Frontal theta EEG activity correlates negatively with the default mode network in resting state
René Scheeringa, Marcel C.M. Bastiaansen, Karl Magnus Petersson, Robert Oostenveld, David G. Norris, Peter Hagoort
International Journal of Psychophysiology July 13, 2007 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2007.05.017 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSimultaneous EEG and fMRI recordings in resting subjects with eyes open showed that fluctuations in frontal theta power are not positively correlated with brain activity in any area. Instead, strong negative correlations were found in regions that together form the default mode network, indicating that frontal theta activity serves as an EEG marker of default mode network deactivation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy subjects quietly lying resting in an MRI scanner with eyes open |
| Citations | 415 |
| Key finding | Frontal theta power is negatively correlated with default mode network activity, not positively correlated with any brain area. |
Abstract
We used simultaneously recorded EEG and fMRI to investigate in which areas the BOLD signal correlates with frontal theta power changes, while subjects were quietly lying resting in the scanner with their eyes open. To obtain a reliable estimate of frontal theta power we applied ICA on band-pass filtered (2-9 Hz) EEG data. For each subject we selected the component that best matched the mid-frontal scalp topography associated with the frontal theta rhythm. We applied a time-frequency analysis on this component and used the time course of the frequency bin with the highest overall power to form a regressor that modeled spontaneous fluctuations in frontal theta power. No significant positive BOLD correlations with this regressor were observed. Extensive negative correlations were observed in the areas that together form the default mode network. We conclude that frontal theta activity can be seen as an EEG index of default mode network activity.