Flexible Brain Transitions Between Hierarchical Network Segregation and Integration Predict Human Behavior

Abstract

Cognition involves locally segregated and globally integrated processing. This process is hierarchically organized, linking to evidence from hierarchical modules in brain networks. However, it remains a mystery how flexible transitions between these hierarchical processes are associated with human behavior. Here, we used a multisource interference task and measured hierarchical segregation and integration across multiple levels. Our results show more flexible transitions between segregated and integrated brain states in the task state. Crucially, brain flexibility in resting and task states was associated with human behavior. To achieve a better performance, the resting brain is optimized to be more flexible, such that it is prepared to more efficiently switch into a task state where the brain needs less flexibility to stably perform the task. Our hierarchical modular analysis was more effective in detecting the alterations in functional organization and the phenotype of human behavior than graph-based network measures at a single level.

Lifespan associations of resting-state brain functional networks with ADHD symptoms

“…The NSP method was applied to identify the segregation and integration of brain FC networks based on eigenmodes ( Wang et al., 2021a , 2021b ). Using eigen-decomposition, eigenvectors and eigenvalues of FC matrix C were sorted in descending order of .…”

“…Recently, we developed a nested-spectral partition (NSP) method to detect hierarchical modules in brain networks according to the eigenmodes and described segregation and integration across multiple levels ( Wang et al., 2019 ). Hierarchical segregation and integration have been demonstrated to be better neural signatures of cognitive functions than classical signatures ( Wang et al., 2021a , 2021b ). We thus expected that an NSP-based analysis could better reveal the neural biomarkers that underlie distinct ADHD symptoms across the lifespan.…”