Temporal variability of brain networks predicts individual differences in bistable perception.
Yu Mao1, Ryota Kanai2, Cody Ding3
1Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
Neuropsychologia
|March 10, 2020
Summary
Individual differences in bistable perception are linked to dynamic brain network interactions. Our study reveals how brain network variability influences how long we perceive ambiguous stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Perception
Background:
- Bistable perception involves spontaneous shifts in conscious awareness between competing interpretations of ambiguous visual stimuli.
- These perceptual alternations suggest a link between bistable perception and the dynamic interplay of brain networks.
- Individual variations in perceptual dynamics may correlate with the fluctuating patterns of spontaneous neural activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the duration of perceptual experience in bistable perception and the dynamic reconfiguration of brain networks.
- To explore how functional connectivity (FC) during resting-state predicts individual differences in perceptual dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of resting-state functional connectivity (FC) to measure dynamic brain network reconfiguration.
- Correlation analysis between individual differences in percept duration and temporal variability in specific brain regions and networks.
- Examination of dynamic interactions between large-scale brain networks, including the Default Mode Network (DMN), Frontoparietal Network (FPN), and Salience Network (SN).
Main Results:
- Individual differences in percept duration were associated with the temporal variability of brain regions crucial for bistable perception, such as the ACC, DMPFC, DLPFC, SPL, IPL, precuneus, insula, and V5.
- A positive correlation was observed between the temporal variability within the Frontoparietal Network (FPN) and the duration of perceptual experience.
- Individual variations in bistable perception were linked to the dynamic coupling among multiple large-scale functional networks (DMN, FPN, CON, DAN, SN, MRN).
Conclusions:
- Inter-individual variability in bistable perception is significantly associated with the dynamic coupling of brain regions and large-scale networks.
- These findings highlight the role of dynamic neural interactions in primary visual processing, spatial attention, and cognitive control in shaping subjective perceptual experiences.
- The study underscores the importance of considering dynamic brain network activity to understand individual differences in perception.
