Using Partial Directed Coherence to Study Alpha-Band Effective Brain Networks during a Visuospatial Attention Task.

Using Partial Directed Coherence to Study Alpha-Band Effective Brain Networks during a Visuospatial Attention Task.
Behav Neurol. 2019;2019:1410425
Authors: Zhao Z, Wang C
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the neural mechanisms underlying visual spatial attention rely on top-down control information from the frontal and parietal cortexes, which ultimately amplifies sensory processing of stimulus occurred at the attended location relative to those at unattended location. However, the modulations of effective brain networks in response to stimulus at attended and unattended location are not yet clear. In present study, we collected event-related potentials (ERPs) from 15 subjects during a visual spatial attention task, and a partial directed coherence (PDC) method was used to construct alpha-band effective brain networks of two conditions (targets at attended and nontargets at unattended location). Flow gain mapping, effective connectivity pattern, and graph measures including clustering coefficient (C), characteristic path length (L), global efficiency (E global), and local efficiency (E local) were compared between two conditions. Flow gain mapping showed that the frontal region seemed to serve as the main source of information transmission in response to targets at attended location while the parietal region served as the main source in nontarget condition. Effective connectivity pattern indicated that in response to targets...

Source: Behavioural Neurology - October 2, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: Zhao Z, Wang C Tags: Behav Neurol Source Type: research