmPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a negative FC with the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (MCC), and a positive FC with the posterior MCC. Conversely, in macaques, the negative FC shifted more ventrally at the junction between the vmPFC and the ACC. The functional organization divergence of AMG-mPFC network between humans and macaques might help understanding behavioral adaptation abilities differences in their respective socio-ecological niches.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Grogans2024,

title = {Neuroticism/negative emotionality is associated with increased reactivity to uncertain threat in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, not the amygdala},

author = {Shannon E. Grogans and Juyoen Hur and Matthew G. Barstead and Allegra S. Anderson and Samiha Islam and Hyung Cho Kim and Manuel Kuhn and Rachael M. Tillman and Andrew S. Fox and Jason F. Smith and Kathryn A. DeYoung and Alexander J. Shackman},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1868-23.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {32},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {Neuroticism/negative emotionality (N/NE) - the tendency to experience anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions - is a fundamental dimension of temperament with profound consequences for health, wealth, and well-being. Elevated N/NE is associated with a panoply of adverse outcomes, from reduced socioeconomic attainment to psychiatric illness. Animal research suggests that N/NE reflects heightened reactivity to uncertain threat in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce), but the relevance of these discoveries to humans has remained unclear. Here we used a novel combination of psychometric, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to test this hypothesis in an ethnoracially diverse, sex-balanced sample of 220 emerging adults selectively recruited to encompass a broad spectrum of N/NE. Cross-validated robust-regression analyses demonstrated that N/NE is preferentially associated with heightened BST activation during the uncertain anticipation of a genuinely distressing threat (aversive multimodal stimulation), whereas N/NE was unrelated to BST activation during certain-threat anticipation, Ce activation during either type of threat anticipation, or BST/Ce reactivity to threat-related faces. It is often assumed that different threat paradigms are interchangeable assays of individual differences in brain function, yet this has rarely been tested. Our results revealed negligible associations between BST/Ce reactivity to the anticipation of threat and the presentation of threat-related faces, indicating that the two tasks are nonfungible. These observations provide a framework for conceptualizing emotional traits and disorders; for guiding the design and interpretation of biobank and other neuroimaging studies of psychiatric risk, disease, and treatment; and for refining mechanistic research.},

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pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Gu2024,

title = {Onscreen presence of instructors in video lectures affects learners' neural synchrony and visual attention during multimedia learning},

author = {Chanyuan Gu and Yingying Peng and Samuel A. Nastase and Richard E. Mayer and Ping Li},

doi = {10.1073/pnas},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},

volume = {121},

pages = {1–12},

abstract = {COVID- 9 forced students to rely on online learning using multimedia tools, and multimedia learning continues to impact education beyond the pandemic. In this study, we combined behavioral, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging paradigms to identify multimedia learning pro- cesses and outcomes. College students viewed four video lectures including slides with either an onscreen human instructor, an animated instructor, or no onscreen instructor. Brain activity was recorded via fMRI, visual attention was recorded via eye-tracking, and learning outcome was assessed via post-tests. Onscreen presence of instructor, compared with no instructor presence, resulted in superior post-test performance, less visual attention on the slide, more synchronized eye movements during learning, and higher neural synchronization in cortical networks associated with socio-emotional processing and working memory. Individual variation in cognitive and socio- emotional abilities and intersubject neural synchronization revealed different levels of cognitive and socio- emotional processing in different learning conditions. The instructor-present condition evoked increased synchronization, likely reflecting extra pro- cessing demands in attentional control, working memory engagement, and socio-emotional processing. Although human instructors and animated instructors led to comparable learning outcomes, the effects were due to the dynamic interplay of information processing vs. atten- tional distraction. These findings reflect a benefit–cost trade-off where multimedia learning outcome is enhanced only when the cognitive benefits motivated by the social presence of onscreen instructor outweigh the cognitive costs brought about by concurrent attentional distraction unrelated to learning.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Hmamouche2024,

title = {Interpretable prediction of brain activity during conversations from multimodal behavioral signals},

author = {Youssef Hmamouche and Magalie Ochs and Laurent Prévot and Thierry Chaminade},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0284342},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {PLoS ONE},

volume = {19},

number = {3},

pages = {1–23},

abstract = {We present an analytical framework aimed at predicting the local brain activity in uncontrolled experimental conditions based on multimodal recordings of participants' behavior, and its application to a corpus of participants having conversations with another human or a conversational humanoid robot. The framework consists in extracting high-level features from the raw behavioral recordings and applying a dynamic prediction of binarized fMRI-recorded local brain activity using these behavioral features. The objective is to identify behavioral features required for this prediction, and their relative weights, depending on the brain area under investigation and the experimental condition. In order to validate our framework, we use a corpus of uncontrolled conversations of participants with a human or a robotic agent, focusing on brain regions involved in speech processing, and more generally in social interactions. The framework not only predicts local brain activity significantly better than random, it also quantifies the weights of behavioral features required for this prediction, depending on the brain area under investigation and on the nature of the conversational partner. In the left Superior Temporal Sulcus, perceived speech is the most important behavioral feature for predicting brain activity, regardless of the agent, while several features, which differ between the human and robot interlocutors, contribute to the prediction in regions involved in social cognition, such as the TemporoParietal Junction. This framework therefore allows us to study how multiple behavioral signals from different modalities are integrated in individual brain regions during complex social interactions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ip2024,

title = {The relationship between visual acuity loss and GABAergic inhibition in amblyopia},

author = {I. Betina Ip and William T. Clarke and Abigail Wyllie and Kathleen Tracey and Jacek Matuszewski and Saad Jbabdia and Lucy Starling and Sophie Templer and Hanna Willis and Laura Breach and Andrew J. Parker and Holly Bridge},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {Early childhood experience alters visual development, a process exemplified by amblyopia, a common neurodevelopmental condition resulting in cortically reduced vision in one eye. Visual deficits in amblyopia may be a consequence of abnormal suppressive interactions in the primary visual cortex by inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). We examined the relationship between visual acuity loss and GABA+ in adult human participants with amblyopia. Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data were collected from the early visual cortex (EVC) and posterior cingulate cortex (control region) of 28 male and female adults with current or past amblyopia while they viewed flashing checkerboards monocularly, binocularly, or while they had their eyes closed. First, we compared GABA+ concentrations between conditions to evaluate suppressive binocular interactions. Then, we correlated the degree of visual acuity loss with GABA+ levels to test whether GABAergic inhibition could explain visual acuity deficits. Visual cortex GABA+ was not modulated by viewing condition, and we found weak evidence for a negative correlation between visual acuity deficits and GABA+. These findings suggest that reduced vision in one eye due to amblyopia is not strongly linked to GABAergic inhibition in the visual cortex. We advanced our understanding of early experience dependent plasticity in the human brain by testing the association between visual acuity deficits and visual cortex GABA in amblyopes of the most common subtypes. Our study shows that the relationship was not as clear as expected and provides avenues for future investigation.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ischebecka2024,

title = {Fixating targets in visual search: The role of dorsal and ventral attention networks in the processing of relevance and rarity},

author = {Anja Ischebecka and Hannah Kreilinger and Joe Peiris Miller and Margit Höfler and Iain D. Gilchristd and Christof Körner},

doi = {10.1162/imag},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–16},

abstract = {The dorsal attention network, often observed to be activated in serial visual search tasks, has been associated with goal-directed attention, responsible for the processing of task relevance. In serial visual search, the moment of target detection constitutes not only a task- relevant event, but also a rare event. In the present fMRI experiment, we disentangled task relevance from item rarity using a fixation-based analysis approach. We used a multiple target search task, and participants had to report the number of targets among distractors in the display. We had also added rare distractors to the displays. We found that rare events (targets and rare distractors) activated the dorsal attention network more strongly than common distractors. More importantly, we observed that the left IPS and the left insula, belonging to the dorsal and ventral attention system, respectively, were more strongly activated for targets compared to rare distractors. Using multi- voxel pattern analysis, we found that activation in the TPJ, bilaterally, an area also associated with the ventral attention system, distinguished between target and rare distractor fixations. These results point to an expanded role of the TPJ that seems to process post- perceptual information which is linked to task relevance.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Jellestad2024,

title = {Atypical attention and saccade vigor in post-traumatic stress disorder},

author = {Lena Jellestad and Thomas Zeffiro and Hanspeter Mörgeli and Marco Piccirelli and Assia Jaillard and Patrick Pasi and Naomi Ruth Shepherd and Christoph Mueller-Pfeiffer},

doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.07.035},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research},

volume = {177},

pages = {361–367},

abstract = {Effective attention control is essential for behavioral adaptation to different environmental contexts. In Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) altered attention has been described in trauma-related and other emotional contexts. Nevertheless, atypical attention is also seen with neutral stimuli. The mechanisms of attention alterations in PTSD associated with neutral stimuli are poorly understood. The present study investigates alerting and orienting responses in PTSD participants using emotionally neutral stimuli in a saccade eye movement task incorporating both spatially predictable and temporally unpredictable conditions. We studied 23 PTSD patients and 27 Non-PTSD controls, using repeated-measures mixed modeling to estimate group and task condition differences in behavioral and psychophysiological measures. We explored the relationships among saccade characteristics, pupil size, and PTSD symptoms, including CAPS hypervigilance scores. PTSD, compared to Non-PTSD, participants showed differences in their saccade ‘main sequence', reflected by higher peak velocities adjusted for amplitude. PTSD participants had smaller primary position errors in the unpredictable saccade condition. They also exhibited greater hyperarousal, reflected by larger pupil size during fixation that was greater in the unpredictable condition. Our results suggest that a heightened state of arousal and hypervigilance in PTSD leads to a state of atypical attention bias, even in emotionally neutral contexts. These differences may reflect higher saccade vigor. The observed differences suggest atypical attention in PTSD, which goes beyond possible distraction associated with emotional or threat-related stimuli.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Keidel2024a,

title = {The date/delay effect in intertemporal choice: A combined fMRI and eye-tracking study},

author = {Kristof Keidel and Rebekka Schröder and Peter Trautner and Alexander Radbruch and Carsten Murawski and Ulrich Ettinger},

doi = {10.1002/hbm.26585},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Human Brain Mapping},

volume = {45},

number = {3},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {Temporal discounting, the tendency to devalue future rewards as a function of delay until receipt, is influenced by time framing. Specifically, discount rates are shallower when the time at which the reward is received is presented as a date (date condition; e.g., June 8, 2023) rather than in delay units (delay condition; e.g., 30 days), which is commonly referred to as the date/delay effect. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms of this effect are not well understood. Here, we examined the date/delay effect by analysing combined fMRI and eye-tracking data of N = 31 participants completing a temporal discounting task in both a delay and a date condition. The results confirmed the date/delay effect and revealed that the date condition led to higher fixation durations on time attributes and to higher activity in precuneus/PCC and angular gyrus, that is, areas previously associated with episodic thinking. Additionally, participants made more comparative eye movements in the date compared to the delay condition. A lower date/delay effect was associated with higher prefrontal activity in the date > delay contrast, suggesting that higher control or arithmetic operations may reduce the date/delay effect. Our findings are in line with hypotheses positing that the date condition is associated with differential time estimation and the use of more comparative as opposed to integrative choice strategies. Specifically, higher activity in memory-related brain areas suggests that the date condition leads to higher perceived proximity of delayed rewards, while higher frontal activity (middle/superior frontal gyrus, posterior medial frontal cortex, cingulate) in participants with a lower date/delay effect suggests that the effect is particularly pronounced in participants avoiding complex arithmetic operations in the date condition.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Klaassen2024,

title = {The neurocomputational link between defensive cardiac states and approach-avoidance arbitration under threat},

author = {Felix H. Klaassen and Lycia D. Voogd and Anneloes M. Hulsman and Jill X. O'Reilly and Floris Klumpers and Bernd Figner and Karin Roelofs},

doi = {10.1038/s42003-024-06267-6},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Communications Biology},

volume = {7},

pages = {1–15},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Avoidance, a hallmark of anxiety-related psychopathology, often comes at a cost; avoiding threat may forgo the possibility of a reward. Theories predict that optimal approach-avoidance arbitration depends on threat-induced psychophysiological states, like freezing-related bradycardia. Here we used model-based fMRI analyses to investigate whether and how bradycardia states are linked to the neurocomputational underpinnings of approach-avoidance arbitration under varying reward and threat magnitudes. We show that bradycardia states are associated with increased threat-induced avoidance and more pronounced reward-threat value comparison (i.e., a stronger tendency to approach vs. avoid when expected reward outweighs threat). An amygdala-striatal-prefrontal circuit supports approach-avoidance arbitration under threat, with specific involvement of the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) in integrating reward-threat value and bradycardia states. These findings highlight the role of human freezing states in value-based decision making, relevant for optimal threat coping. They point to a specific role for amygdala/dACC in state-value integration under threat.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kliger2024,

title = {Distinct yet proximal face- and body-selective brain regions enable clutter-tolerant representations of the face, body, and whole person},

author = {Libi Kliger and Galit Yovel},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1871-23.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {24},

pages = {1–13},

abstract = {Faces and bodies are processed in separate but adjacent regions in the primate visual cortex. Yet, the functional significance of dividing the whole person into areas dedicated to its face and body components and their neighboring locations remains unknown. Here we hypothesized that this separation and proximity together with a normalization mechanism generate clutter-tolerant representations of the face, body, and whole person when presented in complex multi-category scenes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a fMRI study, presenting images of a person within a multi-category scene to human male and female participants and assessed the contribution of each component to the response to the scene. Our results revealed a clutter-tolerant representation of the whole person in areas selective for both faces and bodies, typically located at the border between the two category-selective regions. Regions exclusively selective for faces or bodies demonstrated clutter-tolerant representations of their preferred category, corroborating earlier findings. Thus, the adjacent locations of face- and body-selective areas enable a hardwired machinery for decluttering of the whole person, without the need for a dedicated population of person-selective neurons. This distinct yet proximal functional organization of category-selective brain regions enhances the representation of the socially significant whole person, along with its face and body components, within multi-category scenes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kosakowski2024,

title = {Human striatal association megaclusters},

author = {Heather L. Kosakowski and Noam Saadon-Grosman and Jingnan Du and Mark C. Eldaief and Randy L. Buckner},

doi = {10.1152/jn.00387.2023},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Neurophysiology},

volume = {131},

number = {6},

pages = {1083–1100},

abstract = {The striatum receives projections from multiple regions of the cerebral cortex consistent with the role of the basal ganglia in diverse motor, affective, and cognitive functions. Within the striatum, the caudate receives projections from association cortex, including multiple distinct regions of prefrontal cortex. Building on recent insights about the details of how juxtaposed cortical networks are specialized for distinct aspects of higher-order cognition, we revisited caudate organization using within-individual precision neuroimaging initially in two intensively scanned individuals (each scanned 31 times). Results revealed that the caudate has side-by-side regions that are coupled to at least five distinct distributed association networks, paralleling the organization observed in the cerebral cortex. We refer to these spatial groupings of regions as striatal association megaclusters. Correlation maps from closely juxtaposed seed regions placed within the megaclusters recapitulated the five distinct cortical networks, including their multiple spatially distributed regions. Striatal association megaclusters were explored in 15 additional participants (each scanned at least 8 times), finding that their presence generalizes to new participants. Analysis of the laterality of the regions within the megaclusters further revealed that they possess asymmetries paralleling their cortical counterparts. For example, caudate regions linked to the language network were left lateralized. These results extend the general notion of parallel specialized basal ganglia circuits with the additional discovery that, even within the caudate, there is fine-grained separation of multiple distinct higher-order networks that reflects the organization and lateralization found in the cerebral cortex.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rajimehr2024,

title = {Functional architecture of cerebral cortex during naturalistic movie watching},

