Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.

Prospective Memory (PM) is the ability to encode an intention in memory and retrieve it at the right time in the future. After the intention is formed, it must be maintained in memory while simultaneously monitoring the environment until the occurrence of the stimulus associated with its retrieval....

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Main Authors: Stefano Vicentin, Giorgia Cona, Marco Marino, Patrizia Bisiacchi, Dante Mantini, Giorgio Arcara
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319213
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author Stefano Vicentin
Giorgia Cona
Marco Marino
Patrizia Bisiacchi
Dante Mantini
Giorgio Arcara
author_facet Stefano Vicentin
Giorgia Cona
Marco Marino
Patrizia Bisiacchi
Dante Mantini
Giorgio Arcara
author_sort Stefano Vicentin
collection DOAJ
description Prospective Memory (PM) is the ability to encode an intention in memory and retrieve it at the right time in the future. After the intention is formed, it must be maintained in memory while simultaneously monitoring the environment until the occurrence of the stimulus associated with its retrieval. Therefore, monitoring and maintenance processes must work in conjunction to subserve PM processing (monitoring/maintenance phase). Several brain regions play a role in PM, such as the anterior prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal lobules, and precuneus. Notably, these regions belong to different brain networks and are differently involved depending on the memory and attentional requests of the PM task. In this study, we investigate the neural bases of PM from a network perspective, using functional connectivity (FC) analysis to identify the networks involved in the attentional and memory mechanisms underlying PM. To this end, we analyzed MEG data collected in two different PM conditions, enhancing either the monitoring (i.e., attention) or the maintenance (i.e., memory) loads of the PM task. To disentangle the neural correlates of these mechanisms from other processes occurring after stimulus presentation, the analysis focused on the prestimulus time window (monitoring/maintenance phase). The monitoring-load condition was characterized by increased inter-network FC of the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) in the alpha band, a marker of increased top-down monitoring. In contrast, the maintenance-load condition was associated with increased connectivity of the Ventral Attention Network (VAN) with the FrontoParietal Control and the Default-Mode Networks (FPCN and DMN, respectively). Additionally, response times were found to correlate with prestimulus alpha connectivity of different networks in the two conditions. These differences in connectivity within and between networks support the hypothesis that different networks (DAN, or VAN and DMN) and mechanisms (top-down or bottom-up, respectively) are involved in PM processing depending on the features of the PM task.
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spelling doaj-art-a1ef8d5d6b4946febb47fc4e320adf842025-08-20T01:51:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031921310.1371/journal.pone.0319213Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.Stefano VicentinGiorgia ConaMarco MarinoPatrizia BisiacchiDante MantiniGiorgio ArcaraProspective Memory (PM) is the ability to encode an intention in memory and retrieve it at the right time in the future. After the intention is formed, it must be maintained in memory while simultaneously monitoring the environment until the occurrence of the stimulus associated with its retrieval. Therefore, monitoring and maintenance processes must work in conjunction to subserve PM processing (monitoring/maintenance phase). Several brain regions play a role in PM, such as the anterior prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal lobules, and precuneus. Notably, these regions belong to different brain networks and are differently involved depending on the memory and attentional requests of the PM task. In this study, we investigate the neural bases of PM from a network perspective, using functional connectivity (FC) analysis to identify the networks involved in the attentional and memory mechanisms underlying PM. To this end, we analyzed MEG data collected in two different PM conditions, enhancing either the monitoring (i.e., attention) or the maintenance (i.e., memory) loads of the PM task. To disentangle the neural correlates of these mechanisms from other processes occurring after stimulus presentation, the analysis focused on the prestimulus time window (monitoring/maintenance phase). The monitoring-load condition was characterized by increased inter-network FC of the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) in the alpha band, a marker of increased top-down monitoring. In contrast, the maintenance-load condition was associated with increased connectivity of the Ventral Attention Network (VAN) with the FrontoParietal Control and the Default-Mode Networks (FPCN and DMN, respectively). Additionally, response times were found to correlate with prestimulus alpha connectivity of different networks in the two conditions. These differences in connectivity within and between networks support the hypothesis that different networks (DAN, or VAN and DMN) and mechanisms (top-down or bottom-up, respectively) are involved in PM processing depending on the features of the PM task.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319213
spellingShingle Stefano Vicentin
Giorgia Cona
Marco Marino
Patrizia Bisiacchi
Dante Mantini
Giorgio Arcara
Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.
PLoS ONE
title Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.
title_full Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.
title_fullStr Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.
title_full_unstemmed Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.
title_short Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study.
title_sort prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task a magnetoencephalographic meg study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319213
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