Increased Gamma Connectivity in the Human Prefrontal Cortex during the Bereitschaftspotential.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Systems Neuroscience

Background:

• The Bereitschaftspotential (BP) is a cortical potential preceding voluntary movement.
• BP's relationship with neural information flow and prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in PFC connectivity during BP.
• To explore the association between BP development and neural communication.

Main Methods:

• Electrocorticography (ECoG) was recorded from five epilepsy patients performing self-paced hand grasping.
• Partial directed coherence was used to compare intraregional connectivity between PFC and non-PFC regions during BP and baseline periods.

Main Results:

• PFC connectivity in beta and gamma bands increased by 24.4% during BP compared to baseline.
• Gamma band connectivity in non-PFC regions decreased by 31.4%.
• Intraregional connectivity within the PFC increased progressively with BP stage.

Conclusions:

• Increased gamma band connectivity in the PFC is associated with BP development.
• Enhanced intraregional PFC connectivity may reflect the activation of brain networks crucial for movement preparation.