Electroencephalography theta/beta ratio covaries with mind wandering and functional connectivity in the executive control network

Dana van Son, Rover de Mischa, Frances M. De Blasio, Willem van der Does, Robert J. Barry, Peter Putman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The ratio between frontal resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) theta and beta frequency power (theta/beta ratio, TBR) is negatively related to cognitive control. It is unknown which psychological processes during resting state account for this. Increased theta and reduced beta power are observed during mind wandering (MW), and MW is related to decreased connectivity in the executive control network (ECN) and increased connectivity in the default mode network (DMN). The goal of this study was to test if MW-related fluctuations in TBR covary with such functional variation in ECN and DMN connectivity and if this functional variation is related to resting-state TBR. Data were analyzed for 26 participants who performed a 40-min breath-counting task and reported the occurrence of MW episodes while EEG was measured and again during magnetic resonance imaging. Frontal TBR was higher during MW than controlled thought and this was marginally related to resting-state TBR. DMN connectivity was higher and ECN connectivity was lower during MW. Greater ECN connectivity during focus than MW was correlated to lower TBR during focus than MW. These results provide the first evidence of the neural correlates of TBR and its functional dynamics and further establish TBR's usefulness for the study of executive control, in normal and potentially abnormal psychology.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)52-64
Number of pages13
JournalAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Volume1452
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2019 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of New York Academy of Sciences This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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