Functional brain network reconfiguration during learning in a dynamic environment

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 1682
• Main Authors: Kao, Chang-Hao, Khambhati, Ankit N, Bassett, Danielle S, Nassar, Matthew R, McGuire, Joseph T, Gold, Joshua I, Kable, Joseph W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 03.04.2020; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Brain; Connectome; Female; Frontal Lobe - diagnostic imaging; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Functional integration; Humans; Integration; Learning; Learning - physiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Models, Neurological; Nerve Net - physiology; Neural networks; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neurosciences; Parietal Lobe - diagnostic imaging; Parietal Lobe - physiology; Principal components analysis; Reconfiguration; Uncertainty; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15442-2

When learning about dynamic and uncertain environments, people should update their beliefs most strongly when new evidence is most informative, such as when the environment undergoes a surprising change or existing beliefs are highly uncertain. Here we show that modulations of surprise and uncertainty are encoded in a particular, temporally dynamic pattern of whole-brain functional connectivity, and this encoding is enhanced in individuals that adapt their learning dynamics more appropriately in response to these factors. The key feature of this whole-brain pattern of functional connectivity is stronger connectivity, or functional integration, between the fronto-parietal and other functional systems. Our results provide new insights regarding the association between dynamic adjustments in learning and dynamic, large-scale changes in functional connectivity across the brain.