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The Noisy Brain: Power of Resting-State Fluctuations Predicts Individual Recognition Performance.
Shany Grossman1, Erin M Yeagle2, Michal Harel1
1Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel; The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Cell Reports
|December 19, 2019
Summary
Resting-state brain "noise," measured by slow fluctuations in high-frequency power, acts as a neurophysiological trait limiting visual recognition. This internal noise level predicts task performance across individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Individual cognitive traits have significant implications, but their neurophysiological basis is not well understood.
- Resting-state brain activity may hold clues to individual differences in cognitive abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurophysiological underpinnings of cognitive traits.
- To explore the role of resting-state cortical "noise" in limiting visual recognition capacity.
Main Methods:
- Intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) recordings were obtained from 26 patients.
- Amplitudes of slow (<1 Hz) spontaneous fluctuations in high-frequency power during rest were analyzed.
- Patient performance on a visual recognition 1-back task was correlated with iEEG measures.
Main Results:
- Resting-state cortical "noise" amplitudes predicted visual recognition task performance.
- This predictive relationship was specific to task-related cortical sites.
- The effect remained significant even across long time lags (mean 4.6 days).
Conclusions:
- Resting-state cortical "noise" is a potential neurophysiological trait influencing cognitive performance.
- Individual differences in internal neural "noise" can limit performance on demanding, externally oriented tasks.
- This finding opens new avenues for understanding cognitive variability.
