Schedule of Events | Symposia

Sketchpad Series

Closed-loop neuromodulation of anticorrelated spontaneous activity between default and dorsal attention networks

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 29, 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Janet Li¹ (jl4646@drexel.edu), Tiara Bounyarith¹, Lotus Shareef-Trudeau¹, David Braun¹, Aaron Kucyi¹; ¹Drexel University

The dynamic interplay between the default mode (DMN) and the dorsal attention (DAN) networks is thought to underpin mind-wandering and attention. DMN activity, implicated in mind-wandering, is typically anticorrelated with DAN activity, implicated in goal-directed attention. Despite DMN-DAN anticorrelation being well-established association, the causal relationship with behavior remains untested, in part, due to limitations in network-based neuromodulation techniques. We will explore the possibility of direct modulation of DMN-DAN anticorrelation through covert real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI-NF), or directly manipulating spontaneous brain activity without awareness using implicit learning. Thirty healthy adults will be divided into 2 groups, each comprised of fifteen participants who will either upregulate DMN relative to DAN activity (DMN>DAN group) or DAN relative to DMN activity (DAN>DMN group). Runs of rt-fMRI-NF will include implicit rewards and intermittent experience sampling to assess mind-wandering. Measures of attentional task performance will be collected prior to and after rt-fMRI-NF training. We hypothesize that (1) covert rt-fMRI-NF will modulate DMN-DAN anticorrelation in both groups, (2) that modulation success will correspond to increased or decreased mind-wandering, respectfully, depending on modulation direction, and (3) that post-training attentional task performance will reflect these changes. Analyses will examine changes in DMN-DAN activation differences over time across rt-fMRI-NF runs, correlate trial-wise mind-wandering ratings with DMN-DAN activation differences during rt-fMRI-NF, and measure pre- relative to post-training changes in attentional performance. If hypotheses are supported, we will demonstrate that covert neuromodulation of DMN-DAN anticorrelation can alter mind-wandering and attention, offering insights into their causal roles and future interventions targeting these networks.

Topic Area: ATTENTION: Other