Two is better than one: The effects of strategic cooperation on intra- and inter-brain connectivity by fNIRS

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 12; no. 11; p. e0187652
• Main Authors: Balconi, Michela, Pezard, Laurent, Nandrino, Jean-Louis, Vanutelli, Maria Elide
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 16.11.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Brain Mapping - methods; Brain research; Cognitive ability; Cognitive science; Cognitive tasks; Competition; Cooperation; Correlation; Correlation analysis; Cortex (frontal); Feedback; Female; Growth models; Humans; I.R. radiation; Indexes; Infrared imaging; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Near infrared spectroscopy; Nervous system; Neural networks; Neuroimaging; Neurophysiology; Neuroscience; Neurosciences; Perceptions; Physical Sciences; Prefrontal cortex; Reinforcement; Research and Analysis Methods; Social interaction; Social Sciences; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared - methods; Spectrum analysis; Studies; Synchronism; Synchronization; Verbal communication; Young Adult; France; Italy
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187652

Inter-brain synchronization during joint actions is a core question in social neuroscience, and the differential contribution of intra- and inter-brain functional connectivity has yet to be clarified along with the role of psychological variables such as perceived self-efficacy. The cognitive performance and the neural activation underlying the execution of joint actions were recorded by functional Near-Infrared imaging during a synchronicity game. An 8-channel array of optodes was positioned over the frontal and prefrontal regions. During the task, the dyads received reinforcing feedback that was experimentally manipulated to induce adoption of common strategies. Intra- and inter-brain connectivity indices were computed along with an inter-brain/intra-brain connectivity index (ConIndex). Finally, correlation analyses were run to assess the relationship between behavioral and physiological levels. The results showed that the external feedback could modulate participant responses in both behavioral and neural components. After the reinforcing manipulation, there were faster response times and increased inter-brain connectivity, and ConIndex emerged primarily over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Additionally, the presence of significant correlations between response times and inter-brain connectivity revealed that only the "two-players connection" may guarantee an efficient performance. The present study provides a significant contribution to the identification of intra- and inter-brain functional connectivity when social reinforcement is provided.