The functional relevance of flexible hub connectivity in cognitive control networks

Cocuzza C.V., Mill R.D., & Cole M.W. The functional relevance of flexible hub connectivity in cognitive control networks. The Organization for Human Brain Mapping Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, June, 2022.

Abstract
Cognitive control is thought to be instantiated by brain mechanisms capable of coordinating processes that enable flexible input-output mappings based on task context and consistent with task goals. Such flexible brain mappings are key to goal-directed cognition, which is a cornerstone of adaptive human behavior, yet how these flexible mappings emerge from brain network interactions remains unclear. Prior work has formalized a flexible hub theory of adaptive task control, which posits that task-relevant connectivity changes are key to implementing cognitive control. In the present study, we hypothesized that a flexible hub mechanism reweights network interactions to coordinate task-set activation patterns occurring with rapidly shifting task demands. We systematically tested this hypothesis with resting- and task-state fMRI data from a large cohort of healthy human participants performing rapid instructed task learning. We leveraged a recently developed “activity flow” mapping approach for investigating network mechanisms by modeling the influence of activity flowing over brain connections. We found that flexible hub connectivity accounted for how well distributed activation patterns occurring with rapidly shifting task demands were mapped by various network architectures. This effect was prominently determined by connectivity patterns in the frontoparietal, cingulo-opercular, and default mode networks, compared to other functional networks. We provide evidence from a systematically tested network interaction model that the flexible shifts in functional network architectures is a key mechanism for coordinating processes that enable adaptive task control.

An earlier version of this project was also presented as part of: Cocuzza C.V., Mill R.D., & Cole M.W. Group discussion on Network Hub Activity including: The functional relevance of flexible hub connectivity in cognitive control networks. The Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Virtual, November, 2021.

View my virtual (pre-recorded) SfN presentation here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15vA6prz2Znap_OHDVJrP1KRSfoW4S1iW/view?usp=sharing