author = {Reza Rajimehr and Haoran Xu and Asa Farahani and Simon Kornblith and John Duncan and Robert Desimone},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2024.10.005},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Neuron},

volume = {112},

number = {24},

pages = {4130–4146},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {Characterizing the functional organization of cerebral cortex is a fundamental step in understanding how different kinds of information are processed in the brain. However, it is still unclear how these areas are organized during naturalistic visual and auditory stimulation. Here, we used high-resolution functional MRI data from 176 human subjects to map the macro-architecture of the entire cerebral cortex based on responses to a 60-min audiovisual movie stimulus. A data-driven clustering approach revealed a map of 24 functional areas/networks, each explicitly linked to a specific aspect of sensory or cognitive processing. Novel features of this map included an extended scene-selective network in the lateral prefrontal cortex, separate clusters responsive to human-object and human-human interaction, and a push-pull interaction between three executive control (domain-general) networks and domain-specific regions of the visual, auditory, and language cortex. Our cortical parcellation provides a comprehensive and unified map of functionally defined areas in the human cerebral cortex.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RaneLevendovszky2024,

title = {Preliminary investigations into human neurofluid transport using multiple novel non-contrast MRI methods},

author = {Swati Rane Levendovszky and Jaqueline Flores and Elaine R. Peskind and Lena Václavů and Matthias J. P. Osch and Jeffrey Iliff},

doi = {10.1177/0271678X241264407},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism},

volume = {44},

number = {12},

pages = {1580–1592},

abstract = {We discuss two potential non-invasive MRI methods to study phenomena related to subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) motion and perivascular fluid transport, and their association with sleep and aging. We apply diffusion-based intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging to evaluate pseudodiffusion coefficient, D*, or CSF movement across large spaces like the subarachnoid space (SAS). We also performed perfusion-based multi-echo, Hadamard encoded arterial spin labeling (ASL) to evaluate whole brain cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF) and trans-endothelial exchange (Tex) of water from the vasculature into the perivascular space and parenchyma. Both methods were used in young adults (N = 9, 6 F, 23 ± 3 years old) in the setting of sleep and sleep deprivation. To study aging, 10 older adults (6 F, 67 ± 3 years old) were imaged after a night of normal sleep and compared with the young adults. D* in SAS was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced with sleep deprivation (0.016 ± 0.001 mm2/s) compared to normal sleep (0.018 ± 0.001 mm2/s) and marginally reduced with aging (0.017 ± 0.001 mm2/s},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Riley2024,

title = {Nonlinear changes in pupillary attentional orienting responses across the lifespan},

author = {Elizabeth Riley and Hamid Turker and Dongliang Wang and Khena M. Swallow and Adam K. Anderson and Eve De Rosa},

doi = {10.1007/s11357-023-00834-1},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {GeroScience},

volume = {46},

number = {1},

pages = {1017–1033},

publisher = {Springer International Publishing},

abstract = {The cognitive aging process is not necessarily linear. Central task-evoked pupillary responses, representing a brainstem-pupil relationship, may vary across the lifespan. Thus we examined, in 75 adults ranging in age from 19 to 86, whether task-evoked pupillary responses to an attention task may serve in as an index of cognitive aging. This is because the locus coeruleus (LC), located in the brainstem, is not only among the earliest sites of degeneration in pathological aging, but also supports both attentional and pupillary behaviors. We assessed brief, task-evoked phasic attentional orienting to behaviorally relevant and irrelevant auditory tones, stimuli known specifically to recruit the LC in the brainstem and evoke pupillary responses. Due to potential nonlinear changes across the lifespan, we used a novel data-driven analysis on 6 dynamic pupillary behaviors on 10% of the data to reveal cut off points that best characterized the three age bands: young (19–41 years old), middle aged (42–68 years old), and older adults (69 + years old). Follow-up analyses on independent data, the remaining 90%, revealed age-related changes such as monotonic decreases in tonic pupillary diameter and dynamic range, along with curvilinear phasic pupillary responses to the behaviorally relevant target events, increasing in the middle-aged group and then decreasing in the older group. Additionally, the older group showed decreased differentiation of pupillary responses between target and distractor events. This pattern is consistent with potential compensatory LC activity in midlife that is diminished in old age, resulting in decreased adaptive gain. Beyond regulating responses to light, pupillary dynamics reveal a nonlinear capacity for neurally mediated gain across the lifespan, thus providing evidence in support of the LC adaptive gain hypothesis.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{SaadonGrosman2024,

title = {Within-individual organization of the human cognitive cerebellum: Evidence for closely juxtaposed, functionally specialized regions},

author = {Noam Saadon-Grosman and Jingnan Du and Heather L. Kosakowski and Peter A. Angeli and Lauren M. DiNicola and Mark C. Eldaief and Randy L. Buckner},

doi = {10.1101/2023.12.18.572062},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Science Advances},

volume = {4037},

pages = {1–17},

abstract = {The human cerebellum possesses multiple regions linked to cerebral association cortex. Here we mapped the cerebellum using precision functional MRI within individual participants (N=15), first estimating regions using connectivity and then prospectively testing functional properties using independent task data. Network estimates in all participants revealed a Crus I / II cerebellar megacluster of five higher-order association networks often with multiple, discontinuous regions for the same network. Seed regions placed within the megaclusters, including the disjointed regions, yielded spatially selective networks in the cerebral cortex. Compelling evidence for functional specialization within the cerebellar megaclusters emerged from the task responses. Reflecting functional distinctions found in the cerebrum, domain-flexible cerebellar regions involved in cognitive control dissociated from distinct domain-specialized regions with differential responses to language, social, and spatial / episodic task demands. These findings provide a clear demonstration that the cerebellum encompasses multiple zones dedicated to cognition, featuring juxtaposed regions specialized for distinct processing domains.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Selvan2024,

title = {Updating predictions in a complex repertoire of actions and its neural representation},

author = {Rosari Naveena Selvan and Minghao Cheng and Sophie Siestrup and Falko Mecklenbrauck and Benjamin Jainta and Jennifer Pomp and Anoushiravan Zahedi and Minija Tamosiunaite and Florentin Wörgötter and Ricarda I. Schubotz},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120687},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {NeuroImage},

volume = {296},

pages = {1–11},

abstract = {Even though actions we observe in everyday life seem to unfold in a continuous manner, they are automatically divided into meaningful chunks, that are single actions or segments, which provide information for the formation and updating of internal predictive models. Specifically, boundaries between actions constitute a hub for predictive processing since the prediction of the current action comes to an end and calls for updating of predictions for the next action. In the current study, we investigated neural processes which characterize such boundaries using a repertoire of complex action sequences with a predefined probabilistic structure. Action sequences consisted of actions that started with the hand touching an object (T) and ended with the hand releasing the object (U). These action boundaries were determined using an automatic computer vision algorithm. Participants trained all action sequences by imitating demo videos. Subsequently, they returned for an fMRI session during which the original action sequences were presented in addition to slightly modified versions thereof. Participants completed a post-fMRI memory test to assess the retention of original action sequences. The exchange of individual actions, and thus a violation of action prediction, resulted in increased activation of the action observation network and the anterior insula. At U events, marking the end of an action, increased brain activation in supplementary motor area, striatum, and lingual gyrus was indicative of the retrieval of the previously encoded action repertoire. As expected, brain activation at U events also reflected the predefined probabilistic branching structure of the action repertoire. At T events, marking the beginning of the next action, midline and hippocampal regions were recruited, reflecting the selected prediction of the unfolding action segment. In conclusion, our findings contribute to a better understanding of the various cerebral processes characterizing prediction during the observation of complex action repertoires.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Siegel2024,

title = {Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain},

author = {Joshua S. Siegel and Subha Subramanian and Demetrius Perry and Benjamin P. Kay and Evan M. Gordon and Timothy O. Laumann and T. Rick Reneau and Nicholas V. Metcalf and Ravi V. Chacko and Caterina Gratton and Christine Horan and Samuel R. Krimmel and Joshua S. Shimony and Julie A. Schweiger and Dean F. Wong and David A. Bender and Kristen M. Scheidter and Forrest I. Whiting and Jonah A. Padawer-Curry and Russell T. Shinohara and Yong Chen and Julia Moser and Essa Yacoub and Steven M. Nelson and Luca Vizioli and Damien A. Fair and Eric J. Lenze and Robin Carhart-Harris and Charles L. Raison and Marcus E. Raichle and Abraham Z. Snyder and Ginger E. Nicol and Nico U. F. Dosenbach},

doi = {10.1038/s41586-024-07624-5},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature},

volume = {632},

number = {8023},

pages = {131–138},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {A single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic that acutely causes distortions of space–time perception and ego dissolution, produces rapid and persistent therapeutic effects in human clinical trials. In animal models, psilocybin induces neuroplasticity in cortex and hippocampus. It remains unclear how human brain network changes relate to subjective and lasting effects of psychedelics. Here we tracked individual-specific brain changes with longitudinal precision functional mapping (roughly 18 magnetic resonance imaging visits per participant). Healthy adults were tracked before, during and for 3 weeks after high-dose psilocybin (25 mg) and methylphenidate (40 mg), and brought back for an additional psilocybin dose 6–12 months later. Psilocybin massively disrupted functional connectivity (FC) in cortex and subcortex, acutely causing more than threefold greater change than methylphenidate. These FC changes were driven by brain desynchronization across spatial scales (areal, global), which dissolved network distinctions by reducing correlations within and anticorrelations between networks. Psilocybin-driven FC changes were strongest in the default mode network, which is connected to the anterior hippocampus and is thought to create our sense of space, time and self. Individual differences in FC changes were strongly linked to the subjective psychedelic experience. Performing a perceptual task reduced psilocybin-driven FC changes. Psilocybin caused persistent decrease in FC between the anterior hippocampus and default mode network, lasting for weeks. Persistent reduction of hippocampal-default mode network connectivity may represent a neuroanatomical and mechanistic correlate of the proplasticity and therapeutic effects of psychedelics.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Sousa2024,

title = {A human cortical adaptive mutual inhibition circuit underlying competition for perceptual decision and repetition suppression reversal},

author = {Teresa Sousa and Alexandre Sayal and João V. Duarte and Gabriel N. Costa and Miguel Castelo-Branco},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120488},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {NeuroImage},

volume = {285},

pages = {1–10},

abstract = {A model based on inhibitory coupling has been proposed to explain perceptual oscillations. This 'adapting reciprocal inhibition' model postulates that it is the strength of inhibitory coupling that determines the fate of competition between percepts. Here, we used an fMRI-based adaptation technique to reveal the influence of neighboring neuronal populations, such as reciprocal inhibition, in motion-selective hMT+/V5. If reciprocal inhibition exists in this region, the following predictions should hold: 1. stimulus-driven response would not simply decrease, as predicted by simple repetition-suppression of neuronal populations, but instead, increase due to the activity from adjacent populations; 2. perceptual decision involving competing representations, should reflect decreased reciprocal inhibition by adaptation; 3. neural activity for the competing percept should also later on increase upon adaptation. Our results confirm these three predictions, showing that a model of perceptual decision based on adapting reciprocal inhibition holds true. Finally, they also show that the net effect of the well-known repetition suppression phenomenon can be reversed by this mechanism.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Steinberg2024,

title = {Brain representations of motion and position in the double-drift illusion},

author = {Noah J. Steinberg and Zvi N. Roth and J. Anthony Movshon and Elisha Merriam},

doi = {10.7554/eLife.76803},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {eLife},

volume = {13},

pages = {1–16},

abstract = {In the ‘double-drift' illusion, local motion within a window moving in the periphery of the visual field alters the window's perceived path. The illusion is strong even when the eyes track a target whose motion matches the window so that the stimulus remains stable on the retina. This implies that the illusion involves the integration of retinal signals with non-retinal eye-movement signals. To identify where in the brain this integration occurs, we measured BOLD fMRI responses in visual cortex while subjects experienced the double-drift illusion. We then used a combination of univariate and multivariate decoding analyses to identify (1) which brain areas were sensitive to the illusion and (2) whether these brain areas contained information about the illusory stimulus trajectory. We identified a number of cortical areas that responded more strongly during the illusion than a control condition that was matched for low-level stimulus properties. Only in area hMT+ was it possible to decode the illusory trajectory. We additionally performed a number of important controls that rule out possible low-level confounds. Concurrent eye tracking confirmed that subjects accurately tracked the moving target; we were unable to decode the illusion trajectory using eye position measurements recorded during fMRI scanning, ruling out explanations based on differences in oculomotor behavior. Our results provide evidence for a perceptual representation in human visual cortex that incorporates extraretinal information.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Sun2024f,

title = {Free-viewing gaze patterns reveal a mood-congruency bias in MDD during an affective fMRI/eye-tracking task},

author = {Rui Sun and Julia Fietz and Mira Erhart and Dorothee Poehlchen and Lara Henco and Tanja M. Brückl and BeCOME Team and Michael Czisch and Philipp G. Saemann and Victor I. Spoormaker},

doi = {10.1007/s00406-023-01608-8},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience},

volume = {274},

pages = {559–571},

abstract = {Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been related to abnormal amygdala activity during emotional face processing. However, a recent large-scale study (n = 28,638) found no such correlation, which is probably due to the low precision of fMRI measurements. To address this issue, we used simultaneous fMRI and eye-tracking measurements during a commonly employed emotional face recognition task. Eye-tracking provide high-precision data, which can be used to enrich and potentially stabilize fMRI readouts. With the behavioral response, we additionally divided the active task period into a task-related and a free-viewing phase to explore the gaze patterns of MDD patients and healthy controls (HC) and compare their respective neural correlates. Our analysis showed that a mood-congruency attentional bias could be detected in MDD compared to healthy controls during the free-viewing phase but without parallel amygdala disruption. Moreover, the neural correlates of gaze patterns reflected more prefrontal fMRI activity in the free-viewing than the task-related phase. Taken together, spontaneous emotional processing in free viewing might lead to a more pronounced mood-congruency bias in MDD, which indicates that combined fMRI with eye-tracking measurement could be beneficial for our understanding of the underlying psychopathology of MDD in different emotional processing phases. Trial Registration: The BeCOME study is registered on ClinicalTrials (gov: NCT03984084) by the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Thielen2024,

title = {Amodal completion across the brain: The impact of structure and knowledge},

author = {Jordy Thielen and Tessa M. Leeuwen and Simon J. Hazenberg and Anna Z. L. Wester and Floris P. Lange and Rob Lier},

doi = {10.1167/jov.24.6.10},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of vision},

volume = {24},

number = {6},

pages = {10},

abstract = {This study investigates the phenomenon of amodal completion within the context of naturalistic objects, employing a repetition suppression paradigm to disentangle the influence of structure and knowledge cues on how objects are completed. The research focuses on early visual cortex (EVC) and lateral occipital complex (LOC), shedding light on how these brain regions respond to different completion scenarios. In LOC, we observed suppressed responses to structure and knowledge-compatible stimuli, providing evidence that both cues influence neural processing in higher-level visual areas. However, in EVC, we did not find evidence for differential responses to completions compatible or incompatible with either structural or knowledge-based expectations. Together, our findings suggest that the interplay between structure and knowledge cues in amodal completion predominantly impacts higher-level visual processing, with less pronounced effects on the early visual cortex. This study contributes to our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying visual perception and highlights the distinct roles played by different brain regions in amodal completion.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Heide2024,

title = {Propranolol reduces Parkinson's tremor and inhibits tremor-related activity in the motor cortex: A placebo-controlled crossover trial},

author = {Anouk Heide and Maaike Wessel and Danae Papadopetraki and Dirk E. M. Geurts and Teije H. Prooije and Frank Gommans and Bastiaan R. Bloem and Michiel F. Dirkx and Rick C. Helmich},

