Gamma-band synchronisation in a frontotemporal auditory information processing network

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gamma-band synchronisation in a frontotemporal auditory information processing network

AU - Leicht, Gregor

AU - Björklund, Jonas

AU - Vauth, Sebastian

AU - Mußmann, Marius

AU - Haaf, Moritz

AU - Steinmann, Saskia

AU - Rauh, Jonas

AU - Mulert, Christoph

N1 - Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2021/10/1

Y1 - 2021/10/1

N2 - Neural oscillations are fundamental mechanisms of the human brain that enable coordinated activity of different brain regions during perceptual and cognitive processes. A frontotemporal network generated by means of gamma oscillations and comprising the auditory cortex (AC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been shown to be involved in the cognitively demanding auditory information processing. This study aims to reveal patterns of functional and effective connectivity within this network in healthy subjects by means of simultaneously recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We simultaneously recorded EEG and fMRI in 28 healthy subjects during the performance of a cognitively demanding auditory choice reaction task. Connectivity between the ACC and AC was analysed employing EEG and fMRI connectivity measures. We found a significant BOLD signal correlation between the ACC and AC, a significant task-dependant increase of fMRI connectivity (gPPI) and a significant increase in functional coupling in the gamma frequency range between these regions (LPS), which was increased in top-down direction (granger analysis). EEG and fMRI connectivity measures were positively correlated. The results of these study point to a role of a top-down influence of the ACC on the AC executed by means of gamma synchronisation. The replication of fMRI connectivity patterns in simultaneously recorded EEG data and the correlation between connectivity measures from both domains found in our study show, that brain connectivity based on the synchronisation of gamma oscillations is mirrored in fMRI connectivity patterns.

AB - Neural oscillations are fundamental mechanisms of the human brain that enable coordinated activity of different brain regions during perceptual and cognitive processes. A frontotemporal network generated by means of gamma oscillations and comprising the auditory cortex (AC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been shown to be involved in the cognitively demanding auditory information processing. This study aims to reveal patterns of functional and effective connectivity within this network in healthy subjects by means of simultaneously recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We simultaneously recorded EEG and fMRI in 28 healthy subjects during the performance of a cognitively demanding auditory choice reaction task. Connectivity between the ACC and AC was analysed employing EEG and fMRI connectivity measures. We found a significant BOLD signal correlation between the ACC and AC, a significant task-dependant increase of fMRI connectivity (gPPI) and a significant increase in functional coupling in the gamma frequency range between these regions (LPS), which was increased in top-down direction (granger analysis). EEG and fMRI connectivity measures were positively correlated. The results of these study point to a role of a top-down influence of the ACC on the AC executed by means of gamma synchronisation. The replication of fMRI connectivity patterns in simultaneously recorded EEG data and the correlation between connectivity measures from both domains found in our study show, that brain connectivity based on the synchronisation of gamma oscillations is mirrored in fMRI connectivity patterns.

U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118307

DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118307

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 34174389

VL - 239

SP - 118307

JO - NEUROIMAGE

JF - NEUROIMAGE

SN - 1053-8119

ER -