Functionality of arousal-regulating brain circuitry at rest predicts human cognitive abilities

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Arousal is regulated by subcortical nuclei like the locus coeruleus.
• The capacity of cortical regions to modulate arousal for cognition is unknown.

Approach:

• Utilized Human Connectome Project 7T fMRI data (N=149) with simultaneous eye tracking.
• Analyzed resting-state brain activity and cognitive performance.
• Investigated functional circuits linking cortical regions, arousal systems, and cognition.

Key Points:

• Identified frontoparietal cortical regions that engage the arousal system to drive large-scale brain activity.
• Discovered that the arousal circuit, particularly involving the posterior cingulate cortex, predicts cognitive abilities.
• The posterior cingulate cortex, linked to the default mode network, appears to regulate arousal for cognitive support.

Conclusions:

• Cortical regions can actively recruit neuromodulatory arousal systems.
• Arousal system modulation by specific cortical areas forms a circuit that supports cognitive function.
• This highlights a novel role for the posterior cingulate cortex in cognitive regulation via arousal modulation.