doi = {10.1002/ana.27159},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Annals of Neurology},

pages = {1–12},

abstract = {Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) resting tremor is thought to be initiated in the basal ganglia and amplified in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit. Because stress worsens tremor, the noradrenergic system may play a role in amplifying tremor. We tested if and how propranolol, a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, reduces PD tremor and whether or not this effect is specific to stressful conditions. Methods: In a cross-over, double-blind intervention study, participants with PD resting tremor received propranolol (40 mg, single dose) or placebo (counter-balanced) on 2 different days. During both days, we assessed tremor severity (with accelerometry) and tremor-related brain activity (with functional magnetic resonance imaging), as well as heart rate and pupil diameter, while subjects performed a stressful cognitive load task that has been linked to the noradrenergic system. We tested for effects of drug (propranolol vs placebo) and stress (cognitive load vs rest) on tremor power and tremor-related brain activity. Results: We included 27 PD patients with prominent resting tremor. Tremor power significantly increased during cognitive load versus rest (F[1,19] = 13.8; p = 0.001; (Formula presented.) = 0.42) and decreased by propranolol versus placebo (F[1,19] = 6.4; p = 0.02; (Formula presented.) = 0.25), but there was no interaction. We observed task-related brain activity in a stress-sensitive cognitive control network and tremor power-related activity in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit. Propranolol significantly reduced tremor-related activity in the motor cortex compared to placebo (F[1,21] = 5.3; p = 0.03; (Formula presented.) = 0.20), irrespective of cognitive load. Interpretation: Our findings indicate that propranolol has a general, context-independent, tremor-reducing effect that may be implemented at the level of the primary motor cortex.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Weber2024,

title = {Working memory signals in early visual cortex are present in weak and strong imagers},

author = {Simon Weber and Thomas Christophel and Kai Görgen and Joram Soch and John-Dylan Haynes},

doi = {10.1002/hbm.26590},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Human Brain Mapping},

volume = {45},

number = {3},

pages = {1–17},

abstract = {It has been suggested that visual images are memorized across brief periods of time by vividly imagining them as if they were still there. In line with this, the contents of both working memory and visual imagery are known to be encoded already in early visual cortex. If these signals in early visual areas were indeed to reflect a combined imagery and memory code, one would predict them to be weaker for individuals with reduced visual imagery vividness. Here, we systematically investigated this question in two groups of participants. Strong and weak imagers were asked to remember images across brief delay periods. We were able to reliably reconstruct the memorized stimuli from early visual cortex during the delay. Importantly, in contrast to the prediction, the quality of reconstruction was equally accurate for both strong and weak imagers. The decodable information also closely reflected behavioral precision in both groups, suggesting it could contribute to behavioral performance, even in the extreme case of completely aphantasic individuals. Our data thus suggest that working memory signals in early visual cortex can be present even in the (near) absence of phenomenal imagery.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Wever2024,

title = {Neural and affective responses to prolonged eye contact with parents in depressed and nondepressed adolescents},

author = {Mirjam C. M. Wever and Geert-Jan Will and Lisanne A. E. M. Houtum and Loes H. C. Janssen and Wilma G. M. Wentholt and Iris M. Spruit and Marieke S. Tollenaar and Bernet M. Elzinga},

doi = {10.3758/s13415-024-01169-w},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience},

volume = {24},

number = {3},

pages = {567–581},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Eye contact improves mood, facilitates connectedness, and is assumed to strengthen the parent–child bond. Adolescent depression is linked to difficulties in social interactions, the parent–child bond included. Our goal was to elucidate adolescents' affective and neural responses to prolonged eye contact with one's parent in nondepressed adolescents (HC) and how these responses are affected in depressed adolescents. While in the scanner, 59 nondepressed and 19 depressed adolescents were asked to make eye contact with their parent, an unfamiliar peer, an unfamiliar adult, and themselves by using videos of prolonged direct and averted gaze, as an approximation of eye contact. After each trial, adolescents reported on their mood and feelings of connectedness, and eye movements and BOLD-responses were assessed. In HCs, eye contact boosted mood and feelings of connectedness and increased activity in inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), temporal pole, and superior frontal gyrus. Unlike HCs, eye contact did not boost the mood of depressed adolescents. While HCs reported increased mood and feelings of connectedness to the sight of their parent versus others, depressed adolescents did not. Depressed adolescents exhibited blunted overall IFG activity. These findings show that adolescents are particularly sensitive to eye contact and respond strongly to the sight of their parents. This sensitivity seems to be blunted in depressed adolescents. For clinical purposes, it is important to gain a better understanding of how the responsivity to eye contact in general and with their parents in particular, can be restored in adolescents with depression.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Alvarez2024,

title = {Effectiveness of treatment for concussion-related convergence insufficiency: The CONCUSS study protocol for a randomized clinical trial},

author = {Tara L. Alvarez and Mitchell Scheiman and Suril Gohel and Farzin Hajebrahimi and Melissa Noble and Ayushi Sangoi and Chang Yaramothu and Christina L. Master and Arlene Goodman},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0314027},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {PloS ONE},

volume = {19},

number = {11},

pages = {1–23},

abstract = {PURPOSE: To describe CONCUSS, a randomized clinical trial (RCT) designed to compare the following: the effectiveness of immediate office-based vergence/accommodative therapy with movement (OBVAM) to delayed OBVAM as treatments for concussion-related convergence insufficiency (CONC-CI) to understand the impact of time (watchful waiting), the effect of OBVAM dosage (12 versus 16 therapy sessions), and to investigate the underlying neuro-mechanisms of OBVAM on CONC-CI participants. METHODS: CONCUSS is an RCT indexed on https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05262361 enrolling 100 participants aged 11-25 years with medically diagnosed concussion, persistent post-concussive symptoms 4-24 weeks post-injury, and symptomatic convergence insufficiency. Participants will receive standard concussion care and will be randomized to either immediate OBVAM or delayed (by six weeks) OBVAM. At the Outcome 1 examination (week 7), clinical assessments of success as determined by changes in the near point of convergence (NPC), positive fusional vergence (PFV), and symptoms will be compared between the two treatment groups. After the Outcome 1 visit, those in the delayed group receive 16 visits of OBVAM, while those in the immediate OBVAM group receive four more therapy visits. Outcome 2 assessment will be used to compare both groups after participants receive 16 sessions of OBVAM. The primary measure is the between-group differences of the composite change in the NPC and PFV at the Outcome 1 visit. Secondary outcome measures include individual clinical measures, objective eye-tracking parameters, and functional brain imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Major features of the study design include formal definitions of conditions and outcomes, standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols, a delayed treatment arm, masked outcome examinations, and the incorporation of objective eye movement recording and brain imaging as outcome measures. CONCUSS will establish best practices in the clinical care of CONC-CI. The objective eye movement and brain imaging, correlated with the clinical signs and symptoms, will determine the neuro-mechanisms of OBVAM on CONC-CI.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Anderson2024,

title = {fMRI and gene therapy in adults with CNGB3 mutation},

author = {Elaine J. Anderson and Tessa M. Dekker and Mahtab Farahbakhsh and Nashila Hirji and D. Samuel Schwarzkopf and Michel Michaelides and Geraint Rees},

doi = {10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.111026},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Brain Research Bulletin},

volume = {215},

pages = {1–10},

publisher = {Elsevier Inc.},

abstract = {Achromatopsia is an inherited retinal disease that affects 1 in 30,000–50,000 individuals and is characterised by an absence of functioning cone photoreceptors from birth. This results in severely reduced visual acuity, no colour vision, marked sensitivity to light and involuntary oscillations of the eyes (nystagmus). In most cases, a single gene mutation prevents normal development of cone photoreceptors, with mutations in the CNGB3 or CNGA3 gene being responsible for ∼80 % of all patients with achromatopsia. There are a growing number of studies investigating recovery of cone function after targeted gene therapy. These studies have provided some promise for patients with the CNGA3 mutation, but thus far have found limited or no recovery for patients with the CNGB3 mutation. Here, we developed colour-calibrated visual stimuli designed to isolate cone photoreceptor responses. We combined these with adapted fMRI techniques and pRF mapping to identify if cortical responses to cone-driven signals could be detected in 9 adult patients with the CNGB3 mutation after receiving gene therapy. We did not detect any change in brain activity after gene therapy when the 9 patients were analysed as a group. However, on an individual basis, one patient self-reported a change in colour perception, corroborated by improved performance on a psychophysical task designed to selectively identify cone function. This suggests a level of cone sensitivity that was lacking pre-treatment, further supported by a subtle but reliable change in cortical activity within their primary visual cortex.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Azadi2024a,

title = {Inactivation of face-selective neurons alters eye movements when free viewing faces},

author = {Reza Azadi and Emily Lopez and Jessica Taubert and Amanda Patterson and Arash Afraz},

doi = {10.1073/pnas},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},

volume = {121},

number = {3},

pages = {1–10},

abstract = {During free viewing, faces attract gaze and induce specific fixation patterns corresponding to the facial features. This suggests that neurons encoding the facial features are in the causal chain that steers the eyes. However, there is no physiological evidence to support a mechanistic link between face- encoding neurons in high- level visual areas and the oculo- motor system. In this study, we targeted the middle face patches of the inferior temporal (IT) cortex in two macaque monkeys using an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) localizer. We then utilized muscimol microinjection to unilaterally suppress IT neural activity inside and outside the face patches and recorded eye movements while the animals free viewing natural scenes. Inactivation of the face- selective neurons altered the pattern of eye movements on faces: The monkeys found faces in the scene but neglected the eye contralateral to the inactivation hemisphere. These findings reveal the causal contribution of the high- level visual cortex in eye movements.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{BachaTrams2024,

title = {Sisterhood predicts similar neural processing of a film},

author = {Mareike Bacha-Trams and Gökce Ertas Yorulmaz and Enrico Glerean and Elisa Ryyppö and Karoliina Tapani and Eero Virmavirta and Jenni Saaristo and Iiro P. Jääskeläinen and Mikko Sams},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120712},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {NeuroImage},

volume = {297},

pages = {1–14},

abstract = {Relationships between humans are essential for how we see the world. Using fMRI, we explored the neural basis of homophily, a sociological concept that describes the tendency to bond with similar others. Our comparison of brain activity between sisters, friends and acquaintances while they watched a movie, indicate that sisters' brain activity is more similar than that of friends and friends' activity is more similar than that of acquaintances. The increased similarity in brain activity measured as inter-subject correlation (ISC) was found both in higher-order brain areas including the default-mode network (DMN) and sensory areas. Increased ISC could not be explained by genetic relation between sisters neither by similarities in eye-movements, emotional experiences, and physiological activity. Our findings shed light on the neural basis of homophily by revealing that similarity in brain activity in the DMN and sensory areas is the stronger the closer is the relationship between the people.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Beckers2024,

title = {Impact of repeated short light exposures on sustained pupil responses in an fMRI environment},

author = {Elise Beckers and Islay Campbell and Roya Sharifpour and Ilenia Paparella and Alexandre Berger and Jose Fermin Balda Aizpurua and Ekaterina Koshmanova and Nasrin Mortazavi and Puneet Talwar and Siya Sherif and Heidi I. L. Jacobs and Gilles Vandewalle},

doi = {10.1111/jsr.14085},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Sleep Research},

volume = {33},

number = {4},

pages = {1–14},

abstract = {Light triggers numerous non-image-forming, or non-visual, biological effects. The brain correlates of these non-image-forming effects have been investigated, notably using magnetic resonance imaging and short light exposures varying in irradiance and spectral quality. However, it is not clear whether non-image-forming responses estimation may be biased by having light in sequential blocks, for example, through a potential carryover effect of one light onto the next. We reasoned that pupil light reflex was an easy readout of one of the non-image-forming effects of light that could be used to address this issue. We characterised the sustained pupil light reflex in 13–16 healthy young individuals under short light exposures during three distinct cognitive processes (executive, emotional and attentional). Light conditions pseudo-randomly alternated between monochromatic orange light (0.16 melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance lux) and polychromatic blue-enriched white light of three different levels (37, 92, 190 melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance lux). As expected, higher melanopic irradiance was associated with larger sustained pupil light reflex in each cognitive domain. This result was stable over the light sequence under higher melanopic irradiance levels compared with lower ones. Exploratory frequency-domain analyses further revealed that sustained pupil light reflex was more variable under lower melanopic irradiance levels. Importantly, sustained pupil light reflex varied across tasks independently of the light condition, pointing to a potential impact of light history and/or cognitive context on sustained pupil light reflex. Together, our results emphasise that the distinct contribution and adaptation of the different retinal photoreceptors influence the non-image-forming effects of light and therefore potentially their brain correlates.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bergmann2024,

title = {Cortical depth profiles in primary visual cortex for illusory and imaginary experiences},

author = {Johanna Bergmann and Lucy S. Petro and Clement Abbatecola and Min S. Li and A. Tyler Morgan and Lars Muckli},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-45065-w},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {1–13},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Visual illusions and mental imagery are non-physical sensory experiences that involve cortical feedback processing in the primary visual cortex. Using laminar functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in two studies, we investigate if information about these internal experiences is visible in the activation patterns of different layers of primary visual cortex (V1). We find that imagery content is decodable mainly from deep layers of V1, whereas seemingly ‘real' illusory content is decodable mainly from superficial layers. Furthermore, illusory content shares information with perceptual content, whilst imagery content does not generalise to illusory or perceptual information. Together, our results suggest that illusions and imagery, which differ immensely in their subjective experiences, also involve partially distinct early visual microcircuits. However, overlapping microcircuit recruitment might emerge based on the nuanced nature of subjective conscious experience.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Blanchard2024,

title = {Motivation and pleasure deficits undermine the benefits of social affiliation in psychosis},

author = {Jack J. Blanchard and Jason F. Smith and Melanie E. Bennett and Ryan D. Orth and Christina L. G. Savage and Julie M. McCarthy and James A. Coan and Alexander J. Shackman},

doi = {10.1177/21677026241227886},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Clinical Psychological Science},

volume = {12},

number = {6},

pages = {1195 –1217},

abstract = {In psychotic disorders, motivation and pleasure (MAP) deficits are associated with decreased affiliation and heightened functional impairment. We leveraged a transdiagnostic sample enriched for psychosis and a multimethod approach to test the hypothesis that MAP deficits undermine the stress-buffering benefits of affiliation. Participants completed the social-affiliation-enhancement task (SAET) to cultivate affiliation with an experimental partner. Although the SAET increased perceived affiliation and mood, individuals with greater negative symptoms derived smaller emotional benefits from the partners, as indexed by self-report and facial behavior. We then used the handholding functional MRI paradigm, which combines threat anticipation with affiliative physical contact, to determine whether MAP deficits undermine the social regulation of distress. Individuals with greater MAP deficits showed diminished neural “benefits”—reduced dampening of threat-elicited activation—from affiliative touch in key frontoparietal nodes of the dorsal attention network. In short, MAP symptoms disrupt the emotional and neuroregulatory benefits of affiliation.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bocha2024,

title = {Action observation reveals a network with divergent temporal and parietal cortex engagement in dogs compared with humans},

author = {Magdalena Bocha and Sabrina Karl and Isabella C. Wagnera and Lukas L. Lengersdorff and Ludwig Huberc and Claus Lamm},

