Uncovering the global task-modulated brain network in chunk decomposition with Chinese characters

Jiaoyan Pang; Hanning Guo; Xiaochen Tang; Yu Fu; Zhengwu Yang; Yongchao Li; Na An; Jing Luo; Zhijun Yao; Bin Hu

NeuroImage (Feb 2022)

Uncovering the global task-modulated brain network in chunk decomposition with Chinese characters

Jiaoyan Pang,
Hanning Guo,
Xiaochen Tang,
Yu Fu,
Zhengwu Yang,
Yongchao Li,
Na An,
Jing Luo,
Zhijun Yao,
Bin Hu

Affiliations

Jiaoyan Pang: School of Government, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, China
Hanning Guo: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Xiaochen Tang: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
Yu Fu: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Zhengwu Yang: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Yongchao Li: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Na An: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Jing Luo: Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
Zhijun Yao: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; Corresponding authors at: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
Bin Hu: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Joint Research Center for Cognitive Neurosensor Technology of Lanzhou University and Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Ministry of Education, Open Source Software and Real-Time System Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Corresponding authors at: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 247
p. 118826

Abstract

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Chunk decomposition, which requires the mental representation transformation in accordance with behavioral goals, is of vital importance to problem solving and creative thinking. Previous studies have identified that the frontal, parietal, and occipital cortex in the cognitive control network selectively activated in response to chunk tightness, however, functional localization strategy may overlook the interaction brain regions. Based on the notion of a global brain network, we proposed that multiple specialized regions have to be interconnected to maintain goal representation during the course of chunk decomposition. Therefore, the present study applied a beta-series correlation method to investigate interregional functional connectivity in the event-related design of chunk decomposition tasks using Chinese characters, which would highlight critical nodes irrespective to chunk tightness. The results reveal a network of functional hubs with highly within or between module connections, including the orbitofrontal cortex, superior/inferior parietal lobule, hippocampus, and thalamus. We speculate that the thalamus integrates information across modular as an integrative hub while the orbitofrontal cortex tracks the mental states of chunk decomposition on a moment-to-moment basis. The superior and inferior parietal lobule collaborate to manipulate the mental representation of chunk decomposition and the hippocampus associates the relationship between elements in the question and solution phase. Furthermore, the tightness of chunks is not only associated with different processors in visual systems but also leads to increased intermodular connections in right superior frontal gyrus and left precentral gyrus. To summary up, the present study first reveals the task-modulated brain network of chunk decomposition in addition to the tightness-related nodes in the frontal and occipital cortex.

Published in NeuroImage

ISSN: 1053-8119 (Print); 1095-9572 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroimage

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