Definition and characterization of an extended multiple-demand network

Abstract

Neuroimaging evidence suggests that executive functions (EF) depend on brain regions that are not closely tied to specific cognitive demands but rather to a wide range of behaviors. A multiple-demand (MD) system has been proposed, consisting of regions showing conjoint activation across multiple demands. Additionally, a number of studies defining networks specific to certain cognitive tasks suggest that the MD system may be composed of a number of sub-networks each subserving specific roles within the system. We here provide a robust definition of an extended MDN (eMDN) based on task-dependent and task-independent functional connectivity analyses seeded from regions previously shown to be convergently recruited across neuroimaging studies probing working memory, attention and inhibition, i.e., the proposed key components of EF. Additionally, we investigated potential sub-networks within the eMDN based on their connectional and functional similarities. We propose an eMDN network consisting of a core whose integrity should be crucial to performance of most operations that are considered higher cognitive or EF. This then recruits additional areas depending on specific demands.

Cognitive capacity limits are remediated by practice-induced plasticity between the Putamen and Pre-Supplementary Motor Area

“…This leads to the intriguing possibility that previous observations that cognitive control operations are underpinned by a frontal-parietal network (Duncan 2013;Watanabe and Funahashi 2014;Dux et al 2009;Cole et al 2013) may actually have been observing the cortical response to striatally mediated excitatory signals. In fact, our findings are in line with a recent application of meta-analytic connectivity modelling showing that when frontal-parietal regions associated with cognitive control operations are used as seed regions, the left and right putamen are likely to show significant co-activations across a range of sensorimotor and perceptual tasks (Camilleri et al 2018) . Taken together, these data suggest that the striatum, or at least the putamen, should be included in the set of brain regions that contribute to cognitive control, at least during sensorimotor decision-making.…”

“…Given that we observed consistent evidence that putamen to pre-SMA coupling is modulated by multitasking and practice, we propose that multitasking limitations stem, at least in part, from constraints on the rate at which the striatum can, on the basis of incoming sensory information, sufficiently excite the appropriate cortical representations of stimulus-response mappings to reach a threshold for action. This leads to the intriguing possibility that previous observations that cognitive control operations are underpinned by a frontal-parietal network to show significant co-activations across a range of sensorimotor and perceptual tasks (Camilleri et al 2018) . Taken together, these data suggest that the striatum, or at least the putamen, should be included in the set of brain regions that contribute to cognitive control, at least during sensorimotor decision-making.…”

“…One fMRI multitasking study has reported increased striatal activity when there is a higher probability of short temporal overlap between tasks (Yildiz and Beste 2015) . Moreover, meta-analytic efforts into the connectivity of the frontal-parietal network during cognitive control tasks implicate the putamen (Camilleri et al 2018) . Lesions of the striatum and not the cerebellum have been shown to correspond to impaired multitasking behaviours (Thoma et al 2008) , and intracranial EEG has revealed that fluctuations in oscillatory ventral striatal activity predicts performance on the attentional blink task (Slagter et al 2017) ; a paradigm which is assumed to share overlapping limitations with those revealed by sensorimotor multitasks (Garner, Tombu, and Dux 2014;Marti, King, and Dehaene 2015;Tombu et al 2011;Zylberberg et al 2010;Jolicoeur 1998;Arnell and Duncan 2002) .…”

Neural mechanisms of training an auditory event‐related potential task in a brain–computer interface context

“…The insula is involved in responding appropriately to different stimuli, which includes detection of salient events and attention switching (required for the P300 BCI task) and also access to the motor system (required for the motor imagery BCI task). Thus, the current data suggest that P300 and motor imagery BCI conjointly activate the "organisers" and the sensation and action groups of the multiple demand network (see figure 6 in Camilleri et al, 2018).…”

Neural correlates of intonation and lexical tone in tonal and non‐tonal language speakers

“…More generally, the observed bilateral cingulo‐opercular activity most likely reflects explicit categorical decision making under high cognitive control. Indeed, increased activity in these regions has been previously linked to decision‐making processes under challenging conditions (Camilleri et al, ; Duncan, ; Geranmayeh, Brownsett, & Wise, ), and categorical decision making can be accompanied by increased cognitive control (Duncan, ). This fits with our observation that the intonation task was the behaviourally most challenging condition compared to the gender task in both groups and compared to tone in Mandarin speakers.…”