doi = {10.1162/imag},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–29},

abstract = {Action observation is a fundamental pillar of social cognition. Neuroimaging research has revealed a human and non-human primate action observation network (AON) encompassing frontotemporoparietal areas with links to the species' imitation tendencies and relative lobe expansion. Dogs (Canis familiaris) have good action perception and imitation skills and a less expanded parietal than temporal cortex, but their AON remains unexplored. We conducted a functional MRI study with 28 dogs and 40 humans and found functionally analogous involvement of somatosensory and temporal brain areas of both species' AONs and responses to transitive and intransitive action observation in line with their imitative skills. Employing a functional localizer, we also identified functionally analogous agent-responsive areas within both species' AONs. However, activation and task-based functional connectivity measures suggested significantly less parietal cortex involvement in dogs than in humans. These findings advance our understanding of the neural bases of action understanding and the convergent evolution of social cognition, with analogies and differences resulting from similar social environments and divergent brain expansion, respectively.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Borovska2024,

title = {Individual gaze shapes diverging neural representations},

author = {Petra Borovska and Benjamin Haas},

doi = {10.1073/pnas},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},

volume = {121},

number = {36},

pages = {1–3},

abstract = {Complex visual stimuli evoke diverse patterns of gaze, but previous research suggests that their neural representations are shared across brains. Here, we used hyperalignment to compare visual responses between observers viewing identical stimuli. We find that individual eye movements enhance cortical visual responses but also lead to representational divergence. Pairwise differences in the spatial distribution of gaze and in semantic salience predict pairwise representational divergence in V1 and inferior temporal cortex, respectively. This suggests that individual gaze sculpts individual visual worlds.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Brendler2024,

title = {Assessing hypo-arousal during reward anticipation with pupillometry in patients with major depressive disorder: replication and correlations with anhedonia},

author = {Andy Brendler and Max Schneider and Immanuel G. Elbau and Rui Sun and Taechawidd Nantawisarakul and Dorothee Pöhlchen and Tanja Brückl and A. K. Brem and E. B. Binder and A. Erhardt and J. Fietz and N. C. Grandi and Y. Kim and S. Ilić-Ćoćić and L. Leuchs and S. Lucae and T. Namendorf and J. Pape and L. Schilbach and I. Mücke-Heim and J. Ziebula and Michael Czisch and Philipp G. Sämann and Michael D. Lee and Victor I. Spoormaker},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-48792-0},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {14},

number = {344},

pages = {1–11},

abstract = {Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating and heterogenous disorder for which there are no approved biomarkers in clinical practice. We recently identified anticipatory hypo-arousal indexed by pupil responses as a candidate mechanism subserving depression symptomatology. Here, we conducted a replication and extension study of these findings. We analyzed a replication sample of 40 unmedicated patients with a diagnosis of depression and 30 healthy control participants, who performed a reward anticipation task while pupil responses were measured. Using a Bayesian modelling approach taking measurement uncertainty into account, we could show that the negative correlation between pupil dilation and symptom load during reward anticipation is replicable within MDD patients, albeit with a lower effect size. Furthermore, with the combined sample of 136 participants (81 unmedicated depressed and 55 healthy control participants), we further showed that reduced pupil dilation in anticipation of reward is inversely associated with anhedonia items of the Beck Depression Inventory in particular. Moreover, using simultaneous fMRI, particularly the right anterior insula as part of the salience network was negatively correlated with depressive symptom load in general and anhedonia items specifically. The present study supports the utility of pupillometry in assessing noradrenergically mediated hypo-arousal during reward anticipation in MDD, a physiological process that appears to subserve anhedonia.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bridge2024,

title = {Neurochemistry and functional connectivity in the brain of people with Charles Bonnet syndrome},

author = {Holly Bridge and Abigail Wyllie and Aaron Kay and Bailey Rand and Lucy Starling and Rebecca S. Millington-Truby and William T. Clarke and Jasleen K. Jolly and I. Betina Ip},

doi = {10.1177/25158414241280201},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Therapeutic Advances in Ophthalmology},

volume = {16},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {Background: Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a condition in which people with vision loss experience complex visual hallucinations. These complex visual hallucinations may be caused by increased excitability in the visual cortex that are present in some people with vision loss but not others. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the visual cortex and CBS. We also tested the relationship among visually evoked responses, functional connectivity, and CBS. Design: This is a prospective, case-controlled, cross-sectional observational study. Methods: We applied 3-Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as task-based and resting state (RS) connectivity functional magnetic resonance imaging in six participants with CBS and six controls without CBS. GABA+ was measured in the early visual cortex (EVC) and in the lateral occipital cortex (LOC). Participants also completed visual acuity and cognitive tests, and the North-East Visual Hallucinations Interview. Results: The two groups were well-matched for age, gender, visual acuity and cognitive scores. There was no difference in GABA+ levels between groups in the visual cortex. Most participants showed the expected blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation to images of objects and the phase-scrambled control. Using a fixed effects analysis, we found that BOLD activation was greater in participants with CBS compared to controls. Analysis of RS connectivity with LOC and EVC showed little difference between groups. A fixed effects analysis showed a correlation between the extent of functional connectivity with LOC and hallucination strength. Conclusion: Overall, our results provide no strong evidence for an association between GABAergic inhibition in the visual cortex and CBS. We only found subtle differences in visual function and connectivity between groups. These findings suggest that the neurochemistry and visual connectivity for people with Charles Bonnet hallucinations are comparable to a sight loss population. Differences between groups may emerge when investigating subtle and transient changes that occur at the time of visual hallucinations.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Brus2024,

title = {Causal phase-dependent control of non-spatial attention in human prefrontal cortex},

author = {Jeroen Brus and Joseph A. Heng and Valeriia Beliaeva and Fabian Gonzalez Pinto and Antonino Mario Cassarà and Esra Neufeld and Marcus Grueschow and Lukas Imbach and Rafael Polanía},

doi = {10.1038/s41562-024-01820-z},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Human Behaviour},

volume = {8},

number = {4},

pages = {743–757},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Non-spatial attention is a fundamental cognitive mechanism that allows organisms to orient the focus of conscious awareness towards sensory information that is relevant to a behavioural goal while shifting it away from irrelevant stimuli. It has been suggested that attention is regulated by the ongoing phase of slow excitability fluctuations of neural activity in the prefrontal cortex, a hypothesis that has been challenged with no consensus. Here we developed a behavioural and non-invasive stimulation paradigm aiming at modulating slow excitability fluctuations of the inferior frontal junction. Using this approach, we show that non-spatial attention can be selectively modulated as a function of the ongoing phase of exogenously modulated excitability states of this brain structure. These results demonstrate that non-spatial attention relies on ongoing prefrontal excitability states, which are probably regulated by slow oscillatory dynamics, that orchestrate goal-oriented behaviour.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Buschermoehle2024,

title = {Comparing the performance of beamformer algorithms in estimating orientations of neural sources},

author = {Yvonne Buschermöhle and Malte B. Höltershinken and Tim Erdbrügger and Jan Ole Radecke and Andreas Sprenger and Till R. Schneider and Rebekka Lencer and Joachim Gross and Carsten H. Wolters},

doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2024.109150},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {iScience},

volume = {27},

number = {3},

pages = {1–21},

abstract = {The efficacy of transcranial electric stimulation (tES) to effectively modulate neuronal activity depends critically on the spatial orientation of the targeted neuronal population. Therefore, precise estimation of target orientation is of utmost importance. Different beamforming algorithms provide orientation estimates; however, a systematic analysis of their performance is still lacking. For fixed brain locations, EEG and MEG data from sources with randomized orientations were simulated. The orientation was then estimated (1) with an EEG and (2) with a combined EEG-MEG approach. Three commonly used beamformer algorithms were evaluated with respect to their abilities to estimate the correct orientation: Unit-Gain (UG), Unit-Noise-Gain (UNG), and Array-Gain (AG) beamformer. Performance depends on the signal-to-noise ratios for the modalities and on the chosen beamformer. Overall, the UNG and AG beamformers appear as the most reliable. With increasing noise, the UG estimate converges to a vector determined by the leadfield, thus leading to insufficient orientation estimates.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Campbell2024d,

title = {Regional response to light illuminance across the human hypothalamus},

author = {Islay Campbell and Roya Sharifpour and Jose Fermin Balda Aizpurua and Elise Beckers and Ilenia Paparella and Alexandre Berger and Ekaterina Koshmanova and Nasrin Mortazavi and John Read and Mikhail Zubkov and Puneet Talwar and Fabienne Collette and Siya Sherif and Christophe Phillips and Laurent Lamalle and Gilles Vandewalle},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {eLife},

volume = {13},

pages = {1–21},

abstract = {Light exerts multiple non-image-forming biological effects on physiology including the stimulation of alertness and cognition. However, the subcortical circuitry underlying the stimulating impact of light is not established in humans. We used 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the impact of variations in light illuminance on the regional activity of the hypothalamus while healthy young adults (N=26; 16 women; 24.3 ± 2.9y) were completing two auditory cognitive tasks. We find that, during both the executive and emotional tasks, higher illuminance triggered an activity increase over the posterior part of the hypothalamus, which includes part of the tuberomamillary nucleus and the posterior part of the lateral hypothalamus. In contrast, increasing illuminance evoked a decrease in activity over the anterior and ventral parts of the hypothalamus, encompassing notably the suprachiasmatic nucleus and another part of the tuberomammillary nucleus. Critically, performance of the executive task was improved under higher illuminance and was negatively correlated with the activity of the posterior hypothalamus area. These findings reveal the distinct local dynamics of different hypothalamus regions that underlie the impact of light on cognition. They may suggest that light acts on the orexin and histamine system to affect the quality of wakefulness. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Cao2024a,

title = {Moral conviction interacts with metacognitive ability in modulating neural activity during sociopolitical decision-making},

author = {Qiongwen Cao and Michael Cohen and Akram Bakkour and Yuan Leong and Jean Decety},

doi = {10.3758/s13415-024-01243-3},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience},

pages = {1–20},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {The extent to which a belief is rooted in one's sense of morality has significant societal implications. While moral convictions can inspire positive collective action, they can also prompt dogmatism, intolerance, and societal divisions. These negative effects may be exacerbated by poor metacognition. There has been extensive research in social psychology about the characteristics of moral convictions, but their neural mechanisms and how they are incorporated into the valuation and decision-making process remain unclear. This study was designed to examine the neural mechanisms of decision-making on sociopolitical issues that vary on moral conviction, as well as how metacognitive abilities relate to these mechanisms. Participants (N = 44) underwent fMRI scanning while deciding on each trial which of two groups of political protesters they supported more. As predicted, stronger moral conviction was related to faster response times. Hemodynamic response in the anterior insula (aINS), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) were elevated during decisions with higher moral conviction level, supporting both the emotional and cognitive dimensions of moral conviction. Functional connectivity between lPFC and vmPFC was also higher on trials higher in moral conviction, elucidating mechanisms through which moral conviction is incorporated into valuation. Support for protesters was positively associated with brain activity in regions involved in valuation (particularly vmPFC and amygdala). Metacognitive sensitivity, measured in a separate perceptual task, negatively correlated with parametric effects of moral conviction in the brain, providing new evidence that metacognition modulates responses to morally convicted issues.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Cecconi2024,

title = {Study protocol: Cerebral characterization of sensory gating in disconnected dreaming states during propofol anesthesia using fMRI},

author = {Benedetta Cecconi and Javier Montupil and Sepehr Mortaheb and Rajanikant Panda and Robert D. Sanders and Christophe Phillips and Naji Alnagger and Emma Remacle and Aline Defresne and Melanie Boly and Mohamed Ali Bahri and Laurent Lamalle and Steven Laureys and Olivia Gosseries and Vincent Bonhomme and Jitka Annen},

doi = {10.3389/fnins.2024.1306344},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},

volume = {18},

pages = {1–14},

abstract = {Background: Disconnected consciousness describes a state in which subjective experience (i.e., consciousness) becomes isolated from the external world. It appears frequently during sleep or sedation, when subjective experiences remain vivid but are unaffected by external stimuli. Traditional methods of differentiating connected and disconnected consciousness, such as relying on behavioral responsiveness or on post-anesthesia reports, have demonstrated limited accuracy: unresponsiveness has been shown to not necessarily equate to unconsciousness and amnesic effects of anesthesia and sleep can impair explicit recollection of events occurred during sleep/sedation. Due to these methodological challenges, our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying sensory disconnection remains limited. Methods: To overcome these methodological challenges, we employ a distinctive strategy by combining a serial awakening paradigm with auditory stimulation during mild propofol sedation. While under sedation, participants are systematically exposed to auditory stimuli and questioned about their subjective experience (to assess consciousness) and their awareness of the sounds (to evaluate connectedness/disconnectedness from the environment). The data collected through interviews are used to categorize participants into connected and disconnected consciousness states. This method circumvents the requirement for responsiveness in assessing consciousness and mitigates amnesic effects of anesthesia as participants are questioned while still under sedation. Functional MRI data are concurrently collected to investigate cerebral activity patterns during connected and disconnected states, to elucidate sensory disconnection neural gating mechanisms. We examine whether this gating mechanism resides at the thalamic level or results from disruptions in information propagation to higher cortices. Furthermore, we explore the potential role of slow-wave activity (SWA) in inducing disconnected consciousness by quantifying high-frequency BOLD oscillations, a known correlate of slow-wave activity. Discussion: This study represents a notable advancement in the investigation of sensory disconnection. The serial awakening paradigm effectively mitigates amnesic effects by collecting reports immediately after regaining responsiveness, while still under sedation. Ultimately, this research holds the potential to understand how sensory gating is achieved at the neural level. These biomarkers might be relevant for the development of sensitive anesthesia monitoring to avoid intraoperative connected consciousness and for the assessment of patients suffering from pathologically reduced consciousness.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Centanino2024,

title = {The neural link between stimulus duration and spatial location in the human visual hierarchy},

author = {Valeria Centanino and Gianfranco Fortunato and Domenica Bueti},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-54336-5},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {1–19},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Integrating spatial and temporal information is essential for our sensory experience. While psychophysical evidence suggests spatial dependencies in duration perception, few studies have directly tested the neural link between temporal and spatial processing. Using ultra-high-field functional MRI and neuronal-based modeling, we investigated how and where the processing and the representation of a visual stimulus duration is linked to that of its spatial location. Our results show a transition in duration coding: from monotonic and spatially-dependent in early visual cortex to unimodal and spatially-invariant in frontal cortex. Along the dorsal visual stream, particularly in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), neuronal populations show common selective responses to both spatial and temporal information. In the IPS, spatial and temporal topographic organizations are also linked, although duration maps are smaller, less clustered, and more variable across participants. These findings help identify the mechanisms underlying human perception of visual duration and characterize the functional link between time and space processing, highlighting the importance of their interactions in shaping brain responses.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chauhan2024,

title = {Reading reshapes stimulus selectivity in the visual word form area},

author = {Vassiki S. Chauhan and Krystal C. McCook and Alex L. White},

doi = {10.1523/ENEURO.0228-24.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {eNeuro},

volume = {11},

number = {7},

pages = {1–20},

abstract = {Reading depends on a brain region known as the “visual word form area” (VWFA) in the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex. This region's function is debated because its stimulus selectivity is not absolute, it is modulated by a variety of task demands, and it is inconsistently localized. We used fMRI to characterize the combination of sensory and cognitive factors that activate word-responsive regions that we precisely localized in 16 adult humans (4 male). We then presented three types of character strings: English words, pseudowords, and unfamiliar characters with matched visual features. Participants performed three different tasks while viewing those stimuli: detecting real words, detecting color in the characters, and detecting color in the fixation mark. There were three primary findings about the VWFA's response: (1) It preferred letter strings over unfamiliar characters even when the stimuli were ignored during the fixation task. (2) Compared with those baseline responses, engaging in the word reading task enhanced the response to words but suppressed the response to unfamiliar characters. (3) Attending to the stimuli to judge their color had little effect on the response magnitudes. Thus, the VWFA is uniquely modulated by a cognitive signal that is specific to voluntary linguistic processing and is not additive. Functional connectivity analyses revealed that communication between the VWFA and a left frontal language area increased when the participant engaged in the linguistic task. We conclude that the VWFA is inherently selective for familiar orthography, but it falls under control of the language network when the task demands it.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Cicero2024,

