Abstract
The frontoparietal control network (FPCN) plays a central role in tuning connectivity between brain networks to achieve integrated cognitive processes. It has been proposed that two subnetworks within the FPCN separately regulate two antagonistic networks: the FPCNa is connected to the default network (DN) that deals with internally oriented introspective processes, whereas the FPCNb is connected to the dorsal attention network (DAN) that deals with externally oriented perceptual attention. However, cooperation between the DN and DAN induced by distinct task demands has not been well-studied. Here, we characterized the dynamic cooperation among the DN, DAN, and two FPCN subnetworks in a task in which internally oriented self-referential processing could facilitate externally oriented visual working memory. Functional connectivity analysis showed enhanced coupling of a circuit from the DN to the FPCNa, then to the FPCNb, and finally to the DAN when the self-referential processing improved memory recognition in high self-referential conditions. The direct connection between the DN and DAN was not enhanced. This circuit could be reflected by an increased chain-mediating effect of the FPCNa and the FPCNb between the DN and DAN in high self-referential conditions. Graph analysis revealed that high self-referential conditions were accompanied by increased global and local efficiencies, and the increases were mainly driven by the increased efficiency of FPCN nodes. Together, our findings extend prior observations and indicate that the coupling between the two FPCN subnetworks serves as a bridge between the DN and DAN, supporting the interaction between internally oriented and externally oriented processes.
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The data and code in the study are available from the corresponding author upon direct request, with a formal data-sharing agreement.
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Scripts used for running experiments and data analyses are available upon request to the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Matthew L. Dixon for providing the brain template files of regions of interest used in the present analyses. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171040, 32000783), and Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing, China (cstc2020jcyj-bshX0120), and the fellowship of China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (BX20200283).
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This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171040, 32000783), and Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing, China (cstc2020jcyj-bshX0120), and the fellowship of China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (BX20200283).
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SY and AC initially conceived and designed the experiments. SY and YL performed the experiments. The data were analyzed by SY and YL, and the paper was written by SY, YL, and AC.
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Yin, S., Li, Y. & Chen, A. Functional coupling between frontoparietal control subnetworks bridges the default and dorsal attention networks. Brain Struct Funct 227, 2243–2260 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-022-02517-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-022-02517-7