A network engineering perspective on probing and perturbing cognition with neurofeedback

Abstract

Network science and engineering provide a flexible and generalizable tool set to describe and manipulate complex systems characterized by heterogeneous interaction patterns among component parts. While classically applied to social systems, these tools have recently proven to be particularly useful in the study of the brain. In this review, we describe the nascent use of these tools to understand human cognition, and we discuss their utility in informing the meaningful and predictable perturbation of cognition in combination with the emerging capabilities of neurofeedback. To blend these disparate strands of research, we build on emerging conceptualizations of how the brain functions (as a complex network) and how we can develop and target interventions or modulations (as a form of network control). We close with an outline of current frontiers that bridge neurofeedback, connectomics, and network control theory to better understand human cognition.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 26, 2017
Source ID
10.1111/nyas.13338

Entities

People

  • Ankit Khambhati
  • Danielle Bassett

Organizations

  • Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
  • Army Research Office
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • National Institute of Mental Health
  • National Science Foundation
  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Army Research Laboratory
  • University of Pennsylvania

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.
  • Systems Analysis and Design