title = {Differential cortical and subcortical visual processing with eyes shut},

author = {Nicholas G. Cicero and Michaela Klimova and Laura D. Lewis and Sam Ling},

doi = {10.1152/jn.00073.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Neurophysiology},

volume = {132},

number = {1},

pages = {54–60},

abstract = {Closing our eyes largely shuts down our ability to see. That said, our eyelids still pass some light, allowing our visual system to coarsely process information about visual scenes, such as changes in luminance. However, the specific impact of eye closure on processing within the early visual system remains largely unknown. To understand how visual processing is modulated when eyes are shut, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure responses to a flickering visual stimulus at high (100%) and low (10%) temporal contrasts, while participants viewed the stimuli with their eyes open or closed. Interestingly, we discovered that eye closure produced a qualitatively distinct pattern of effects across the visual thalamus and visual cortex. We found that with eyes open, low temporal contrast stimuli produced smaller responses across the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), primary (V1) and extrastriate visual cortex (V2). However, with eyes closed, we discovered that the LGN and V1 maintained similar blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses as the eyes open condition, despite the suppressed visual input through the eyelid. In contrast, V2 and V3 had strongly attenuated BOLD response when eyes were closed, regardless of temporal contrast. Our findings reveal a qualitatively distinct pattern of visual processing when the eyes are closed-one that is not simply an overall attenuation but rather reflects distinct responses across visual thalamocortical networks, wherein the earliest stages of processing preserve information about stimuli but are then gated off downstream in visual cortex.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Clairis2024,

title = {Value estimation versus effort mobilization: A general dissociation between ventromedial and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex},

author = {Nicolas Clairis and Mathias Pessiglione},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1176-23.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {17},

pages = {1–13},

abstract = {Deciding on a course of action requires both an accurate estimation of option values and the right amount of effort invested iwn deliberation to reach sufficient confidence in the final choice. In a previous study, we have provided evidence, across a series of judgment and choice tasks, for a dissociation between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which would represent option values, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which would represent the duration of deliberation. Here, we first replicate this dissociation and extend it to the case of an instrumental learning task, in which 24 human volunteers (13 women) choose between options associated with probabilistic gains and losses. According to fMRI data recorded during decision-making, vmPFC activity reflects the sum of option values generated by a reinforcement learning model and dmPFC activity the deliberation time. To further generalize the role of the dmPFC in mobilizing effort, we then analyze fMRI data recorded in the same participants while they prepare to perform motor and cognitive tasks (squeezing a handgrip or making numerical comparisons) to maximize gains or minimize losses. In both cases, dmPFC activity is associated with the output of an effort regulation model, and not with response time. Taken together, these results strengthen a general theory of behavioral control that implicates the vmPFC in the estimation of option values and the dmPFC in the energization of relevant motor and cognitive processes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Dabbagh2024,

title = {Reliability of task-based fMRI in the dorsal horn of the human spinal cord},

author = {Alice Dabbagh and Ulrike Horn and Merve Kaptan and Toralf Mildner and Roland Müller and Jöran Lepsien and Nikolaus Weiskop and Jonathan C. W. Brooks and Jürgen Finsterbusch and Falk Eippert},

doi = {10.1162/imag},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–27},

abstract = {The application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to the human spinal cord is still a relatively small field of research and faces many challenges. Here we aimed to probe the limitations of task-based spinal fMRI at 3T by investigating the reliability of spinal cord blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to repeated nociceptive stimulation across 2 consecutive days in 40 healthy volunteers. We assessed the test–retest reliability of subjective ratings, autonomic responses, and spinal cord BOLD responses to short heat-pain stimuli (1 s duration) using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). At the group level, we observed robust autonomic responses as well as spatially specific spinal cord BOLD responses at the expected location, but no spatial overlap in BOLD response patterns across days. While autonomic indicators of pain processing showed good-to-excellent reliability, both β-estimates and z-scores of task-related BOLD responses showed poor reliability across days in the target region (gray matter of the ipsilateral dorsal horn). When taking into account the sensitivity of gradient-echo echo planar imaging (GE-EPI) to draining vein signals by including the venous plexus in the analysis, we observed BOLD responses with fair reliability across days. Taken together, these results demonstrate that heat- pain stimuli as short as 1 s are able to evoke a robust and spatially specific BOLD response, which is, however, strongly variable within participants across time, resulting in low reliability in the dorsal horn gray matter. Further improvements in data acquisition and analysis techniques are thus necessary before event-related spinal cord fMRI as used here can be reliably employed in longitudinal designs or clinical settings.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Demiral2024,

title = {Blink-induced changes in pupil dynamics are consistent and heritable},

author = {Şükrü Barış Demiral and Nora D. Volkow},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-024-79527-4},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {14},

number = {1},

pages = {1–13},

abstract = {Pupil size and blink rates are heritable but the extent to which they interact with one another has not been properly investigated. Though changes in pupil size due to eye blinks have been reported, they are considered a pupillary artifact. In this study we used the HCP 7T fMRI dataset with resting state eye-tracking data obtained in monozygotic and dizygotic twins to assess their heritability and their interactions. For this purpose, we characterized the pupil dilation (positive peak) and constriction (negative peak) that followed blink events, which we describe as blink-induced pupillary response (BIPR). We show that the BIPR is highly consistent with a positive dilatory peak (D-peak) around 500ms and a negative constricting peak (C-peak) around 1s. These patterns were reproducible within- and between-subjects across two time points and differed by vigilance state (vigilant versus drowsy). By comparing BIPR between monozygotic and dizygotic twins we show that BIPR have a heritable component with significant additive genetic (A) and environmental (E) factors dominating the structural equation models, particularly in the time-domain for both D- and C-peaks (a2 between 42 and 49%) and shared effects (C) as observed in the amplitude domain for the C-peak. Blink duration, pupil size and blink rate were also found to be highly heritable (a2 up to 62% for pupil size). Our study provides evidence of that shared environmental and additive genetic factors influence BIPR and indicates that BIPR should not be treated as a coincidental artefact. Instead BIPR appears to be a component of a larger oculomotor system that we label here as Oculomotor Adaptive System, that is genetically determined.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Diasa2024,

title = {A chronometric relationship between circuits underlying learning and error monitoring in the basal ganglia and salience network},

author = {Camila Diasa and Teresa Sousa and Miguel Castelo-Branco},

doi = {10.1162/imag},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–16},

abstract = {Healthy individuals readily adjust their behavior in response to errors using learning mechanisms. This raises the question of how error-related neural mechanisms underlie the learning process and its progress. In this study, 21 healthy participants performed a challenging functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task to answer this question. We assessed the evolution of error- related neural response as a function of learning progress. We tested the hypothesis that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and anterior insula, key regions of the error monitoring neural circuitry, reflect both the performance of an action and its improvement. Given the nature of trial- and-error learning, we also expected an involvement of the striatum, particularly the putamen. We found that error-related neural activity (in the dACC and anterior insula) was similar following correct responses and errors in an initial learning period. However, as learning progressed, the activity continuously decreased in response to correct events and increased after errors. In opposition, during the initial learning phase, the putamen activity was modulated by errors, but, as it progressed, this region became unaffected by response outcomes. In sum, our study provides neural evidence for an interaction between the mechanisms underlying error monitoring and learning, contributing to clarifying how error- related neural responses evolve with learning.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Du2024a,

title = {Organization of the human cerebral cortex estimated within individuals: Networks, global topography, and function},

author = {Jingnan Du and Lauren M. DiNicola and Peter A. Angeli and Noam Saadon-Grosman and Wendy Sun and Stephanie Kaiser and Joanna Ladopoulou and Aihuiping Xue and B. T. Thomas Yeo and Mark C. Eldaief and Randy L. Buckner},

doi = {10.1152/jn.00308.2023},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Neurophysiology},

volume = {131},

number = {6},

pages = {1014–1082},

abstract = {The cerebral cortex is populated by specialized regions that are organized into networks. Here we estimated networks from functional MRI (fMRI) data in intensively sampled participants. The procedure was developed in two participants (scanned 31 times) and then prospectively applied to 15 participants (scanned 8–11 times). Analysis of the networks revealed a global organization. Locally organized first-order sensory and motor networks were surrounded by spatially adjacent second-order networks that linked to distant regions. Third-order networks possessed regions distributed widely throughout association cortex. Regions of distinct third-order networks displayed side-by-side juxtapositions with a pattern that repeated across multiple cortical zones. We refer to these as supra-areal association megaclusters (SAAMs). Within each SAAM, two candidate control regions were adjacent to three separate domain-specialized regions. Response properties were explored with task data. The somatomotor and visual networks responded to body movements and visual stimulation, respectively. Second-order networks responded to transients in an oddball detection task, consistent with a role in orienting to salient events. The third-order networks, including distinct regions within each SAAM, showed two levels of functional specialization. Regions linked to candidate control networks responded to working memory load across multiple stimulus domains. The remaining regions dissociated across language, social, and spatial/episodic processing domains. These results suggest that progressively higher-order networks nest outward from primary sensory and motor cortices. Within the apex zones of association cortex, there is specialization that repeatedly divides domain-flexible from domain-specialized regions. We discuss implications of these findings, including how repeating organizational motifs may emerge during development.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Duan2024a,

title = {Visual working memories are abstractions of percepts},

author = {Ziyi Duan and Clayton E. Curtis},

doi = {10.7554/ELIFE.94191},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {eLife},

volume = {13},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {During perception, decoding the orientation of gratings depends on complex interactions between the orientation of the grating, aperture edges, and topographic structure of the visual map. Here, we aimed to test how aperture biases described during perception affect working memory (WM) decoding. For memoranda, we used gratings multiplied by radial and angular modulators to generate orthogonal aperture biases for identical orientations. Therefore, if WM representations are simply maintained sensory representations, they would have similar aperture biases. If they are abstractions of sensory features, they would be unbiased and the modulator would have no effect on orientation decoding. Neural patterns of delay period activity while maintaining the orientation of gratings with one modulator (e.g. radial) were interchangeable with patterns while maintaining gratings with the other modulator (e.g. angular) in visual and parietal cortex, suggesting that WM representations are insensitive to aperture biases during perception. Then, we visualized memory abstractions of stimuli using models of visual field map properties. Regardless of aperture biases, WM representations of both modulated gratings were recoded into a single oriented line. These results provide strong evidence that visual WM representations are abstractions of percepts, immune to perceptual aperture biases, and compel revisions of WM theory.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Eng2024,

title = {Identifying subgroups of urge suppression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder using machine learning},

author = {Goi Khia Eng and Alessandro S. De Nadai and Katherine A. Collins and Nicolette Recchia and Russell H. Tobe and Laura B. Bragdon and Emily R. Stern},

doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.06.052},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research},

volume = {177},

pages = {129–139},

publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},

abstract = {Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is phenomenologically heterogeneous. While predominant models suggest fear and harm prevention drive compulsions, many patients also experience uncomfortable sensory-based urges (“sensory phenomena”) that may be associated with heightened interoceptive sensitivity. Using an urge-to-blink eyeblink suppression paradigm to model sensory-based urges, we previously found that OCD patients as a group had more eyeblink suppression failures and greater activation of sensorimotor-interoceptive regions than controls. However, conventional approaches assuming OCD homogeneity may obscure important within-group variability, impeding precision treatment development. This study investigated the heterogeneity of urge suppression failure in OCD and examined relationships with clinical characteristics and neural activation. Eighty-two patients with OCD and 38 controls underwent an fMRI task presenting 60-s blocks of eyeblink suppression alternating with free-blinking blocks. Latent profile analysis identified OCD subgroups based on number of erroneous blinks during suppression. Subgroups were compared on behavior, clinical characteristics, and brain activation during task. Three patient subgroups were identified. Despite similar overall OCD severity, the subgroup with the most erroneous eyeblinks had the highest sensory phenomena severity, interoceptive sensitivity, and subjective urge intensity. Compared to other subgroups, this subgroup exhibited more neural activity in somatosensory and interoceptive regions during the early phase (first 30 s) of blink suppression and reduced activity in the middle frontal gyrus during the late phase (second 30 s) as the suppression period elapsed. Heterogeneity of urge suppression in OCD was associated with clinical characteristics and brain function. Our results reveal potential treatment targets that could inform personalized medicine.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Fafrowicz2024,

title = {Classification of ROI-based fMRI data in short-term memory tasks using discriminant analysis and neural networks},

author = {Magdalena Fafrowicz and Marcin Tutajewski and Igor Sieradzki and Jeremi K. Ochab and Anna Ceglarek-Sroka and Koryna Lewandowska and Tadeusz Marek and Barbara Sikora-Wachowicz and Igor T. Podolak and Paweł Oświcecimka},

doi = {10.3389/fninf.2024.1480366},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Neuroinformatics},

volume = {18},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {Understanding brain function relies on identifying spatiotemporal patterns in brain activity. In recent years, machine learning methods have been widely used to detect connections between regions of interest (ROIs) involved in cognitive functions, as measured by the fMRI technique. However, it's essential to match the type of learning method to the problem type, and extracting the information about the most important ROI connections might be challenging. In this contribution, we used machine learning techniques to classify tasks in a working memory experiment and identify the brain areas involved in processing information. We employed classical discriminators and neural networks (convolutional and residual) to differentiate between brain responses to distinct types of visual stimuli (visuospatial and verbal) and different phases of the experiment (information encoding and retrieval). The best performance was achieved by the LGBM classifier with 1-time point input data during memory retrieval and a convolutional neural network during the encoding phase. Additionally, we developed an algorithm that took into account feature correlations to estimate the most important brain regions for the model's accuracy. Our findings suggest that from the perspective of considered models, brain signals related to the resting state have a similar degree of complexity to those related to the encoding phase, which does not improve the model's accuracy. However, during the retrieval phase, the signals were easily distinguished from the resting state, indicating their different structure. The study identified brain regions that are crucial for processing information in working memory, as well as the differences in the dynamics of encoding and retrieval processes. Furthermore, our findings indicate spatiotemporal distinctions related to these processes. The analysis confirmed the importance of the basal ganglia in processing information during the retrieval phase. The presented results reveal the benefits of applying machine learning algorithms to investigate working memory dynamics.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Xia2024,

title = {Abnormal occipital and frontal activity during voluntary convergence in intermittent exotropia: A task-fMRI study},

author = {Lin Xia and Yanming Wang and Sha Luo and Yong Zhang and Bensheng Qiu and Xiaoxiao Wang and Lixia Feng},

doi = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26197},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Heliyon},

volume = {10},

number = {5},

pages = {1–7},

publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},

abstract = {Intermittent exotropia (IXT) is characterized by intermittently outward deviation of the eye and involved with vergence dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the brain areas related to voluntary convergence and cortical activation changes between IXT patients and normal subjects. A total of 21 subjects, including 11 IXT patients and 10 age- and sex-matched normal subjects, were recruited for this study. A voluntary convergence task was employed, with changes in brain function measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Correlations between cortical activation and clinical measurements were conducted by Pearson's correlation analysis. fMRI results showed that during voluntary convergence, the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and bilateral occipital cortex were activated in the normal group, whereas only activation of the occipital cortex in IXT patients. Compared with the normal, IXT patients showed hypo-activation of both the MFG and cuneus during the task. The activation of MFG was negatively correlated to the duration of IXT. This study demonstrates that both MFG and occipital cortex may participate in voluntary convergence in normal subjects, while IXT patients have an aberrant cortical function of the MFG and cuneus, and the duration of IXT likely influences the severity of MFG. These findings may provide valuable insights for understanding the relationship between convergence and IXT.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ylinen2024,

