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Functional Connectivity of Cortical Fields at Rest as a Mechanism of Brain Preparation to Purposeful Activity

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Abstract

The relationship between individual characteristics of spontaneous electrical activity of the brain and concentration of attention was studied using the analysis of accuracy in the “Bourdon test” for voluntary attention. The accuracy of test performance was found to correlate with the spectral power and index of the α and θ bands in the left mid-temporal cortical area, as well as an increase in signal connectivity between the mid-temporal and other EEG sites. An increase in the spectral power of the θ band and a decrease in α index led to an increase in the number of errors in the test. On the one hand, the findings possibly indicate that the left mid-temporal region plays a special role organizing the coordinated systemic spatiotemporal interaction of cortical fields, which is necessary for efficient test performance. On the other hand, the findings raise the question as to whether a reorganization of background brain activity is of importance as a precondition of local processes to facilitate further cognitive performance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, St. Petersburg, , Russian Academy of Sciences, , Russia

    E. P. Stankova & A. N. Shepovalnikov

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  1. E. P. Stankova
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  2. A. N. Shepovalnikov
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Correspondence to E. P. Stankova.

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     ALEKSANDR NIKOLAEVICH SHEPOVALNIKOV is a merited scientist, doctor of science (medicine). His research have always been associated with Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, where he went from being a junior researcher to head of the Laboratory of Children’s Neurophysiology and leader of the Section of Evolution of Higher Nervous Activity.      Shepovalnikov’s research interests range broadly from pressing problems of age-related physiology to problems of the physiology of sleep and biocybernetics. However, the formation of systemic brain activity during postnatal development has always been the main field of his research.      Professor Shepovalnikov is a talented teacher and pays substantial attention to working with the young and contributing to the popularity of science.      The Editorial Board of Human Physiology congratulate their regular author and active member Aleksandr Shepovalnikov with his jubilee and wish him good health and every success with his plans and ideas in research and personal life.

Translated by T. Tkacheva

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Stankova, E.P., Shepovalnikov, A.N. Functional Connectivity of Cortical Fields at Rest as a Mechanism of Brain Preparation to Purposeful Activity. Hum Physiol 44, 609–616 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119718060129

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