Cortico-cortical and baso-cortical gamma oscillations represent functionally distinct attentional networks

摘要

Cortico-cortical and baso-cortical gamma oscillations represent functionally distinct attentional networks Attentional states contribute to task performance. Yet, the neu- rological correlates that represent attentional states are poorly defined. Temporal analysis of gamma band oscillations (GBO, 30-80Hz) in the seconds-to-minutes timescale has shown the cortico-cortical GBO network to be pro-cognitive. On the contrary, a recent study observed prominent GBO in the baso-cortical network during the task-negative state in a longer timescale of few-tens-of- minutes. These two opposing observations raise a possibility that GBO networks are differentially correlated with different cogni- tive states depending on the brain regions and/or timescale. To elucidate this, we analyzed cortico-cortical and baso-cortical GBO network dynamics in the minutes versus seconds timescales using the Go/No-Go paradigm. EEG and LFP were obtained from pre- frontal and posterior-parietal cortices and the basal forebrain in head-fixed mice. We characterized GBO patterns that accompany the long-term shifts in behavioral state in addition to trial-by- trial fluctuations in task performance. Our results showed that the baso-cortical GBO networks reflect long-term attentional state transitions, manifested by the progressive decline in task engage- ment. On the other hand, independent of the long-term trends, trial-by-trial performance analysis revealed that stronger cortico- cortical GBO network precedes correct trials. Interestingly, one of the baso-cortical networks exhibited stronger connectivity before error trials. This suggests that on top of being involved in the long-term transition into task-negative states, certain activities of the baso-cortical gamma network can trigger immediate errors in behavior, possibly through causing acute disruptions in attention. Thus, cortico-cortical and baso-cortical GBO networks can be inter- preted to be involved in functionally distinct attentional networks that influence brain states and behavior on different timescales.