title = {Attenuated processing of task-irrelevant speech and other auditory stimuli: fMRI evidence from arithmetic tasks},

author = {Artturi Ylinen and Minna Hannula-Sormunen and Jake McMullen and Erno Lehtinen and Patrik Wikman and Kimmo Alho},

doi = {10.1111/ejn.16616},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {European Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {60},

pages = {7124–7147},

abstract = {When performing cognitive tasks in noisy conditions, the brain needs to maintain task performance while additionally controlling the processing of task-irrelevant and potentially distracting auditory stimuli. Previous research indicates that a fundamental mechanism by which this control is achieved is the attenuation of task-irrelevant processing, especially in conditions with high task demands. However, it remains unclear whether the processing of complex naturalistic sounds can be modulated as easily as that of simpler ones. To address this issue, the present fMRI study examined whether activity related to task-irrelevant meaningful speech is attenuated similarly as that related to meaningless control sounds (nonsense speech and noise-vocoded, unintelligible sounds). The sounds were presented concurrently with three numerical tasks varying in difficulty: an easy control task requiring no calculation, a ‘routine' arithmetic calculation task and a more demanding ‘creative' arithmetic task, where solutions are generated to reach a given answer. Consistent with their differing difficulty, the tasks activated fronto-parieto-temporal regions parametrically (creative > routine > control). In bilateral auditory regions, activity related to the speech stimuli decreased as task demands increased. Importantly, however, the attenuation was more pronounced for meaningful than nonsense speech, demonstrating that distractor type can strongly modulate the extent of the attenuation. This also suggests that semantic processing may be especially susceptible to attenuation under conditions with increased task demands. Finally, as this is the first study to utilize the ‘creative' arithmetic task, we conducted exploratory analyses to examine its potential in assessing neural processes involved in mathematical problem-solving beyond routine arithmetic.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Zhong2024,

title = {Assessment of the macrovascular contribution to resting-state fMRI functional connectivity at 3 Tesla},

author = {Xiaole Z. Zhong and Yunjie Tong and J. Jean Chen and Xiaole Z. Zhonga and Yunjie Tong and J. Jean Chen},

doi = {10.1162/imag},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–23},

abstract = {In resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) functional connectivity (FC) mapping, temporal correlation is widely assumed to reflect synchronized neural-related activity. Although a large number of studies have demonstrated the potential vascular effects on FC, little research has been conducted on FC resulting from macrovascular signal fluctuations. Previously, our study found (Tong, Yao, et al., 2019) a robust anti-correlation between the fMRI signals in the internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein (and the sagittal sinus). The present study extends the previous study to include all detectable major veins and arteries in the brain in a systematic analysis of the macrovascular contribution to the functional connectivity of the whole-gray matter (GM). This study demonstrates that: (1) The macrovasculature consistently exhibited strong correlational connectivity among itself, with the sign of the correlations varying between arterial and venous connectivity; (2) GM connectivity was found to have a strong macrovascular contribution, stronger from veins than arteries; (3) FC originating from the macrovasculature displayed disproportionately high spatial variability compared to that associated with all GM voxels; and (4) macrovascular contributions to connectivity were still evident well beyond the confines of the macrovascular space. These findings highlight the extensive contribution to rs-fMRI blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) and FC predominantly by large veins, but also by large arteries. These findings pave the way for future studies aimed at more comprehensively modeling and thereby removing these macrovascular contributions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Zhong2024a,

title = {Predicting the macrovascular contribution to resting-state fMRI functional connectivity at 3 Tesla: A model-informed approach},

author = {Xiaole Z Zhong and Jonathan R. Polimenic and J. Jean Chen},

doi = {10.1162/imag},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Imaging Neuroscience},

volume = {2},

pages = {1–22},

abstract = {Macrovascular biases have been a long-standing challenge for fMRI, limiting its ability to detect spatially specific neural activity. Recent experimental studies, including our own (Huck et al., 2023; Zhong et al., 2023), found substantial resting-state macrovascular BOLD fMRI contributions from large veins and arteries, extending into the perivascular tissue at 3 T and 7 T. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of predicting, using a biophysical model, the experimental resting-state BOLD fluctuation amplitude (RSFA) and associated functional connectivity (FC) values at 3 Tesla. We investigated the feasibility of both 2D and 3D infinite-cylinder models as well as macrovascular anatomical networks (mVANs) derived from angiograms. Our results demonstrate that: 1) with the availability of mVANs, it is feasible to model macrovascular BOLD FC using both the mVAN-based model and 3D infinite-cylinder models, though the former performed better; 2) biophysical modelling can accurately predict the BOLD pairwise correlation near to large veins (with R 2 ranging from 0.53 to 0.93 across different subjects), but not near to large arteries; 3) compared with FC, biophysical modelling provided less accurate predictions for RSFA; 4) modelling of perivascular BOLD connectivity was feasible at close distances from veins (with R 2 ranging from 0.08 to 0.57), but not arteries, with performance deteriorating with increasing distance. While our current study demonstrates the feasibility of simulating macrovascular BOLD in the resting state, our methodology may also apply to understanding task-based BOLD. Furthermore, these results suggest the possibility of correcting for macrovascular bias in resting-state fMRI and other types of fMRI using biophysical modelling based on vascular anatomy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{AlDahhan2024,

title = {Compensatory mechanisms amidst demyelinating disorders: Insights into cognitive preservation},

author = {Noor Z. Al Dahhan and Julie Tseng and Cynthia Medeiros and Sridar Narayanan and Douglas L. Arnold and Brian C. Coe and Douglas P. Munoz and E. Ann Yeh and Donald J. Mabbott},

doi = {10.1093/braincomms/fcae353},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Brain Communications},

volume = {6},

number = {6},

pages = {1–17},

publisher = {Oxford University Press},

abstract = {Demyelination disrupts the transmission of electrical signals in the brain and affects neurodevelopment in children with disorders such as multiple sclerosis and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated disorders. Although cognitive impairments are prevalent in these conditions, some children maintain cognitive function despite substantial structural injury. These findings raise an important question: in addition to the degenerative process, do compensatory neural mechanisms exist to mitigate the effects of myelin loss? We propose that a multi-dimensional approach integrating multiple neuroimaging modalities, including diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography and eye-tracking, is key to investigating this question. We examine the structural and functional connectivity of the default mode and executive control networks due to their significant roles in supporting higher-order cognitive processes. As cognitive proxies, we examine saccade reaction times and direction errors during an interleaved pro- (eye movement towards a target) and anti-saccade (eye movement away from a target) task. 28 typically developing children, 18 children with multiple sclerosis and 14 children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated disorders between 5 and 18.9 years old were scanned at the Hospital for Sick Children. Tractography of diffusion MRI data examined structural connectivity. Intracellular and extracellular microstructural parameters were extracted using a white matter tract integrity model to provide specific inferences on myelin and axon structure. Magnetoencephalography scanning was conducted to examine functional connectivity. Within groups, participants had longer saccade reaction times and greater direction errors on the anti- versus pro-saccade task; there were no group differences on either task. Despite similar behavioural performance, children with demyelinating disorders had significant structural compromise and lower bilateral high gamma, higher left-hemisphere theta and higher right-hemisphere alpha synchrony relative to typically developing children. Children diagnosed with multiple sclerosis had greater structural compromise relative to children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated disorders; there were no group differences in neural synchrony. For both patient groups, increased disease disability predicted greater structural compromise, which predicted longer saccade reaction times and greater direction errors on both tasks. Structural compromise also predicted increased functional connectivity, highlighting potential adaptive functional reorganisation in response to structural compromise. In turn, increased functional connectivity predicted faster saccade reaction times and fewer direction errors. These findings suggest that increased functional connectivity, indicated by increased alpha and theta synchrony, may be necessary to compensate for structural compromise and preserve cognitive abilities. Further understanding these compensatory neural mechanisms could pave the way for the development of targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing these mechanisms, ultimately improving cognitive outcomes for affected individuals.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Coleman2024,

title = {Post-task responses following working memory and movement are driven by transient spectral bursts with similar characteristics},

author = {Sebastian C. Coleman and Zelekha A. Seedat and Daisie O. Pakenham and Andrew J. Quinn and Matthew J. Brookes and Mark W. Woolrich and Karen J. Mullinger},

doi = {10.1002/hbm.26700},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Human Brain Mapping},

volume = {45},

number = {7},

pages = {1–14},

abstract = {The post-movement beta rebound has been studied extensively using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and is reliably modulated by various task parameters as well as illness. Our recent study showed that rebounds, which we generalise as “post-task responses” (PTRs), are a ubiquitous phenomenon in the brain, occurring across the cortex in theta, alpha, and beta bands. Currently, it is unknown whether PTRs following working memory are driven by transient bursts, which are moments of short-lived high amplitude activity, similar to those that drive the post-movement beta rebound. Here, we use three-state univariate hidden Markov models (HMMs), which can identify bursts without a priori knowledge of frequency content or response timings, to compare bursts that drive PTRs in working memory and visuomotor MEG datasets. Our results show that PTRs across working memory and visuomotor tasks are driven by pan-spectral transient bursts. These bursts have very similar spectral content variation over the cortex, correlating strongly between the two tasks in the alpha (R2 =.89) and beta (R2 =.53) bands. Bursts also have similar variation in duration over the cortex (e.g., long duration bursts occur in the motor cortex for both tasks), strongly correlating over cortical regions between tasks (R2 =.56), with a mean over all regions of around 300 ms in both datasets. Finally, we demonstrate the ability of HMMs to isolate signals of interest in MEG data, such that the HMM probability timecourse correlates more strongly with reaction times than frequency filtered power envelopes from the same brain regions. Overall, we show that induced PTRs across different tasks are driven by bursts with similar characteristics, which can be identified using HMMs. Given the similarity between bursts across tasks, we suggest that PTRs across the cortex may be driven by a common underlying neural phenomenon.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Costa2024,

title = {Distinct oscillatory patterns differentiate between segregation and integration processes in perceptual grouping},

author = {Gabriel Nascimento Costa and Michael Schaum and João Valente Duarte and Ricardo Martins and Isabel Catarina Duarte and João Castelhano and Michael Wibral and Miguel Castelo-Branco},

doi = {10.1002/hbm.26779},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Human Brain Mapping},

volume = {45},

number = {12},

pages = {1–17},

abstract = {Recently, there has been a resurgence in experimental and conceptual efforts to understand how brain rhythms can serve to organize visual information. Oscillations can provide temporal structure for neuronal processing and form a basis for integrating information across brain areas. Here, we use a bistable paradigm and a data-driven approach to test the hypothesis that oscillatory modulations associate with the integration or segregation of visual elements. Spectral signatures of perception of bound and unbound configurations of visual moving stimuli were studied using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in ambiguous and unambiguous conditions. Using a 2 × 2 design, we were able to isolate correlates from visual integration, either perceptual or stimulus-driven, from attentional and ambiguity-related activity. Two frequency bands were found to be modulated by visual integration: an alpha/beta frequency and a higher frequency gamma-band. Alpha/beta power was increased in several early visual cortical and dorsal visual areas during visual integration, while gamma-band power was surprisingly increased in the extrastriate visual cortex during segregation. This points to an integrative role for alpha/beta activity, likely from top-down signals maintaining a single visual representation. On the other hand, when more representations have to be processed in parallel gamma-band activity is increased, which is at odds with the notion that gamma oscillations are related to perceptual coherence. These modulations were confirmed in intracranial EEG recordings and partially originate from distinct brain areas. Our MEG and stereo-EEG data confirms predictions of binding mechanisms depending on low-frequency activity for long-range integration and for organizing visual processing while refuting a straightforward correlation between gamma-activity and perceptual binding.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Denison2024,

title = {Anticipatory and evoked visual cortical dynamics of voluntary temporal attention},

author = {Rachel N. Denison and Karen J. Tian and David J. Heeger and Marisa Carrasco},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-53406-y},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {1–13},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {We can often anticipate the precise moment when a stimulus will be relevant for our behavioral goals. Voluntary temporal attention, the prioritization of sensory information at task-relevant time points, enhances visual perception. However, the neural mechanisms of voluntary temporal attention have not been isolated from those of temporal expectation, which reflects timing predictability rather than relevance. Here we use time-resolved steady-state visual evoked responses (SSVER) to investigate how temporal attention dynamically modulates visual activity when temporal expectation is controlled. We recorded magnetoencephalography while participants directed temporal attention to one of two sequential grating targets with predictable timing. Meanwhile, a co-localized SSVER probe continuously tracked visual cortical modulations both before and after the target stimuli. We find that in the pre-target period, the SSVER gradually ramps up as the targets approach, reflecting temporal expectation. Furthermore, we find a low-frequency modulation of the SSVER, which shifts approximately half a cycle in phase according to which target is attended. In the post-target period, temporal attention to the first target transiently modulates the SSVER shortly after target onset. Thus, temporal attention dynamically modulates visual cortical responses via both periodic pre-target and transient post-target mechanisms to prioritize sensory information at precise moments.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Doll2024,

title = {Perceptual awareness of near-threshold tones scales gradually with auditory cortex activity and pupil dilation},

author = {Laura Doll and Andrew R. Dykstra and Alexander Gutschalk},

doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2024.110530},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {iScience},

volume = {27},

number = {8},

pages = {1–20},

publisher = {The Author(s)},

abstract = {Negative-going responses in sensory cortex co-vary with perceptual awareness of sensory stimuli. Given that this awareness negativity has also been observed for undetected stimuli, some have challenged its role for perception. To address this question, we combined magnetoencephalography, electroencephalography, and pupillometry to study how sustained attention and response criterion affect the auditory awareness negativity. Participants first detected distractor sounds and denied hearing task-irrelevant near-threshold tones, which evoked neither awareness negativity nor pupil dilation. These same tones evoked both responses when task-relevant, stronger for hit but also present for miss trials. Participants then rated their perception on a six-point scale to test whether response criterion explains the presence of these responses for miss trials. Decreasing perception ratings were associated with gradually reduced evoked responses, consistent with signal detection theory. These results support the concept of an awareness negativity that is modulated by attention but does not require a non-linear threshold mechanism.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Fakche2024a,

title = {Fast feature- and category-related parafoveal previewing support free visual exploration},

author = {Camille Fakche and Clayton Hickey and Ole Jensen},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {49},

pages = {1–13},

abstract = {While humans typically saccade every ∼250 ms in natural settings, studies on vision tend to prevent or restrict eye movements. As it takes ∼50 ms to initiate and execute a saccade, this leaves only∼200 ms to identify the fixated object and select the next saccade goal. How much detail can be derived about parafoveal objects in this short time interval, during which foveal processing and saccade planning both occur? Here, we had male and female human participants freely explore a set of natural images while we recorded magnetoencephalography and eye movements. Using multivariate pattern analysis, we demonstrate that future parafoveal images could be decoded at the feature and category level with peak decoding at ∼110 and ∼165 ms, respectively, while the decoding of fixated objects at the feature and category level peaked at ∼100 and∼145 ms. The decoding offeatures and categories was contingent on the objects being saccade goals. In sum, we provide insight on the neuronal mechanism ofpresaccadic attention by demonstrating that feature- and category-specific information of foveal and parafoveal objects can be extracted in succession within a ∼200 ms intersaccadic interval. These findings rule out strict serial or parallel processing accounts but are consistent with a pipeline mech- anism in which foveal and parafoveal objects are processed in parallel but at different levels in the visual hierarchy. Key},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ghafari2024,

title = {Modulation of alpha oscillations by attention is predicted by hemispheric asymmetry of subcortical regions},

