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Task-induced deactivation in diverse brain systems correlates with interindividual differences in distinct autonomic
Vittorio Iacovella1, Luca Faes2, Uri Hasson3
1Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, The University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
Neuropsychologia
|March 14, 2018
Summary
Individual differences in Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) activity relate to brain deactivation during cognitive tasks. Higher heart rate and lower vagal tone (RMSSD) correlate with distinct patterns of brain deactivation, particularly in the Default Mode Network.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Cognitive tasks elicit specific brain activation and deactivation patterns.
- Individual differences in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity may influence these neural patterns.
- Understanding the link between ANS and brain deactivation is crucial for cognitive theories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between individual differences in ANS activity and task-induced brain deactivation.
- To explore how heart rate and respiration influence neural activation and deactivation during a cognitive task.
- To determine if ANS measures predict the magnitude of deactivation in specific brain regions, including the Default Mode Network.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with heart and respiration rate monitoring.
- Participants performed a continuous mental arithmetic task in a block design (task/rest).
- Analysis focused on correlations between ANS measures (heart rate, respiration, RMSSD) and brain activity patterns.
Main Results:
- Task performance increased heart rate and decreased RMSSD (vagal tone).
- Higher heart rate correlated with increased fronto-parietal activation and ventromedial prefrontal deactivation.
- Lower RMSSD was associated with greater deactivation in Default Mode Network regions, which were largely task-deactivated at the group level.
Conclusions:
- Inter-individual differences in ANS activity are significantly linked to task-induced brain deactivation.
- Brain deactivation is a complex phenomenon potentially influenced by ANS control, with distinct ANS measures correlating with deactivation in different brain regions.
- Findings have implications for understanding ANS-brain interactions, cortical control theories, and "failure to deactivate" in clinical conditions.
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