The Time Varying Networks of the Interoceptive Attention and Rest.
eNeuro January 1, 2021 Ana Y Martínez, Athena Demertzi, Clemens C C Bauer et al.
Focused attention on spontaneous body sensations requires interoceptive abilities and is impaired in disorders like illness-anxiety disorder. Fifteen experienced meditators performed a 20-minute attentional task to spontaneous sensations during fMRI scanning, with resting-state scans before and after the task. Dynamic functional connectivity and k-means clustering identified five recurring connectivity patterns across the dorsal attention, default mode, and frontoparietal networks. Subjects spent more time in a low-connectivity pattern during rest and more time in complex patterns during the task. A carry-over effect in connectivity after the task suggests an active role in learning from cognitive training. Focused attention to interoception involves a distinct dynamic brain organization compared to rest.