author = {Tara Ghafari and Cecilia Mazzetti and Kelly Garner and Tjerk Gutteling and Ole Jensen},

doi = {10.7554/eLife.91650},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {eLife},

volume = {12},

pages = {1–20},

abstract = {Evidence suggests that subcortical structures play a role in high-level cognitive functions such as the allocation of spatial attention. While there is abundant evidence in humans for posterior alpha band oscillations being modulated by spatial attention, little is known about how subcortical regions contribute to these oscillatory modulations, particularly under varying conditions of cognitive challenge. In this study, we combined MEG and structural MRI data to investigate the role of subcortical structures in controlling the allocation of attentional resources by employing a cued spatial attention paradigm with varying levels of perceptual load. We asked whether hemispheric lateralization of volumetric measures of the thalamus and basal ganglia predicted the hemispheric modulation of alpha-band power. Lateral asymmetry of the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and thalamus predicted attention-related modulations of posterior alpha oscillations. When the perceptual load was applied to the target and the distractor was salient caudate nucleus asymmetry predicted alpha-band modulations. Globus pallidus was predictive of alpha-band modulations when either the target had a high load, or the distractor was salient, but not both. Finally, the asymmetry of the thalamus predicted alpha band modulation when neither component of the task was perceptually demanding. In addition to delivering new insight into the subcortical circuity controlling alpha oscillations with spatial attention, our finding might also have clinical applications. We provide a framework that could be followed for detecting how structural changes in subcortical regions that are associated with neurological disorders can be reflected in the modulation of oscillatory brain activity.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Johns2024,

title = {Attention mobilization as a modulator of listening effort: Evidence from pupillometry},

author = {M. A. Johns and R. C. Calloway and I. M. D. Karunathilake and L. P. Decruy and S. Anderson and J. Z. Simon and S. E. Kuchinsky},

doi = {10.1177/23312165241245240},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Trends in Hearing},

volume = {28},

pages = {1–20},

abstract = {Listening to speech in noise can require substantial mental effort, even among younger normal-hearing adults. The task-evoked pupil response (TEPR) has been shown to track the increased effort exerted to recognize words or sentences in increasing noise. However, few studies have examined the trajectory of listening effort across longer, more natural, stretches of speech, or the extent to which expectations about upcoming listening difficulty modulate the TEPR. Seventeen younger normal-hearing adults listened to 60-s-long audiobook passages, repeated three times in a row, at two different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) while pupil size was recorded. There was a significant interaction between SNR, repetition, and baseline pupil size on sustained listening effort. At lower baseline pupil sizes, potentially reflecting lower attention mobilization, TEPRs were more sustained in the harder SNR condition, particularly when attention mobilization remained low by the third presentation. At intermediate baseline pupil sizes, differences between conditions were largely absent, suggesting these listeners had optimally mobilized their attention for both SNRs. Lastly, at higher baseline pupil sizes, potentially reflecting overmobilization of attention, the effect of SNR was initially reversed for the second and third presentations: participants initially appeared to disengage in the harder SNR condition, resulting in reduced TEPRs that recovered in the second half of the story. Together, these findings suggest that the unfolding of listening effort over time depends critically on the extent to which individuals have successfully mobilized their attention in anticipation of difficult listening conditions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kujala2024,

title = {Beta- and gamma-band cortico-cortical interactions support naturalistic reading of continuous text},

author = {Jan Kujala and Sasu Mäkelä and Pauliina Ojala and Jukka Hyönä and Riitta Salmelin},

doi = {10.1111/ejn.16212},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {European Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {59},

number = {2},

pages = {238–251},

abstract = {Large-scale integration of information across cortical structures, building on neural connectivity, has been proposed to be a key element in supporting human cognitive processing. In electrophysiological neuroimaging studies of reading, quantification of neural interactions has been limited to the level of isolated words or sentences due to artefacts induced by eye movements. Here, we combined magnetoencephalography recording with advanced artefact rejection tools to investigate both cortico-cortical coherence and directed neural interactions during naturalistic reading of full-page texts. Our results show that reading versus visual scanning of text was associated with wide-spread increases of cortico-cortical coherence in the beta and gamma bands. We further show that the reading task was linked to increased directed neural interactions compared to the scanning task across a sparse set of connections within a wide range of frequencies. Together, the results demonstrate that neural connectivity flexibly builds on different frequency bands to support continuous natural reading.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Liljefors2024,

title = {Distinct functions for beta and alpha bursts in gating of human working memory},

author = {Johan Liljefors and Rita Almeida and Gustaf Rane and Johan N. Lundström and Pawel Herman and Mikael Lundqvist},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-53257-7},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {1–15},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Multiple neural mechanisms underlying gating to and from working memory (WM) have been proposed, with divergent results obtained in human and animal studies. Previous results from non-human primate studies suggest information encoding and retrieval is regulated by high-power bursts in the beta frequency range, whereas human studies suggest that alpha power in sensory regions filters out unwanted stimuli from entering WM. Discrepancies between studies, whether due to differences in analysis, species, or cortical regions, remain unexplained. We addressed this by performing similar single-trial burst analysis we earlier deployed on non-human primates on human whole-brain electrophysiological activity. Participants performed a sequential working memory task that allowed us to track the distinct electrophysiological activity patterns associated with neural processing of targets and distractors. Intriguingly, our results reconcile earlier findings by demonstrating that both alpha and beta bursts are involved in the filtering and control of WM items, but with region and task-specific differences between the two rhythms. Occipital beta burst patterns regulate the transition from sensory processing to WM retention whereas prefrontal and parietal beta bursts track sequence order and proactively suppress retained information prior to upcoming target encoding. Occipital alpha bursts instead suppress unwanted sensory stimuli during their presentation. These results suggest that human working memory is regulated by multiple neural mechanisms that operate in different cortical regions and serve distinct computational roles. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Maekelae2024a,

title = {Naturalistic reading of multi-page texts elicits spatially extended modulation of oscillatory activity in the right hemisphere},

author = {Sasu Mäkelä and Jan Kujala and Pauliina Ojala and Jukka Hyönä and Riitta Salmelin},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {14},

number = {1},

pages = {1–11},

abstract = {The study of the cortical basis of reading has greatly benefited from the use of naturalistic paradigms that permit eye movements. However, due to the short stimulus lengths used in most naturalistic reading studies, it remains unclear how reading of texts comprising more than isolated sentences modulates cortical processing. To address this question, we used magnetoencephalography to study the spatiospectral distribution of oscillatory activity during naturalistic reading of multi-page texts. In contrast to previous results, we found abundant activity in the right hemisphere in several frequency bands, whereas reading-related modulation of neural activity in the left hemisphere was quite limited. Our results show that the role of the right hemisphere may be importantly emphasized as the reading process extends beyond single sentences.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Monov2024,

title = {Linking cognitive integrity to working memory dynamics in the aging human brain},

author = {Gina Monov and Henrik Stein and Leonie Klock and Juergen Gallinat and Simone Kühn and Tania Lincoln and Katarina Krkovic and Peter R. Murphy and Tobias H. Donner},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1883-23.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {26},

pages = {1–20},

abstract = {Aging is accompanied by a decline of working memory, an important cognitive capacity that involves stimulus-selective neural activity that persists after stimulus presentation. Here, we unraveled working memory dynamics in older human adults (male and female) including those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using a combination of behavioral modeling, neuropsychological assessment, and MEG recordings of brain activity. Younger adults (male and female) were studied with behavioral modeling only. Participants performed a visuospatial delayed match-to-sample task under systematic manipulation of the delay and distance between sample and test stimuli. Their behavior (match/nonmatch decisions) was fit with a computational model permitting the dissociation of noise in the internal operations underlying the working memory performance from a strategic decision threshold. Task accuracy decreased with delay duration and sample/test proximity.When sample/test distances were small, older adults committed more false alarms than younger adults. The computational model explained the participants' behavior well. The model parameters reflecting internal noise (not decision threshold) correlated with the precision of stimulus-selective cortical activity measured with MEG during the delay interval. The model uncovered an increase specifically in working memory noise in older compared with younger participants. Furthermore, in the MCI group, but not in the older healthy controls, internal noise correlated with the participants' clinically assessed cognitive integrity. Our results are consistent with the idea that the stability of working memory contents deteriorates in aging, in a manner that is specifically linked to the overall cognitive integrity of individuals diagnosed with MCI.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kreichman2024,

title = {Parafoveal vision reveals qualitative differences between fusiform face area and parahippocampal place area},

author = {Olga Kreichman and Sharon Gilaie-Dotan},

doi = {10.1002/hbm.26616},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Human Brain Mapping},

volume = {45},

number = {3},

pages = {1–22},

abstract = {The center-periphery visual field axis guides early visual system organization with enhanced resources devoted to central vision leading to reduced peripheral performance relative to that of central vision (i.e., behavioral eccentricity effect) for many visual functions. The center-periphery organization extends to high-order visual cortex where, for example, the well-studied face-sensitive fusiform face area (FFA) shows sensitivity to central vision and the place-sensitive parahippocampal place area (PPA) shows sensitivity to peripheral vision. As we have recently found that face perception is more sensitive to eccentricity than place perception, here we examined whether these behavioral findings reflect differences in FFA's and PPA's sensitivities to eccentricity. We assumed FFA would show higher sensitivity to eccentricity than PPA would, but that both regions' modulation by eccentricity would be invariant to the viewed category. We parametrically investigated (fMRI},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kulkarni2024,

title = {Control of memory retrieval alters memory-based eye movements},

author = {Mrinmayi Kulkarni and Allison E. Nickel and Greta N. Minor and Deborah E. Hannula and Mrinmayi Kulkarni and Allison E. Nickel and Greta N. Minor and Deborah E. Hannula},

doi = {10.1037/xlm0001321},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition},

volume = {50},

number = {8},

pages = {1199–1219},

abstract = {Past work has shown that eye movements are affected by long-term memory across different tasks and instructional manipulations. In the current study, we tested whether these memory-based eye movements persist when memory retrieval is under intentional control. Participants encoded multiple scenes with six objects (three faces; three tools). Next, they completed a memory regulation and visual search task, while undergoing eye tracking. Here, scene cues were presented and participants either retrieved the encoded associate, suppressed it, or substituted it with a specific object from the other encoded category. Following a delay, a search display consisting of six dots intermixed with the six encoded objects was presented. Participants' task was to fixate one remaining dot after five had disappeared. Incidental viewing of the objects was of interest. Results revealed that performance in a final recognition phase was impaired for suppressed pairs, but only when the associate was a tool. During the search task, incidental associate viewing was lower when participants attempted to control retrieval, whereas one object from the nonassociate category was most viewed in the substitute condition. Additionally, viewing patterns in the search phase were related to final recognition performance, but the direction of this association differed between conditions. Overall, these results suggest that eye movements are attracted to information retrieved from long-term memory and held active (the associate in the retrieve condition, or an object from the other category in the substitute condition). Furthermore, the level of viewing may index the strength of the representation of retrieved information.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kupers2024,

title = {Rethinking simultaneous suppression in visual cortex via compressive spatiotemporal population receptive fields},

author = {Eline R. Kupers and Insub Kim and Kalanit Grill-Spector},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-51243-7},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {1–19},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {When multiple visual stimuli are presented simultaneously in the receptive field, the neural response is suppressed compared to presenting the same stimuli sequentially. The prevailing hypothesis suggests that this suppression is due to competition among multiple stimuli for limited resources within receptive fields, governed by task demands. However, it is unknown how stimulus-driven computations may give rise to simultaneous suppression. Using fMRI, we find simultaneous suppression in single voxels, which varies with both stimulus size and timing, and progressively increases up the visual hierarchy. Using population receptive field (pRF) models, we find that compressive spatiotemporal summation rather than compressive spatial summation predicts simultaneous suppression, and that increased simultaneous suppression is linked to larger pRF sizes and stronger compressive nonlinearities. These results necessitate a rethinking of simultaneous suppression as the outcome of stimulus-driven compressive spatiotemporal computations within pRFs, and open new opportunities to study visual processing capacity across space and time.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leharanger2024,

title = {Eye tracking post processing to detect visual artifacts and quantify visual attention under cognitive task activity during fMRI},

author = {Maxime Leharanger and Pan Liu and Luc Vandromme and Olivier Balédent},

doi = {10.3390/s24154916},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Sensors},

volume = {24},

number = {15},

pages = {1–16},

abstract = {Determining visual attention during cognitive tasks using activation MRI remains challenging. This study aimed to develop a new eye-tracking (ET) post-processing platform to enhance data accuracy, validate the feasibility of subsequent ET-fMRI applications, and provide tool support. Sixteen volunteers aged 18 to 20 were exposed to a visual temporal paradigm with changing images of objects and faces in various locations while their eye movements were recorded using an MRI-compatible ET system. The results indicate that the accuracy of the data significantly improved after post-processing. Participants generally maintained their visual attention on the screen, with mean gaze positions ranging from 89.1% to 99.9%. In cognitive tasks, the gaze positions showed adherence to instructions, with means ranging from 46.2% to 50%. Temporal consistency assessments indicated prolonged visual tasks can lead to decreased attention during certain tasks. The proposed methodology effectively identified and quantified visual artifacts and losses, providing a precise measure of visual attention. This study offers a robust framework for future work integrating filtered eye-tracking data with fMRI analyses, supporting cognitive neuroscience research.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Lei2024,

title = {Phase-encoded fMRI tracks down brainstorms of natural language processing with subsecond precision},

author = {Victoria Lai Cheng Lei and Teng Ieng Leong and Cheok Teng Leong and Lili Liu and Chi Un Choi and Martin I. Sereno and Defeng Li and Ruey Song Huang},

doi = {10.1002/hbm.26617},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Human Brain Mapping},

volume = {45},

number = {2},

pages = {1–23},

abstract = {Natural language processing unfolds information overtime as spatially separated, multimodal, and interconnected neural processes. Existing noninvasive subtraction-based neuroimaging techniques cannot simultaneously achieve the spatial and temporal resolutions required to visualize ongoing information flows across the whole brain. Here we have developed rapid phase-encoded designs to fully exploit the temporal information latent in functional magnetic resonance imaging data, as well as overcoming scanner noise and head-motion challenges during overt language tasks. We captured real-time information flows as coherent hemodynamic waves traveling over the cortical surface during listening, reading aloud, reciting, and oral cross-language interpreting tasks. We were able to observe the timing, location, direction, and surge of traveling waves in all language tasks, which were visualized as “brainstorms” on brain “weather” maps. The paths of hemodynamic traveling waves provide direct evidence for dual-stream models of the visual and auditory systems as well as logistics models for crossmodal and cross-language processing. Specifically, we have tracked down the step-by-step processing of written or spoken sentences first being received and processed by the visual or auditory streams, carried across language and domain-general cognitive regions, and finally delivered as overt speeches monitored through the auditory cortex, which gives a complete picture of information flows across the brain during natural language functioning.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Lerebourg2024,

title = {Attentional guidance through object associations in visual cortex},

author = {Maëlle Lerebourg and Floris P. De Lange and Marius V. Peelen},

doi = {10.1126/sciadv.ado6226},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Science Advances},

volume = {10},

pages = {1–11},

abstract = {Efficient behavior requires the rapid attentional selection of task-relevant objects. Preparatory activity of target-selective neurons in visual cortex is thought to support attentional selection, guiding spatial attention and favoring processing of target-matching input. However, naturalistic searches are often guided by nontargets, including target-associated “anchor” objects. For instance, when looking for a pen, we may direct our attention to the office desk on which we expect to find it. Here, using fMRI and eye tracking in a context-guided search task, we tested whether preparatory activity in visual cortex reflected the target, the guiding anchor object, or both. Participants learned associations between targets and anchors, reversing across two scene contexts, before searching for these targets. Participants' first fixations were reliably guided by the associated anchor. Preparatory activity in lateral occipital cortex (LOC) and right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) represented the target-associated anchor rather than the target. These results shed light on the neural basis of context-guided search in structured environments.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Li2024,

title = {Prediction of image interpretation cognitive ability under different mental workloads: A task-state fMRI study},

author = {Bao Li and Li Tong and Chi Zhang and Panpan Chen and Linyuan Wang and Bin Yan},

doi = {10.1093/cercor/bhae100},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Cerebral Cortex},

volume = {34},

number = {3},

pages = {1–10},

abstract = {Visual imaging experts play an important role in multiple fields, and studies have shown that the combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging and machine learning techniques can predict cognitive abilities, which provides a possible method for selecting individuals with excellent image interpretation skills. We recorded behavioral data and neural activity of 64 participants during image interpretation tasks under different workloads. Based on the comprehensive image interpretation ability, participants were divided into two groups. general linear model analysis showed that during image interpretation tasks, the high-Ability group exhibited higher activation in middle frontal gyrus (MFG), fusiform gyrus, inferior occipital gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, and insula compared to the low-Ability group. The radial basis function Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm shows the most excellent performance in predicting participants' image interpretation abilities (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.54},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Master2024,

title = {Trying harder: How cognitive effort sculpts neural representations during working memory},

author = {Sarah L. Master and Shanshan Li and Clayton E. Curtis},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0060-24.2024},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience},

volume = {44},

number = {28},

pages = {1–12},

abstract = {While the exertion of mental effort improves performance on cognitive tasks, the neural mechanisms by which motivational factors impact cognition remain unknown. Here, we used fMRI to test how changes in cognitive effort, induced by changes in task difficulty, impact neural representations of working memory (WM). Participants (both sexes) were precued whether WM difficulty would be hard or easy. We hypothesized that hard trials demanded more effort as a later decision required finer mnemonic precision. Behaviorally, pupil size was larger and response times were slower on hard compared with easy trials suggesting our manipulation of effort succeeded. Neurally, we observed robust persistent activity during delay periods in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), especially during hard trials. Yet, details of the memoranda could not be decoded from patterns in prefrontal activity. In the patterns of activity in the visual cortex, however, we found strong decoding of memorized targets, where accuracy was higher on hard trials. To potentially link these across-region effects, we hypothesized that effort, carried by persistent activity in the PFC, impacts the quality of WM representations encoded in the visual cortex. Indeed, we found that the amplitude of delay period activity in the frontal cortex predicted decoded accuracy in the visual cortex on a trial-wise basis. These results indicate that effort-related feedback signals sculpt population activity in the visual cortex, improving mnemonic fidelity.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mazor2024,

title = {A randomization-based, model-free approach to functional neuroimaging: A proof of concept},

author = {Matan Mazor and Roy Mukamel},

doi = {10.3390/e26090751},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Entropy},

volume = {26},

number = {9},

pages = {1–11},

abstract = {Functional neuroimaging analysis takes noisy multidimensional measurements as input and produces statistical inferences regarding the functional properties of brain regions as output. Such inferences are most commonly model-based, in that they assume a model of how neural activity translates to the measured signal (blood oxygenation level-dependent signal in the case of functional MRI). The use of models increases statistical sensitivity and makes it possible to ask fine-grained theoretical questions. However, this comes at the cost of making theoretical assumptions about the underlying data-generating process. An advantage of model-free approaches is that they can be used in cases where model assumptions are known not to hold. To this end, we introduce a randomization-based, model-free approach to functional neuroimaging. TWISTER randomization makes it possible to infer functional selectivity from correlations between experimental runs. We provide a proof of concept in the form of a visuomotor mapping experiment and discuss the possible strengths and limitations of this new approach in light of our empirical results.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mewobber2024,

title = {Self-regulating arousal via pupil-based biofeedback},

author = {Sarah Nadine Mewobber and Marc Bächinger and Sanne Kikkert and Jenny Imhof and Silvia Missura and Manuel Carro Dominguez and Nicole Wenderoth},

doi = {10.1038/s41562-023-01729-z},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Human Behaviour},

volume = {8},

number = {1},

pages = {43–62},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {The brain's arousal state is controlled by several neuromodulatory nuclei known to substantially influence cognition and mental well-being. Here we investigate whether human participants can gain volitional control of their arousal state using a pupil-based biofeedback approach. Our approach inverts a mechanism suggested by previous literature that links activity of the locus coeruleus, one of the key regulators of central arousal and pupil dynamics. We show that pupil-based biofeedback enables participants to acquire volitional control of pupil size. Applying pupil self-regulation systematically modulates activity of the locus coeruleus and other brainstem structures involved in arousal control. Furthermore, it modulates cardiovascular measures such as heart rate, and behavioural and psychophysiological responses during an oddball task. We provide evidence that pupil-based biofeedback makes the brain's arousal system accessible to volitional control, a finding that has tremendous potential for translation to behavioural and clinical applications across various domains, including stress-related and anxiety disorders.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nigam2024,

title = {Predictions enable top-down pattern separation in the macaque face-processing hierarchy},

author = {Tarana Nigam and Caspar M. Schwiedrzik},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-51543-y},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {1–13},

publisher = {Springer US},

abstract = {Distinguishing faces requires well distinguishable neural activity patterns. Contextual information may separate neural representations, leading to enhanced identity recognition. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how predictions derived from contextual information affect the separability of neural activity patterns in the macaque face-processing system, a 3-level processing hierarchy in ventral visual cortex. We find that in the presence of predictions, early stages of this hierarchy exhibit well separable and high-dimensional neural geometries resembling those at the top of the hierarchy. This is accompanied by a systematic shift of tuning properties from higher to lower areas, endowing lower areas with higher-order, invariant representations instead of their feedforward tuning properties. Thus, top-down signals dynamically transform neural representations of faces into separable and high-dimensional neural geometries. Our results provide evidence how predictive context transforms flexible representational spaces to optimally use the computational resources provided by cortical processing hierarchies for better and faster distinction of facial identities.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{OBryan2024,

title = {Effector-independent representations guide sequential target selection biases in action},

author = {Sean R. O'Bryan and Jeff Moher and J. Daniel McCarthy and Joo Hyun Song},

doi = {10.1162/jocn_a_02102},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience},

volume = {36},

number = {3},

pages = {492–507},

abstract = {Previous work shows that automatic attention biases toward recently selected target features transfer across action and perception and even across different effectors such as the eyes and hands on a trial-by-trial basis. Although these findings suggest a common neural representation of selection history across effec-tors, the extent to which information about recently selected target features is encoded in overlapping versus distinct brain regions is unknown. Using fMRI and a priming of pop-out task where participants selected unpredictable, uniquely colored targets among homogeneous distractors via reach or saccade, we show that color priming is driven by shared, effector-independent underlying representations of recent selection history. Consistent with previous work, we found that the intra-parietal sulcus (IPS) was commonly activated on trials where target colors were switched relative to those where the colors were repeated; however, the dorsal anterior insula exhibited effector-specific activation related to color priming. Via multi-voxel cross-classification analyses, we further demonstrate that fine-grained patterns of activity in both IPS and the medial temporal lobe encode information about selection history in an effector-independent manner, such that ROI-specific models trained on activity patterns during reach selection could predict whether a color was repeated or switched on the current trial during saccade selection and vice versa. Remarkably, model generalization performance in IPS and medial temporal lobe also tracked individual differences in behavioral priming sensitivity across both types of action. These results represent a first step to clarify the neural substrates of experience-driven selection biases in contexts that require the coordination of multiple actions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{OntiveroOrtega2024,

title = {Intra-V1 functional networks and classification of observed stimuli},

author = {Marlis Ontivero-Ortega and Jorge Iglesias-Fuster and Jhoanna Perez-Hidalgo and Daniele Marinazzo and Mitchell Valdes-Sosa and Pedro Valdes-Sosa},

doi = {10.3389/fninf.2024.1080173},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Neuroinformatics},

volume = {18},

pages = {1–15},

abstract = {Introduction: Previous studies suggest that co-fluctuations in neural activity within V1 (measured with fMRI) carry information about observed stimuli, potentially reflecting various cognitive mechanisms. This study explores the neural sources shaping this information by using different fMRI preprocessing methods. The common response to stimuli shared by all individuals can be emphasized by using inter-subject correlations or de-emphasized by deconvolving the fMRI with hemodynamic response functions (HRFs) before calculating the correlations. The latter approach shifts the balance towards participant-idiosyncratic activity. Methods: Here, we used multivariate pattern analysis of intra-V1 correlation matrices to predict the Level or Shape of observed Navon letters employing the types of correlations described above. We assessed accuracy in inter-subject prediction of specific conjunctions of properties, and attempted intra-subject cross-classification of stimulus properties (i.e., prediction of one feature despite changes in the other). Weight maps from successful classifiers were projected onto the visual field. A control experiment investigated eye-movement patterns during stimuli presentation. Results: All inter-subject classifiers accurately predicted the Level and Shape of specific observed stimuli. However, successful intra-subject cross-classification was achieved only for stimulus Level, but not Shape, regardless of preprocessing scheme. Weight maps for successful Level classification differed between inter-subject correlations and deconvolved correlations. The latter revealed asymmetries in visual field link strength that corresponded to known perceptual asymmetries. Post-hoc measurement of eyeball fMRI signals did not find differences in gaze between stimulus conditions, and a control experiment (with derived simulations) also suggested that eye movements do not explain the stimulus-related changes in V1 topology. Discussion: Our findings indicate that both inter-subject common responses and participant-specific activity contribute to the information in intra-V1 co-fluctuations, albeit through distinct sub-networks. Deconvolution, that enhances subject-specific activity, highlighted interhemispheric links for Global stimuli. Further exploration of intra-V1 networks promises insights into the neural basis of attention and perceptual organization.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Pais2024,

title = {Rapid effects of tryptamine psychedelics on perceptual distortions and early visual cortical population receptive fields},

author = {Marta Lapo Pais and Marta Teixeira and Carla Soares and Gisela Lima and Patrícia Rijo and Célia Cabral and Miguel Castelo-Branco},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120718},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {NeuroImage},

volume = {297},

pages = {1–10},

abstract = {N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a psychedelic tryptamine acting on 5-HT2A serotonin receptors, which is associated with intense visual hallucinatory phenomena and perceptual changes such as distortions in visual space. The neural underpinnings of these effects remain unknown. We hypothesised that changes in population receptive field (pRF) properties in the primary visual cortex (V1) might underlie visual perceptual experience. We tested this hypothesis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a within-subject design. We used a technique called pRF mapping, which measures neural population visual response properties and retinotopic maps in early visual areas. We show that in the presence of visual effects, as documented by the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS), the mean pRF sizes in V1 significantly increase in the peripheral visual field for active condition (inhaled DMT) compared to the control. Eye and head movement differences were absent across conditions. This evidence for short-term effects of DMT in pRF may explain perceptual distortions induced by psychedelics such as field blurring, tunnel vision (peripheral vision becoming blurred while central vision remains sharp) and the enlargement of nearby visual space, particularly at the visual locations surrounding the fovea. Our findings are also consistent with a mechanistic framework whereby gain control of ongoing and evoked activity in the visual cortex is controlled by activation of 5-HT2A receptors.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Papitto2024,

title = {Distinct neural mechanisms for action access and execution in the human brain: Insights from an fMRI study},

author = {Giorgio Papitto and Angela D. Friederici and Emiliano Zaccarella},

doi = {10.1093/cercor/bhae163},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Cerebral Cortex},

volume = {34},

number = {4},

pages = {1–18},

abstract = {Goal-directed actions are fundamental to human behavior, whereby inner goals are achieved through mapping action representations to motor outputs. The left premotor cortex (BA6) and the posterior portion of Broca's area (BA44) are two modulatory poles of the action system. However, how these regions support the representation-output mapping within the system is not yet understood. To address this, we conducted a finger-tapping functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment using action categories ranging from specific to general. Our study found distinct neural behaviors in BA44 and BA6 during action category processing and motor execution. During access of action categories, activity in a posterior portion of BA44 (pBA44) decreased linearly as action categories became less specific. Conversely, during motor execution, activity in BA6 increased linearly with less specific categories. These findings highlight the differential roles of pBA44 and BA6 in action processing. We suggest that pBA44 facilitates access to action categories by utilizing motor information from the behavioral context while the premotor cortex integrates motor information to execute the selected action. This finding enhances our understanding of the interplay between prefrontal cortical regions and premotor cortex in mapping action representation to motor execution and, more in general, of the cortical mechanisms underlying human behavior.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Pinho2024,

title = {Individual Brain Charting dataset extension, third release for movie watching and retinotopy data},

author = {Ana Luísa Pinho and Hugo Richard and Ana Fernanda Ponce and Michael Eickenberg and Alexis Amadon and Elvis Dohmatob and Isabelle Denghien and Juan Jesús Torre and Swetha Shankar and Himanshu Aggarwal and Alexis Thual and Thomas Chapalain and Chantal Ginisty and Séverine Becuwe-Desmidt and Séverine Roger and Yann Lecomte and Valérie Berland and Laurence Laurier and Véronique Joly-Testault and Gaëlle Médiouni-Cloarec and Christine Doublé and Bernadette Martins and Gaël Varoquaux and Stanislas Dehaene and Lucie Hertz-Pannier and Bertrand Thirion},

doi = {10.1038/s41597-024-03390-1},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Scientific Data},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {1–16},

abstract = {The Individual Brain Charting (IBC) is a multi-task functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging dataset acquired at high spatial-resolution and dedicated to the cognitive mapping of the human brain. It consists in the deep phenotyping of twelve individuals, covering a broad range of psychological domains suitable for functional-atlasing applications. Here, we present the inclusion of task data from both naturalistic stimuli and trial-based designs, to uncover structures of brain activation. We rely on the Fast Shared Response Model (FastSRM) to provide a data-driven solution for modelling naturalistic stimuli, typically containing many features. We show that data from left-out runs can be reconstructed using FastSRM, enabling the extraction of networks from the visual, auditory and language systems. We also present the topographic organization of the visual system through retinotopy. In total, six new tasks were added to IBC, wherein four trial-based retinotopic tasks contributed with a mapping of the visual field to the cortex. IBC is open access: source plus derivatives imaging data and meta-data are available in public repositories.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Zhu2024d,

title = {Temporal attention amplifies stimulus information in fronto-cingulate cortex at an intermediate processing stage},

author = {Jiating Zhu and Karen J. Tian and Marisa Carrasco and Rachel N. Denison},

doi = {10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae535},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {PNAS Nexus},

volume = {3},

number = {12},

pages = {1–13},

publisher = {Oxford University Press},

abstract = {The human brain faces significant constraints in its ability to process every item in a sequence of stimuli. Voluntary temporal attention can selectively prioritize a task-relevant item over its temporal competitors to alleviate these constraints. However, it remains unclear when and where in the brain selective temporal attention modulates the visual representation of a prioritized item. Here, we manipulated temporal attention to successive stimuli in a two-target temporal cueing task, while controlling for temporal expectation with fully predictable stimulus timing. We used magnetoencephalography and time-resolved decoding to track the spatiotemporal evolution of stimulus representations in human observers. We found that temporal attention enhanced the representation of the first target around 250 ms after target onset, in a contiguous region spanning left frontal cortex and cingulate cortex. The results indicate that voluntary temporal attention recruits cortical regions beyond the ventral stream at an intermediate processing stage to amplify the representation of a target stimulus. This routing of stimulus information to anterior brain regions may provide protection from interference in visual cortex by a subsequent stimulus. Thus, voluntary temporal attention may have distinctive neural mechanisms to support specific demands of the sequential processing of stimuli.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}